Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lillian Kroening. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lillian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I was commissioned to create a watercolor portrait of Solanus Casey (1870-1957), an American religious priest who was known for his great love and care for the poor. I wasn’t given any details after that, so I dreamed up a background that became significant to the priest whom it was gifted to:

Fr. Dan (the receiver of the gift) was ordained on Pentecost Sunday, a day the Catholic Church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit. The stained-glass window I painted with the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove became meaningful to him for this reason.

He also celebrated his first Mass on a Marian feast day. Mary, Jesus’s Mother, is known by one of her titles as the Mystical Rose. Three roses were on Fr. Dan’s vestment the day he celebrated his first Mass. This important date became symbolized in the rose garden behind Solanus in the painting.

I found it so beautiful and touching that, without my trying or knowing, both of these significant days in Fr. Dan’s life got portrayed in this painting.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been creating artwork. I’ve always loved to draw, paint, and create things that bring beauty into this world and joy to others. It wasn’t until a few years ago that my mom and now-husband convinced me to pursue this love of creating art professionally.

I began by creating a line of watercolor cards for all occasions: birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, and holidays. I found a local print shop in town that I now go to for all my printing. I think it’s really important to support small businesses, so this has been a great opportunity for me to give back to the community by going local, rather than ordering in bulk from a giant company. A local boutique has also offered to carry my artwork, which has been another small-business-blessing.

I have a very specific style that makes my pieces unique. I love bright colors and all things happy! My go-to medium is watercolor. I came up with a name for my business that I think really suits my style: The Whimsical Paintbrush Studio. I designed a fun logo that includes a paintbrush splashing out a rainbow of colors!

What started off as just a card business, blossomed into an array of other art pieces: wall prints, custom paintings, hand-painted glassware, tile coasters with alcohol ink art, and holiday specials (like family portraits hand-painted on ornaments for Christmas time). I absolutely love what I do, and my love of art has expanded into other projects!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I once had a woman reach out to me, asking if I could create a custom painting. It’s always important to communicate with what your client wants, so I asked her for specifics on everything she envisioned. After going through the details with her, I began the large 16″ x 20″ watercolor painting.

Once I finished the piece, I excitedly submitted it.. I was met with an unexpected hurdle. The client suddenly wanted me to make changes to the already-finished painting. She threw out changes she wanted that she had never specified when I was going over the initial details and expectations of how she wanted the painting to be created.

This news was extremely challenging for me. I had poured a lot of love and intentionality into how I created each aspect of the painting. I even wrote up a page of notes explaining the choice of colors, design, etc. The client had originally told me “you have artistic freedom to do whatever looks best!” when I asked for clarifications on what she wanted. On the positive side, she did offer to pay extra for the edits.

This experience taught me a couple things:

1. Going forward I knew I needed to ask for a down payment for all custom commissions. I’ve always trusted clients to pay me at the end of projects, but I was afraid that if I didn’t complete this painting to this client’s standards, she would back out of purchasing it.

2. I need to write contracts for all my commissions, stating what specifics the client has. If something isn’t specified in a contract, then that will help protect me as an artist.

In the end, I always want my clients to feel happy with what they get. I could’ve kept the painting as-is, not offering to edit it, since the new details were not given to me upfront when I asked for them. Instead, I responded calmly and professionally to my client and offered accommodations so that she would be happy with the finished project. It all worked out in the end.

It was definitely a learning curve for me. I didn’t let what she said affect my confidence as an artist. This experience has helped me to grow. This is my big advice for those taking custom commissions to protect themselves as artists: get the details down in a contract and request a down payment upfront.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think something that non-creatives do not understand is the amount of time that goes into a piece of artwork, thus impacting the sale price. A simple painting can take a few hours, while a more intricate piece can take 20-30 hours!

The amount of time a piece of artwork takes to complete is in part reflected in the cost of the finished piece. I’ve heard this from many artists who receive the same comments from onlookers that their artwork is too expensive.

As an artist, you want to be compensated for your time and talent. Sure, you can put a cheaper price tag on an item, but that devalues the piece and the talent of the artist. Don’t be afraid to price your artwork appropriately. The right person will be willing to purchase it for a fair price.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thewhimsicalpaintbrushstudio.wordpress.com
• Instagram: TheWhimsicalPaintbrushStudio
• Facebook: The Whimsical Paintbrush Studio