Why I "Re-Create" My Earlier Paintings Upon Request

Since I only sell original paintings (and small greeting cards featuring those paintings), and I do not sell prints or reproductions (except in very rare cases), I am willing to re-create a painting that I have produced earlier.  The only stipulation I put on this is that the new work, while it will closely resemble an earlier painting, will be clearly different and unique, so both the owner of the first work and the owner of the second work will have their own special painting, and no else has another one exactly like it.

I sell my paintings for unbelievably reasonable prices because my goal is for ordinary people, those who might not otherwise feel they could afford to own an original painting, to be able to do so.  Most of my original works actually cost less than prints of other artists’ paintings, plus those prints have to be framed to be displayed in a person’s home.  I am able to sell for less in part because I usually paint on gallery-wrapped canvases, which are designed to be displayed without a frame, although an owner of my work can choose to frame it.  If my work is framed it is usually less expensive than framing a print, because acrylic paintings on canvas are not to be displayed under glass (the canvas and paint need to “breath”), and glass is often the single most expensive (and weighty) part of a traditional frame.  I know what I am talking about because I am a certified framer, trained by Michael’s Frame Shop, well-known for professional, well-done framing.

Today I completed two re-created paintings.  Visitors come webpage, http://jim-harris.artistwebsites.com/, look around and sometime find works marked as “sold” that they wish they had been able to own.  They send me an email from the site, and I then offer to paint them their own version of the painting they admired.  Below are the first and second paintings of two different themes.  I think you can see that while each of them are of the same subject, they are, in fact, different and unique.

I am very grateful to God for my talent, and very appreciative that others find my work worthy of their ownership.  - Jim

One Painting Leads to Another (x 5)

In September of 2009 I began a ten month stint as the Interim Pastor of Wellspring United Methodist Church in Williamsburg, VA.  When I came on board Charge Conference (the annual business meeting of the church) was just around the corner, so I created a painting for use in the logo of the conference.  I titled it “Tree of Grace” for I felt that it illustrated the wonderful inclusive nature of Wellspring Church that is its heart and heritage. 

A church member purchased it later that fall, just ahead of another member who had hoped to be able to purchase it.  So, I painted another version of it for her, and I titled it “Tree of Grace 2.” 

Before my time there was completed another member expressed an interest in having some paintings done that would be similar to the two “Tree of Grace” paintings, only as four paintings, each showing the tree in a different season.  After I moved back to Staunton in September 2010, I had to spend my first few months in the studio creating new works for the local galleries.  Finally, this month, I had enough time to create the requested works. 

Individually they are titled “Spring,” “Summer,” “Autumn” and “Winter,” but as a group they are titled “Grace Tree: Four Seasons.”