Story of the Ancestors
Artwork Commission
Want to honor those who came before you but don’t know what they looked like? A Story of the Ancestors commission is the perfect way to honor them and visually bring their essence to life for your home or altar.
An Heirloom Artwork to
Love the Ancestors You Only Know in Story
Commissions Available in Oil, Watercolor, or Ink Painting, Relief Sculpture, or a fine art print of a Digital Illustration
Why Get a Commission?
There are many reasons to order a Story of the Ancestor commission.
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The Old Ways of being initiated into my cultural magic practices was through the veil. It was said a member of the bloodline would come to offer training.
Throughout my life I’ve had 2 prominent Ancestors that have been my guides beyond form. When I was a child I cried missing them.
If you have Ancestral connections like this too, A Story of the Ancestor commission is a perfect way to invoke their presence in your world.
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Is there a member of your family, alive or beyond the veil you’d like to see immortalized in their power and healing? Is there a living Loved One that has made an impact of beauty and support in your life? Is there a Loved One that passed whom you’d like to bring into your home in a special way?
Surround your Loved One with their culture and everything they loved, incorporate the lessons they taught you, and create an altar out of artwork.
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What type of Ancestor do you want to be? Commission an artwork that brings your vision to life as a reminder of what you’re choosing and where you’re going.
Hang your vision as a prayer, a motivation, something to remind and germinate your idea seeds.
How It Works
Step One:
Share what you know about the Ancestor you want to honor, or what energy you’d like to cultivate in your commission. This can include their name, any of their story, what your family remembers of them, their race, ethnicity, country of origin/residence, culture, and what your personal relationship has been with them in form or beyond the veil.
You don’t have to know solid details. What you feel, what you want to honor, what you want to be reminded of is what matters.
Step Two:
I’ll design a piece based on what you’ve shared incorporating the elements and energies you want to include. If you’ve commissioned a painting or relief sculpture, you’ll see a digital mock-up before work on your fine art piece begins.
Step Three:
You can choose to add custom framing to your commission, framed locally here in Ojai, California. Depending on the size of your commission, custom fine art crating may be required for shipping.
Step Four:
Add your Ancestor to your altar or walls and enjoy the magic, protection, and blessings of your bloodline.
Pricing
Pricing depends on many factors including medium, size, timeline, and complexity.
Determining Your Budget:
On the form to initiate your commission, you’ll be asked to give a budget range for your piece. Consider the ideal amount you’d like to spend (that’s your low number) and the absolute most you can spend (that’s the high number).
I know it can be uncomfortable to throw numbers out, but remember this is a starting point of our conversation and it’s important for me to understand what’s realistic for you.
Here are a few price samples of recent commissions I’ve done:
11 X 14 inch fine art print of a digital illustration on hemp paper $280
18 X 24 inch oil painting on gallery depth cotton canvas with traditional gesso and varnish $2,200
(2) 30 X 40 inch relief sculpture diptych with traditional gesso & varnish, and basic plaster finish $12,225
Here are some factors to consider as you determine what you’d like for your artwork:
Mediums:
Fine art prints of digital illustrations are the most affordable option.
Ink & Watercolor are mid-range.
Oil Paintings & Relief Sculptures are high end.
Surfaces:
Paper style for ink & watercolor vary greatly from delicate mulberry paper to handmade paper in my studio. My baseline is working on Arches 300lb hot (smooth, ideal for portrait detail) or cold (textured) press paper.
Oil paintings can be done on cotton or hemp canvas, copper or aluminum panels (most archival), or wooden artist boards.
All relief sculptures are done on wooden artist panels.
Sizing:
This, of course, will majorly determine the cost of your piece as it dictates much of the hard costs & labor.
Along with overall commission size, the depth of panels & canvases also increase the material cost.
A general idea of depth sizes:
studio canvas: 3/4 in deep
gallery canvas: 1.5 in deep
deep canvas: 2 1/4 in deep
Additional Materials:
Varnish & Gesso will also determine the final cost of your piece. Eco and standard versions of both are available, each coming with different pros & cons. For example, eco gesso & varnish doesn’t off gas but it generally runs about double the cost.
You’ll also have the option of adding a ‘place pigment paint’ or a ‘paint making experience’ to your commission. Read more below.
Commission a Gift
To gift an Ancestor Portrait, you’ll still begin the process by filling out this form noting that this is a gift in any areas that ask specifics about the Ancestor being honored.
Filling out the form is to hone in on the specifics of your commission like size, medium,Once the details for your commission are solidified, you’ll receive a payment link & contract.
Once paid & signed, you’ll receive a gift certificate that shares the details of your gift & how your giftee can take next steps. You can choose to have the certificate printed and mailed to you, or receive a digital file to print locally.
Add a Special
Place Pigment
Add a custom paint color to your fine art commission (oil, watercolor, ink, or relief sculpture) with rock, soil, or plants from an important place.
I’ll guide you through foraging for material which you’ll send to my studio so I can process it for your piece.
Honor Your Ancestor •
Honor Your Ancestor •
Add a Paint Making
Experience
Add a special day long pigment processing experience to your commission. I’ll teach you how to turn the rocks, soil, and plants on your property into paint. We’ll explore foraging & processing, and what we create together will be incorporated in your final painting.