COMMISSIONING ART WORK

COMMISSIONING ART WORK

I’ve always enjoyed commissioned work, both private and institutional.  Over the years it has provided me the opportunity to paint a barbershop, junkyard, library, a variety of homes, and a host of markets, and streetscapes, and more.  In response to an increasing number of inquires about commissioning work (honest - there have been inquires) I’ve created the following information/guidelines:

Subject matter

Architectural portraits - residential, commercial and industrial

Landscapes - realistic and imaginative 

I do not do portraits or pets.

watercolor

watercolor

I work from photographs provided by the client, or if feasible, taken myself.

Sizes

The size will be determined by the subject matter and the budget.  I will make recommendations but the choice is the clients.

Medium

This is usually determined by the subject matter.  I prefer watercolor for most  architectural work and smaller landscapes, and acrylic for larger landscapes.  Soft pastels are also an option for some landscapes.

Pricing

I will work to accommodate the client’s budget.  The price is determined by the size and difficulty of the work and the medium used, and if applicable, special travel or other expenses.  In order to maintain some degree of consistency in prices I charge approximately $1.25 per square inch for watercolor and pastel, and $1.75 per square inch for acrylic on canvas or panel.  These are offered as guidelines only.

I am very flexible, and if you have something you would like painted, for yourself or for a gift, I am sure we could make it happen.

Timing

Obviously this also depends on the size of the work.  Generally acrylics on canvas and intricate architectural work require 4-8 weeks.  This may be longer or shorter depending on my work schedule.

 

 COMMERCIAL & INSTITUTIONAL 

Watercolor

Pen - Ink - Markers

What can I do for you?

1.     Create original art for your offices that reflect your interests or your business

2.     Create a series of paintings and/or drawings depicting your facilities or offices that be used in marketing and promotional material.

3.     Create art to be used for business gifts or commemorative events:

Prints, note cards, and calendars,

Pricing

The cost is based on:

1. The artwork, as described above, and

2. The purchase of the copyrights if the work is to be reproduced.

For more information or questions I can be reached by email at wfrenzulli@mac.com, or by phone at 270-366-2837.

SUNDAY BARN #106 AUTUMN SENTINELS

Autumn Sentinels

Acrylic  24x36"

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SEVENTY-FIVE

 

Seventy-five, or 75, either way it’s a rather nice number, combining the number 7 with my favorite number, number 5.  Maybe that is why I have treated this latest birthday with so much of optimism and enthusiasm.  Gone is the gloom and doom that was seeping into my mind a few years ago, when I felt the best years of my life were behind me.  It is true that lost opportunities cannot be recovered, but in their place is a most remarkable new opportunity: the chance to pursue dreams with a freedom and abandonment that is unfettered by the responsibilities of youth.  I have promised myself to take advantage of this opportunity with my newly re-claimed vim and vigor, meaning only one nap a day and staying awake until at least 9:30 every night.

I have done my share of looking back, and will continue to do so because the past is rich with memories that I cherish, but the real focus will be on what is yet to come.  What make this time so unique and unlike the past is not having to share time and energy with so many other issues and tasks.  There is a narrower and sharper focus that is enhanced by the uncertainty of the future.  Every day, every week, every month is a gift.

I have a pretty clear idea of what I want to accomplish, and have set out to do so, one day at a time.  For this I am most grateful.

SUNDAY BARN #105

It must be Sunday because I'm looking at barns.

Don't Forget Me

Acrylic  30x40"

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School days - continued

It's been almost 2 weeks since I posted the painting of my elementary school.  Since the Jr. High I attended (they were not called middle schools then) has been torn down, next up on the drawing board was the high school I attended from 1954 to 1957.  It now serves as a middle school in Vineland NJ.

Vineland High School  watercolor  12x30

Next up... Lebanon Valley College

A MOTHER'S DAY BARN

It seems appropriate that today's barn should come from my mother's portfolio.  She was a occasional "Sunday painter" who fearlessly tried anything and everything creative in her lifetime.

Western Landscape

Oil on canvas

20x30"

WHICH WAY ARE YOU GOING BILLY?

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently conducting a personal retrospective of my work.  Fortunately I have digital files of most of my artwork, as well as portfolios filled with drawings and sketches from the past 50 plus years.  The volume of the work is impressive.  Most of it is pretty good, some of it is very good, and some of it is not so good to awful.  I have enjoyed seeing the evolution of the art, and have been sobered by the reminders of the failures.  The experience has inspired me to move forward, building on the good while learning from the bad.

To a lesser extent I’ve been doing the same thing with my personal life.  The Internet and social mediums allow me to reach out to distant family, and old friends and acquaintances, to rekindle old relationships, establish new ones, or to nurture cherished memories. 

The accumulation of years – I am weeks away from completing my 75^th – seems to push us backwards, ever deeper into the past.  Nostalgia can easily become the default setting that drives our thinking.  This push into the past is enhanced by another characteristic tendency of age – the reluctance to move forward into new and unfamiliar directions and the fear of re-defining ourselves.  There is comfort and security in staying close to what we know. Most of the “some days” are behind us, and experience has blunted the unbridled enthusiasm of youth. 

Fortunately it doesn’t have to be this way, at least not totally. With a little effort and a lot of commitment it is possible to find the proper balance between these opposing directions. Where we place the fulcrum depends on individual preferences. Reaching into the past can allow us to re-visit both the good and the bad, perhaps providing new insights on what we once thought, or did.  There may be lessons to be learned that will provide some guidance for what is still to come. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to complete something left undone, to re-kindle or redefine old relationships.

The challenge is to learn from the past so we can move forward with our lives.  I want my priority to be on what lies ahead.

PENNE WITH MUSHROOMS AND BROCCOLI

I haven't posted a pasta dish for quite a while, and tonight is a good time to change that routine.

I had fun tonight putting this dish together.  It was late and I had not made any plans for dinner.  While sitting on the porch with a glass of Pinot Grigio I began thinking about what was in the fridge and what I could do with it.

INGREDIENTS:

Penne Pasta

Baby Portobello Mushrooms

Broccoli

Shallots and garlic

Olive oil

Panko

Dill

Chicken Broth

White wine

Anchovies

Butter

Lemon juice

PROCESS:

Cook the thinly slice shallot and one clove of garlic with the mushrooms in olive oil over high heat.  Stir frequently and cook until caramelized.  Remove from heat, cover, and set aside. 

If needed, deglaze the pan with white wine, add olive oil. smashed garlic, and 2-3 finely chopped anchovy filets.  Cook for several minutes then add the broccoli florets.   Cook over medium heat and add about 1/3  cup of chicken broth.  Also add the dill – fresh or a cube of the frozen chopped dill.  After a few minutes add a few sprinkles of panko and cook uncovered, allowing the liquid to slowly evaporate.

Place the pasta in a serving bowl, reserving some of the pasta water.  Mix in the broccoli and the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and add some pasta water if needed and serve with grated Parmigiano cheese.

COMMENTS'

Good and good for you.

SUNDAY BARN 103

Forget Me Not

Acrylic

12x48"

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SCHOOL DAYS - THE LANDISVILLE SCHOOL

Built in 1916, and now called the William Donini School, it has served the citizens of Landisville NJ for almost 100 years.  My father attended school here from 1918 to 1923, and I followed, from 1944 to 1950.  It closed several years ago and now sits empty, in need of significant repairs.  The local historical society is hoping to raise funds to preserve the structure and have it placed on the National Register of Historic places.

The cupola was use by the local citizens to look for German war planes during the Second World War.  I've been told none were spotted.

The Landisville School  watercolor  9x28"