Commissioned Art Work
I paint or draw by commission, as well doing murals for office or the home, and other special requests like copying old photographs, which could be portraits or anything a client might wish to have in pencil or in paint. I also travels to clients if they are unable to come to me. My most requested commissions are often personal portrait paintings or portrait paintings of family members.
Art Lessons
I am offering private tutorials via Skype internationally for beginners and intermediates (Age 16 years and up) in the basic principles of drawing and in composition. This kind of training is slowly being deleted from most curriculum’s in most art schools and art courses in universities world wide. For more experienced artists we can have one to one critique discussions via Skype.
I can speak some French and Italian. Lessons are 80 CAD for two hours.
Studio Tours
Tours for small groups at Susanna’s studio.
Home Design
Consulting in matters of choice in the home for colour, placement of furniture and art, hanging paintings, as well as designing storage systems for small spaces.
The process of Having Your Portrait Painted
I like to ask my clients first what budget they have in mind so we can discuss how to give them something they would like and be able to afford.
In this way we can discuss options and I can compose the portrait with their budget in mind.
There are many different possibilities in oils or drawings, sketches or very detailed work, just the head or more of the body, with or without background, etc.
I like to meet the client when possible but sometimes it is not. The most important thing is to get the right photograph.
When I can I take my own. Otherwise we discuss what I need to be able to make the best portrait possible.
I like to spend time with the people I paint, to get a feel for their personalities. This too is not always possible but then I find out what I can, in a long distance situation or for a surprise.
Skype and Facebook are options for conversation for people who are not living in my city.
Deadlines are sometimes difficult without good notice ahead of time.
If we have a chance to meet and to visit, we can look at many samples of my previous work in all sorts of formats large and small .
I take the photos and then we choose the best one together. We keep taking pictures till we are all happy.
I work on the portrait until I need a sitting, often quite short. When I am ready we look at the painting together and I adjust anything that might not be perfectly accurate.
I'm available daytime, evening and weekends.
The painting does not leave the studio unless we are all more than happy.
Framing is not included in the price of the painting but I am willing to advise or recommend frames suitable for my portraits, and I have samples and photographs of these too.
I give public lectures or hold private discussion groups in my home or in the home of anyone who would like to host this event.
It will have the purpose to explore from individual points of view how to look at and enjoy the visual arts, how to visit artist’s studios,
or go to galleries without an attitude of feeling “ignorant" but instead to adopt an approach of excitement in this exploration and learning process, instead of feeling intimidated.
One has to practice being open to one’s own natural intuition and with intelligence rather than with intellectualization.
These groups have been very successful and popular. Please contact me if it sounds interesting to any viewers living in my area.
Minimum ten to a group. Suitable times can arranged to accommodate the best schedules for a group, whether weekends or evenings etc.