Three weeks ago this past Sunday, I sold my painting “Blues Jam” to a friend who appreciates both the Blues and the Sunday jam at Newcastle Pub.  Shortly thereafter, she approached me and asked if I would re-create the same painting, slightly altered, for her for the end of October, same price.  I agreed happily!  My first PAID commission!    Fantastic!

A while later, she asked if I would do TWO paintings, same price each, with the SAME DEADLINE.  I hesitated, naturally – that’s a lot of work, and I do have a real day-job – and a (you guessed it) complicated life outside the day-job and my art-job!  But after at least five minutes of serious consideration, I agreed to the challenge.   The paintings are going to be given as gifts.

Much later, after having a minor panic attack and scribbling for hours in my sketchbook, I came up with two working compositions, sketched them both on Wallis sanded pastel paper, and went to work on the first one.  I gave myself a until October 13 (yesterday) to finish it, and the second has to be done by October 28 – so I have a little (very little) time to fine tune both of them before framing and delivery.