Painting Commissions
Commissions
are gladly accepted. As you can see from this web site, Mike
can tackle most subject matter in his distinctive realistic
style, blending watercolour with pencil. His particular leaning
is towards Wildlife, the environment, studies of Bushmen and
other African tribes.
Mike is a talented artist skilled in several media including
pencil, watercolour, oils and acrylic. Although he has done
some portraiture work, it is not his preferred subject. His
drawings of people are more a study of life and character
rather than a portrait of the person.
Mike also has had experienced with working from old and damaged
photographs, involving historical reconstruction while maintaining
authenticity.
Contact the
artist with your commission proposal, giving details of the
subject (Location, any photographs or other reference you
have), what medium & size you would like as well as any
deadline and framing requirements. He will give you an answer
and price, within 5 working days.
Commissions of a distinctly personal nature (i.e. Your house,
your pet or a family portrait) would require a 50% non-refundable
deposit before work commences.
Illustrator
As an illustrator,
Mike's particular strength is in African subjects, encompassing
his extensive experience of South African Tribes, including
the Bushmen, and Wildlife, executed in his subtle fusion of
watercolour with pencil. Most of his past Illustration work
has included substantial subject research to ensure total
accuracy and the drafting of accompanying text. He is however
completely at home, as artist and illustrator, with British
Wildlife and is rapidly becoming accomplished in Oil Landscape
work.
Work as an Illustrator has spanned 15 years and has included
Corporate Calendars, Greetings Cards, Advertising work including
a series for a South African Bank in a premier Wildlife Magazine
and International Conference Literature. He has an existing
arrangement with a publisher which precludes him accepting
Illustration commissions specifically for "South African
Corporate Calendars". Other than that, he has no restrictions
on illustration work.
In many past cases Mike has elected to retain the original
artwork as part of commission agreements. Subsequent ownership
of the original work would form part of the terms of the commission.
Contact Mike with your ideas and proposals and see what he
says.
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Over 15 years
Mike has accumulated many thousands of Slides of the Bushmen,
often referred to as the San or more recently the Khoisan.
A great many of these are in traditional dress, which has
now almost totally disappeared and include many activities
such as hunting, gathering roots and food sources, digging
for poison grubs, social interaction, conversation, children
at play and industry.
These are in the process of scanning these at Hi resolution
as a photo library. They are currently used as my primary
reference material for paintings but will be available for
publication use. Web pages are presently being developed to
show a good selection of what he has.
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"My
frequent visits to different groups of Bushmen in Botswana
and Namibia have resulted in a lot of information and, more
importantly, many contacts with more knowledgable people who
are maintaining contact with these people as they are propelled
into modern African society.
This frequently painful transition is not tempered by the
many vested interests and a widespread desire to eliminate
them as a cultural identity. It is an extremely complex situation
bridging the borders of at least 5 countries and, for me,
touched with a great deal of sadness.
If anyone is interested in more information or discussing
the often contentious issues surrounding the Bushmen then
you are welcome to contact me or visit my Khoisan
Information Site. (This information will be free
- unless it is used for publication or commercial purposes)"
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