FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
First of all, I guarantee satisfaction with ALL of my work. Secondly, every mural/job is different... I don't understand how anyone can formulate a way to charge strictly by the hour or by the square foot. Charging by the hour opens the door to the possibility of the artist intentionally painting slower to run the price up - that's unethical. If mural has a definite value, and if artist A can accomplish the work in one day while it takes artist B two days, then in order for artist A to be paid for the value of his work his hourly charge has to be double that of artist B, and A will seldom end up getting hired. I also don't understand a standard square foot price, as I've painted large murals in as little as one to two days while at the same time smaller more detailed murals can easily take twice as long or longer. I calculate my price based on a number of factors - *time, *size, *style/amount of detail, *working conditions (will I be painting on smooth drywall in a climate controlled room while standing on soft carpet, or will I be climbing up and down scaffolds/ladders painting on rough brick in 90 degree heat?}, *will prep work be necessary on my part (is the surface ready to be painted or does it need any repair/priming/basecoating?), *surface type, etc. I've been doing this long enough to be able to able to factor all of this in and to know what's involved and how long the work will take based on info provided to me by the client... usually by the end of the first phone conversation. I charge by the day based on these factors and only reduce that daily charge accordingly if it's a small half day job or work I can do in-house (drawing, painting on canvas, etc). Once I've gotten the necessary info from the client I'll know what's needed on my end and I can very quickly supply the client with a quote. My price will NOT go up if I make the mistake of underestimating the time/difficulty/etc... if I make an error I absorb the mistake and the client will not be presented with any surprise "extra" charges at the end of the project. Changes made after the start of the project will be discussed and agreed on by both parties and price adjustments will be made accordingly and in writing.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
A brief introduction through Thumbtack in which I usually encourage them to contact me via phone/email - you seldom get enough info in the quote request to be able to compute a price... usually the details can be clarified in a brief phone call and I can offer a quote on the spot. Some jobs may actually require a visit to the site, but that's more the exception rather than the norm.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
BA in Fine Art, concentration Painting... UNC-Greensboro BS in Industrial Arts, concentration Drafting/Technical Illustration... Appalachian State Univ.