Have you ever commissioned a work of art?

No. I have no artistic talent at all.

What is commissioned?

A charcoal drawing of some children in a treehouse, a few months ago. I loved it. There's nothing more satisfying than drawing with charcoal.

I'm not sure. I can't remember.

Perhaps. I don't know what commissioned means, so I'm really not at all sure.

I love charcoal! You can be the worst artist in the world, but if you draw with charcoal, it will always look good!

No, and I most likely won't.

Commissioned?

I know! Even when you smudge it, it still looks wonderful!

A tattoo.

Commissioned means that you have hired someone to create it for you.

I've been toying with the idea lately but I have not the slightest idea of where to start. I'd love to hear anyone's stories, good or bad, about their experiences.

I've been commissioned many times, in fact daily!

I was going to say "No, I'm too poor" until I noticed that you included tattoos. I guess my iris tattoo would count. It was a design the artist had already drawn, but I wanted it larger, so she drew it again from scratch the size I wanted and changed the colors a bit.

What sort of art are you looking for? I happen to know an awesome artist in the Boston area.

yeah! topper designed some excellent iron fixtures that sit on top of some stone columns along our driveway. Another friend has made a troll for me and a mechanical bird based on another friend's painting. A few years back a friend made some golden apples for me that were pretty cool. I'm sure I'm missing something else here.

Those iron fixtures were fabulous! I missed the troll but I think Mallory got a picture of it, so if we ever use the rest of the film and get it developed, I may actually get to see it.

Have the leaves mostly all fallen off the trees now? Ours are pretty much gone around here.

yeah the leaves were mostly gone last time I was up there... but then they were all over the ground I hear it's snowed a couple of times - I was there for a dusting of snow on Halloween, but apparently some has stuck since then. I'll be back up Wednesday, hopefully.

Oh...snow on Halloween? What fun!!

I didn't think topper did this sort of thing. I recently finished bottling last year's wine. The 'stock' labels that I can get in the store won't really work this year as about half of them are blends. My only problem is I'm not sure what I'd like to have on the labels and I'd like to do it for not terribly too much money (don't I sound like the perfect client? ). I have a FOAF who is willing to do it; I wanted to see if I could get a little perspective before jumping into this.

I asked a friend if he could make me a painting of an orchid to hang up on my wall. I wont be getting it soon though, he left for Belgium so he cant work on it till next summer.
Would a necklace count as a commissioned work of art?

huh? How do you commission a work of art?

Oh. Thanks for the definition. Then confetti didn't commission that charcoal drawing?

I'm not sure. Judging from her comment, she drew it herself.

that's what I got from it too.

I'll make labels for you!
(rifling through office accessories)
Let's see... Post-it Notes, a magic marker... glitter...
We're good to go!
Do you like pink or yellow Post-its?

Thanks! I'll need around 500 of them.

Not as far as I can recall......

When you make wine, you don't f*ck around, do ya??

I've been the subject of a piece of commissioned art. Right now a painting of me is hanging in someone's bedroom... she even be gazing at it right now... fighting the strange compulsion to... well, perhaps not.

Yes many, poems, songs, drawings, clay sculptures.

I know,I smudged this drawing once in art class, and the teacher thought I did it on purpose!

Hmmm...hired someone to do it for me. Nope, can't say I have. In Chinatown, there was a guy who would draw your name really pretty, but I ended up not doing having him do it because it took to long.

I see. Well, I'm no help at all since I've never had anything like that done. Do you sell your wine, or is it for your own personal use and gifts? If you're serious about having 500 bottles, you must sell it. I'd be interested in purchasing a bottle if I can afford it.

I really must try to remember not to have anything in my mouth while reading your comments...it just ends up all over the keyboard! Beer is the worst, especially when it goes out my nose!

I jest, but only slightly. I have about 500 bottles worth of home-made wine right now: about a quarter is bottled and labelled, a quarter is bottled and unlabelled, and half is still in bulk storage (to be bottled next year).
I don't sell it; that requires all sorts of permits. Send me an email if you'd like some.

OW!
That can't feel very good!
I'm sorry I keep messing up your keyboard...

That's okay - it's worth it!

What sorts of wine do you make? My dad makes wine, too, and it's pretty damn good. Do you grow the grapes too?

This year I made some Merlot, Syrah, and Zinfandel (with a portion of the Zin removed to make a dark rosé). Last year was Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. In between, I did some Reisling and Gewurztraminer from juice.
I don't live in a very good climate for grapes (although there are a few hardy souls operating vineyards here). I buy my grapes from the west coast.
It's a bit limiting in that I don't have control over the grapes (sort of like brewing beer from extract rather than grain) but the results have been drinkable thus far.
I remember you saying that your family makes wine every year. Do you grow your own grapes, too?

We have a small vineyard with Shiraz (Syrah), Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. Plus a little Gewurztraminer. We're mainly red wine drinkers (obviously). We live just on the edge of the Barossa Valley, so our wines are quite dry and full-bodied (because the climate is so dry). I think all of our wines are made of our own grapes now. We certainly don't make 500 bottles a year though... more like 100.
Where do you live?

That sounds like a nice setup. How does the Gewurztraminer do there?
I live in northeastern Massachusetts. It's a bit too cold for grapes to really do well.

Yah... Northeastern Massachusetts is not a great wine-growing region. The traminer does okay; we only have a few vines, so we never make much at all. Lately it's been quite sweet and leafy because we've been really short on rain.

I got my face painted at a carnival once.

I can't recall any pieces I commissioned, but I've been asked to do custom beadwork.

I have works of art but I've never commisioned them. Well,then again I'm not really sure of your meaning of commisioned.

I've created many commissioned pieces. Been trying to commission a piece of jewelry...whoever thought it would be so hard to find a jeweler willing to set emeralds?

A necklace could count as a work of art

topper's a blacksmith?

Emeralds are very brittle. It can be hard to set them without breaking them.

no, she designed them, a blacksmith in Portsmouth, NH built them.

No. I don't have any art in my house. It's entirely functional.

I think it means asking an artist to paint or sculpt something you want.

Ah, okay! Thanks.
Yes, I have and I was very happy with the result.

HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!Um, nope.I can't even draw a decent stick man.

What did you get done if you don't mind me asking?

My last name in English means fox, so I had a fox made. It's a silk screen.

What's Fox in Dutch?

Vos

Do you prefer Fox or Vos?

Vos is my last name, fox is just a word.

For you yes, but if you were given a choice, would you prefer Maarten Vos, or Maarten Fox?

Twistyfox!
hehehe

Maarten Vos

i am a work of art