Asked before, answered plainly
Fifteen questions, answered plainly. If yours is not here, write to the studio and a person will answer it
Before you send it
What paints well, what does not, and what we can change.
Q1What kind of photograph works best?
A sharp one, taken in good light, where the faces you love are clear. Phone photographs are usually enough. Every photograph is reviewed before painting begins, and if any part is too soft to paint faithfully, you will hear from us first.
Q2Can I send an old or imperfect photograph?
Send it anyway. Every photograph is reviewed by the studio, and you will hear from us honestly about what the brush can and cannot recover before anything is charged.
Q3Can you remove something from the background?
Yes. Parked cars, a stray sign, a person who wandered into the frame. Tell us what to leave out when you send the photograph.
Q4Can two photographs be combined into one painting?
[NEEDS REAL INPUT: whether artists will composite two photographs onto one canvas, and whether it changes the price.]
What you see, and when
The proof mechanics, in the order they happen.
Q5Will I see the painting before it ships?
Twice. A progress photograph at two weeks, and photographs of the finished painting before the remaining balance is charged. If it is not right, it is repainted. It does not ship until you are happy with what you see.
Q6Is my deposit protected?
Yes. Half commissions the painting, and nothing more is charged until the finished work has been shown to you in photographs. The arrangement is written in plain words on your order.
Money, time and travel
What it costs, how long it takes, and where it goes.
Q7What does it cost?
Between $1,900 and $2,500, set by size and level of detail. Half when you commission, half after you have seen the finished painting in photographs. Shipping is additional and quoted before you begin.
Q8How long does it take?
Your painting is guaranteed at your door within six weeks of commission. Most arrive sooner.
Q9Where do you ship?
Worldwide. Shipping is quoted to your address before your deposit is placed, because the cost changes with the destination. Where a country charges import duty or customs fees, those are paid by the recipient on arrival.
Q10What if the painting arrives damaged?
[NEEDS ATTORNEY DRAFT: damage in transit, claim window, and who carries the risk of loss.]
The painting itself
What arrives, and how it differs from anything else you could buy.
Q11Is this a print or a real painting?
A real painting. Oil on canvas, made by hand by one artist over several weeks. There is no print underneath and no machine pass at any stage.
Q12How does it compare to a photo canvas print?
A print reproduces the photograph exactly, including its flaws, and costs a fraction of this. A painting interprets it. Faces are rebuilt in layers, backgrounds can be simplified or removed, and the surface holds brushwork you can see from across a room.
Q13Does it arrive ready to hang?
Not quite, and deliberately. The canvas ships rolled in a tube, which is how an oil painting travels safely. A framer stretches it onto bars in a week or two. We send the measurements, the mounting instructions, and our suggestion on which frame style suits the painting, so the last step is short and easy to brief.
Q14Does the artist sign it?
Yes. The artist signs the canvas, as they would any original work.
Q15Can a painting be a gift?
Many are. Commission it quietly, send the photograph when you are ready, and tell us the timing in your note. We will keep it.