Have it written down.

I get contacted by Artists telling me horror stories dealing with galleries, Art fairs, group shows and of course commissions, they tell me how they go to collect their work and it’s not in the gallery, Art fair or Art show and they have no record of it being delivered and you loose your work.

Same with commissions, buyer wants it done a certain way and when they come to get the painting, they are not so happy with it and refuse to pay or they made a deposit and refuse to pay the remainder and the Artist is devastated and looses again.

It is our responsibility to protect our Art business, for starters never leave a painting with anyone without a delivery receipt, that they sign and date, even if they say they will do their own, it doesn’t matter, have your own delivery receipt that they sign and date or you won’t deliver it.

With commissions, never do one without a contract, stating the full price, the exact size and a photo of what they want painted and a 50% nor refundable deposit, and if they refuse to pay the full price you keep the painting and the deposit, and have all that written down and get them to date and sign it, and please don’t fall for, don’t you trust me?

This a business, and you have to treat it as a business, not a starving Artists hoping people will do the right thing, most people are good and do the right thing, until they don’t.

In all these transactions, protect yourself, have it written down.

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