The answer to this question is absolutely YES!
In fact, I just recently created a page on my website that shows the range and possibilities of custom-made art. Check it out and then come back and finish reading.
Working on a commission is both frightening and fun. It’s the ultimate challenge. In some cases, the client has a complete vision of their own and sometimes I’m given a very basic idea and total free rein. What ensues is a combination of imagination and ingenuity, two of my favorite things!
It’s a risky process in the medium of altered book art because it’s all or nothing. Either the piece works or it doesn’t. Unlike a painting, I can’t do much tweaking to change things for fix it up. If the client isn’t happy, it’s not an edit, it’s a complete do-over. Thankfully, though, the “do-over” is still an option.
Sometimes I hit a home run with the first shot, and sometimes I have to work the project over a few times to get the right result.
In some ways that mirrors life. A lot of what we do is risky. We have to make decisions, take chances, put ourselves out there. A lot can go right, and some can also go wrong. Sometimes after a mis-step, we can adjust and tweak and fix the situation, and sometimes a complete regroup and do-over is needed. The important part is persevering. Keeping the goal in mind and working on toward it.
