Commissions

Jill Alexander Ottawa Valley, Ontario Canada
jill@jillalexander.ca
613-796-1824

CUSTOM COMMISSIONS

MOST RECENT COMMISSIONS:

I was interviewed on CTV regarding my Sunflowers for Ukraine Art Auction #1. The interview was seen across Canada. A woman sat by her mothers bedside in palliative care and saw my interview. She immediately phoned me as it reminded her of her mother's tulip garden and she wanted a painting in memory of her parents. She asked me to include 2 daffodils to represent her parents. Recently the completed painting arrived in B.C.

A recent testimonial from a lovely lady I met as a result of my Sunflowers for Ukraine Auction. "We absolutely love our painting!! It's exactly what I was looking for. Fall is my favourite time of year. I will get years & years of pleasure gazing at the painting. Thank you so very much! M.E.C.

"My painting arrived late yesterday afternoon. Jill this is exactly what I was hoping for. It is beautiful! Made me cry thinking about my Mom . We have hung it where I can see it from the most angles of the rooms that I might be in. Thank you so very much for taking this on for me. I know that you are a very busy lady. I will cherish this painting very much! My daughters both agree that Nana would love it! Thank you!"

A birthday gift for a mother with a passion for purple orchids.

Made for a client who wasn't able to bid on her sunflower painting of choice so I made one to suit her specifications.

Custom commission for Corporations:
I have created artwork based on specific requirements to be used for promotional campaigns and for gift and award presentations. The Ottawa 67’s Hockey Club, CUPE Canadian Union of Public Employees, CUPE 503 Ottawa, CUPE National to name a few and most recently for the Ottawa University Heart Institute.
It begins with the conversation on their vision and requirements, then a sketch, then they see the progression and have the ability to provide feedback as I complete the work.

Custom commission for families:
Treasured family keepsakes to cherish for a lifetime. A personalized painting incorporating your family members enjoying a fun family activity in a setting of your choice.
From a discussion with you and incorporating favorite family photos, your painting comes to life. It is the special memories and the various small details that make each family unique. Family pets, homes, specific locations, individual passions are some things to consider when planning the design.

A 2020 Commission - A special commission for a dedicated volunteer in Blackburn Hamlet. Bruce is devoted to his craft which ensures that neighbourhood kids don’t have far to go to get much needed exercise during winter. In Orient Park, Bruce maintains the rink in all hours and in all kinds of weather making sure the rink is in good shape and safe for Blackburn's youth to use and burn off energy.

WHAT I LEARNED about Bruce as I collaborated with Norm Robillard on this painting... Bruce is one of those very special people who make a HUGE difference in our world!!!

The final result after a back & forth continuing conversation with Norm who commissioned this work.

The original photo to work from. In addition to this photo, I was provided with the approved for me to use logos on the rink boards & flag.

The recent presentation to Bruce, a very dedicated & much appreciated community volunteer!

CUPE 503 OTTAWA -
Canadian Union of Public Employees
They required 2 colorful joyful paintings representing the wide variety of union jobs that service the City of Ottawa.
The large paintings I created had the visual impact they wanted in their building entrance.
I provided initial sketches and then they saw the progress and provided feedback as I worked.
In addition to the actual painting purchase, they purchased the copyright for the purpose of reproducing promotional materiel (banners etc) for tv/news conference photo.

PURCHASING ARTWORK IN REGARDS TO COPYRIGHT:
When you purchase an original artwork, you are buying the physical object to have and enjoy. You own the artwork, but not the copyright to it. You are acquiring the right to own and enjoy the artwork but not the right to reproduce it.

Purchasers do not acquire the right to reproduce the artwork as cards, prints, posters on t-shirts etc....The copyright remains with the artist.

CUPE NATIONAL:
Representing over half a million working men and women across Canada, CUPE has selected Ottawa artist Jill Alexander to produce artwork representing the Union nationwide. The artwork created is also used as a promotional tool to educate the public about the vast array of services that CUPE members of all sectors provides, and as a backdrop for media events.

TESTIMONIAL:
“I wanted to thank you Jill for the wonderful experience I had working with you to create the two paintings for CUPE depicting the scope of services our members provide coast to coast to coast. I found this process very collaborative and working with you inspirational and enjoyable. You helped take my thoughts and ideas and create vibrant and joyful images.

Your patience and willingness to share the creative process left a lasting impression with me. The paintings which are hung at our National Office are always commented on and they help to remind us that art and labour are intrinsically connected”.
Daria Ivanochko
Managing Director,
National Services Dept.
Canadian Union of Public Employees

CUPE SASKATCHEWAN required a large painting portraying the province. Several landmarks were requested along with specific jobs in action.
As CUPE 503 Ottawa and CUPE National hung the original work in their headquarters, they also
purchased copyright in order to use the image for promotional purposes.

TESTIMONIAL :
Jill produced a beautiful piece of art for CUPE Saskatchewan. The painting is full of energy and humour and perfectly captures the sense of community that we were hoping to convey. Working with Jill is a pleasure: she is easy to communicate with, very open to collaboration and receives suggestions well. Her creativity, imagination and skill helped make this project a great success.

