Recently on our podcast,  The Messy Studio,  my son Ross and I discussed art commissions-- how to handle them, their upsides, downsides, and logistical considerations. We noted that while some artists actively seek commissions and rely on them for income, others view them with mixed feelings or even refuse them. There are good reasons for all of those responses--artists' feelings about commissions depend on individual goals, economic needs, and just how comfortable they are with making art on demand.

Recently on our podcast, The Messy Studio, my son Ross and I discussed art commissions-- how to handle them, their upsides, downsides, and logistical considerations. We noted that while some artists actively seek commissions and rely on them for income, others view them with mixed feelings or even refuse them.

A few days ago I sat in the Agens Martin gallery at the The Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico. Seven paintings she created in 1993, late in her life and upon her return to Taos from Galisteo, New Mexico hang in the octagonal space. It is dimly lit, with benches made by the minimalist sculptor Donald Judd in the center under a skylight.

Recently on our podcast,  The Messy Studio,  my son Ross and I discussed art commissions-- how to handle them, their upsides, downsides, and logistical considerations. We noted that while some artists actively seek commissions and rely on them for income, others view them with mixed feelings or even refuse them. There are good reasons for all of those responses--artists' feelings about commissions depend on individual goals, economic needs, and just how comfortable they are with making art on demand.

Jerry Mclaughlin and I have just finished co-teaching two oil and cold wax workshops in Italy at the beloved Cascina Rodiani (at Drezzo, in the northern province of Como), a green hotel run by Samuel Crisigiovanii and Mimma Della Cagnoletta, who is an artist and well-known art therapist. This was my third time teaching at the Cascina, a beautiful 17th century farmhouse surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland.