Testimonial from Lauren Ryan who Commissioned the Artwork
“I commissioned artwork by Ludwina Dautovic to give to my friend as a farewell Australian gift. Given the personal nature of the piece, Ludwina was very diligent in ensuring she understood the story behind the location as it was important. This gave me confidence that she understood the brief and the finished product was going to be exactly what I was after. During the process I received frequent updates and questions where necessary. I felt she treated the piece as if it was to be her own.
From a price negotiation perspective we agreed this up front and I had an amount in mind which Ludwina was comfortable with. The piece was delivered ahead of schedule and extra care was taken in shipping it to me. This was important as the end location was the USA. Ludwina also offered to get a print made for me so I have a fond memory of the gift. Art is subjective so an element of trust is needed to be placed in the artist. In this case, that was easy to do given how Ludwina conducted herself during the process and the care she showed to ensure the final product was exactly what I wanted. I look forward to the next piece.”
Lauren Ryan
The story of my first commissioned artwork
Saying yes to a commissioned artwork was probably the most nerve racking thing I’ve said yes to in my art journey to date. It’s one thing to create a painting that someone likes and buys it from you. It’s another to be asked to paint something specific and hope they like it, especially as they’re paying for it.
The testimonial clearly states the story and how the commission came about, so I don’t need to repeat it. But I will say that the level of ‘wanting to get it right’ had a level of anxiety attached to it that I’d never experienced before.
I’m really glad I said yes and stepped into a new experience. I’m so glad that Lauren and her friend loved the painting and that it expressed the memories they wanted to capture of their friendship.
Here's my step-by-step process of how I painted my first commissioned artwork
What I learned about myself
I’m a lot more confident in my art than I expected. I have spent so much time studying art and techniques in the last six years that they’re now layered within my mind in a very subconscious way. I no longer have to think about things that I used to and I can see the outcome that I’m wanting.
I also learned that accepting a commissioned artwork is not as easy as I thought it would be. I think the process of commissioned artwork should stay within the lane of the type of art you love to paint. I’m glad this was within a landscape format as I paint a lot of landscapes in oil and soft pastels. It was challenging working from a small digital image from the internet. Next time I’d rather work from a photograph that has a higher resolution.
They’re all things we learn and can only learn from doing it. I have a saying that I live by – “Just say yes and figure it out later.” I’m very glad I said yes to this one.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I look forward to doing it again sometime. I can now say that there has been a commissioned artwork by Ludwina Dautovic!
"Just say yes and figure it out later." Says Ludwina Dautovic, after accepting her first commissioned artwork.
Would you like a commissioned artwork?
If you have a painting you’d like me to create, simply send me a message via our contact page here. I can’t guarantee I’ll say yes as it will depend on my availability, the type of painting you want, the time it will take to paint it and agreement on price. But I’d love to know what you have in mind so please get in touch.