Commission FAQs
Throughout Ellen Rice's long-standing career of commissioned portraiture, seascapes and landscapes, her goal has been to capture windows into lives, preserving cherished moments and places in timeless works of art.
Commissioned portraiture is often considered the most challenging discipline of art. It combines years of artistic mastery, an innate ability to sense and portray the nuances of character of the subject and the desire to work with the client to create a unique piece of art that is meaningful to them. Painted portraits and scenes go far beyond the capabilities of photography to capture the essence of subjects.
You may begin the process of working with Ellen on a one-of-a-kind commission by filling out the Commission Request Form. Due to the high demand for her original paintings, Ellen is now only taking three commissioned works a year. Please fill out the form well ahead of when you need or want your painting to reserve your spot in line. Projects will not be rushed.
Pricing
Portraiture prices vary based on:
Landscapes and seascapes are generally priced less than portraiture.
Expect scenic paintings to range from $1000 to $25,000 up, depending on size, number of subjects, quality of reference photos and complexity (amount of detail).
- Size of the painting (16x20, 18x24, 36x24, and 30x40 inches are the most common painting sizes for portraits, as well as many landscapes and seascapes. Ellen has a sliding scale of prices based ons sizes and the following.
- The painting medium. Oils take longer than pastels, which take longer than pencil.
- The complexity of the painting. This determines the amount of time needed to complete the painting.
- Whether painting from the artist's photos, your high quality photo(s) or life.
- The quality of the photo reference(s). Paintings done from lesser quality reference photos or where changes are requested require substantially more time and can require an upcharge.
Landscapes and seascapes are generally priced less than portraiture.
Expect scenic paintings to range from $1000 to $25,000 up, depending on size, number of subjects, quality of reference photos and complexity (amount of detail).
The Process
The first step to realizing your vision for a painting by Ellen Rice is to apply for one of the three spots available each year through the Application Request Form.
If your application is accepted, the process will continue in the following way.
If you have any questions, we are a phone call or an email away. You may also visit the studio during our regular hours or by appointment. If you wish to meet with Ellen, please make an appointment.
If you have filled out the Application Request Form, we will contact you via your preferred method of communication. Thank you for your interest in the internationally collected art of Ellen Rice.
If your application is accepted, the process will continue in the following way.
- An initial consultation will take place.
- Specs of the painting will be reviewed and mutually agreed upon and a contract spelling out all the details will be signed by all parties and a deposit will be made. This can be in person via check or debit or credit card, or in the case of distance, via a Square invoice from the artist. (There is a 3.99% upcharge for using credit and debit cards.)
- Once the deposit is received, this secures your position. If Ellen is not currently painting a previous commission, she will start working on the project immediately.
- If the photo references were not adequate, Ellen will need to travel to you to take photos (for additional costs) or you can reshoot the reference(s) according to guidance provided. Remember that the quality of the reference dictates the potential of the final painting. We want to make sure that all commissions realize their full potential by having adequate reference material to work from.
- Once the painting is complete, the remainder of the payment will be due. In some cases, usually depending on size and cost, painting payments can be broken down into two or three payments: deposit and final payment or deposit, second payment, final payment upon completion.
If you have any questions, we are a phone call or an email away. You may also visit the studio during our regular hours or by appointment. If you wish to meet with Ellen, please make an appointment.
If you have filled out the Application Request Form, we will contact you via your preferred method of communication. Thank you for your interest in the internationally collected art of Ellen Rice.