Marnie Thorp, Graphic Designer, CUPE NATIONAL
Canadian Union of Public Employees

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute was expanding.
An inspirational painting was required to represents the
progress to their goal.
The metal climbing figures were added upon installation.

TESTIMONIAL:
“Jill, what an amazing painting!
It is beautiful & precisely what I was hoping for.
Many thanks for your efforts & professionalism.”
Jim Orban, President
University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation.

Copyright Ownership vs. Artwork Ownership - Private collectors:
The moment an image is created by an artist, the artist holds and owns the copyright. When a work of art is sold whether an exisiting piece or commissioned work for a private collector, the purchaser is the owner of the actual piece. The copyright on the sold work remains with its creator, the artist. The artist owns the copyright and as such is the only one who can reproduce the image.

Business and Corporate collectors:
The exception to this is when the copyright is sold along with the original painting. This would be a beneficial arrangement for private Business and Corporate Commissions. This is more costly but gives the purchaser the freedom to use the image for marketing purposes etc..There must be a full written signed agreement between the artist and the purchaser releasing pre-determined rights to the buyer. This situation has proven to be a financial plus for many business organizations.

MURAL DESIGN: The images below show the progression of a castle themed mural created for Castlefrank Public School, Kanata, ON.

TESTIMONIALS:

(Excerpt from a letter of recommendation) Jill is as enthusiastic as she is talented about her art of painting furniture and walls. I also find her sense of humour comes through in her art, a humour that adds an edge to home decor and an edge that would be a welcome addition to Ottawa.(Excerpt from article in Ottawa Citizen, Mar. 3, 2001 – Wild Woman With A Brush) She is an artist who hates to follow rules and always adds details upon details. Each piece of fruit (Festive Fruit Table) is so realistic you can taste the sweet juice.
Sheila Brady, Homes Editor, The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, Ontario

Mural - “How can we thank you for the delightful, colourful, beautiful wall mural?! Everyone who sees it is blown away by the detail and enchanting characters! It looks awesome!”
Brenda Reisch, Children at Risk.

Mural – “What started off as a one wall mural for my children to express their love of hockey grew into an entire room that looks like our own personal arena. Her sense of humor certainly came out from the drawings of the goofy fans in the stands to incorporating my family members, including my dog Sly, into the wall. We have the most popular basement in the neighborhood.” Lise Dixon, Orleans.

Centretown News, Dec. 2, 2007 :
“Jill Alexander has been a member with the artist-run gallery for the past 3 years. She has the ability to connect with the viewer which is really important” says Sametz, “Jill’s got an individual and unique colour sense.” “Jill’s a strong storyteller, so obviously that’s one reason the audience gravitates toward her work” says Terry Sametz, President of the Foyer Gallery, Ottawa.

“Jill Alexander’s work is of three main types: cityscapes, sporting scenes and the third one consists of totally subjective imagery that is personal in nature. All of the latter are marked by great beauty and a wonderful and inventive interplay of colors. All are uplifting in nature and are also essentially timeless because of their themes which have always been and will continue to be with us, namely hope and positivism.
Gerald Smith, Ottawa School of Art

When I was redecorating my master bedroom, I wanted to do something very unique and different in that space. I had seen beautiful wallpaper (a custom order from theUK); I took this as my inspiration for my master bedroom mural. I decided to take it one step further and have a custom mural done for me, this way I will have control over the colours and overall look, and best of all it will be made to fit my size of wall. My first thought was to contact Jill, as she has done previous art work for me, and it is always above my expectations. Jill is great to work with, she really understands her client’s needs, and vision, she pays great attention to detail, this is evident in the beautiful details on the birds, flowers, etc. Jill is great at combining colours, textures in any art piece she does. Jill is a very talented artist and very easy to work with, fantastic combination great at her trade and great communications skills. I would highly recommend Jill for any artistic work anybody needs, this is such a beautiful mural that is even featured in the Homes Section of Ottawa Citizen newspaper. (September 2012 issue).
Ana Gomes, Interior Decorator, Personal Touch interiors

Mural – “We would like to thank you very much for the wonderful mural you created at the Children’s Welcome centre. The mural adds colour and life to the centre and brightens everyone’s day. The children love the animals and especially the balloons. The wall was boring and lifeless, now it has changed the whole dynamic of the room.” The Board of Directors for the Welcome Centre.

“It was a real pleasure to work with Jill in customizing a unique work of art for our family room. We were looking for a unique Paris themed work of art that was inspired by a photo I had seen. Jill did
a wonderful job to meet our inspirational photo and have the artwork’s color theme work well with our recently redecorated family room. I gave her samples of the fabrics that had been used in the space and she brought out the perfect tones. The paintings have received many compliments from visitors to our home.” And above all it is a truly original piece that is original to my decor. Jill is
great at understanding your vision, I would highly recommend her of any commissioned art work, she is very versatile in her styles of artwork also, can go from a traditional still life to an abstract art.
Ana Gomes Personal Touch Interiors, Ottawa