I receive about ten commission requests a year and accept four or five. Not out of snobbery: a good commission is one where we both know from the start what is possible and what is not.

The first talk: the wall, not the subject

I first ask where the painting will hang. The light in the room, the colour of the walls, the distance it will be seen from. A 120 by 160 canvas in a narrow hallway is a mistake we both pay for. Only then do we talk about what you would like to see in it; usually it is a series of mine you liked, and we start from there.

The sketch: two versions, on paper

Within two weeks I send two sketches in pencil and watercolour, to scale. You choose one, we can change a few things (the format, the dominant tone), and we sign a short agreement: dimensions, technique, deadline, price, 30% deposit.

The canvas: four to six weeks

I work in oil, in layers, and each layer needs days to dry. I send two photographs along the way, no more: a half-finished painting looks bad and frightens people. At the end the painting stands in the studio for two weeks facing the wall, so I can see it again with fresh eyes before signing it.

Handover

The certificate of authenticity, a sheet with technique and dimensions, care instructions and, if you are in Oradea, I come and hang it myself. The remaining 70% is paid on delivery. If you do not like the painting, you are not obliged to take it: you lose the deposit, I keep the canvas and exhibit it. It has not happened yet, but it is written down, so we both sleep well.