(no subject)

[foxwolf321.livejournal.com]

WHO: absinthe stellary

WHERE: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/stellary/

WHAT: 4 full colour, fullbody pictures (1 is completed) and 1 flat colour bust. traded for 2 shirts totalling 42 dollars.

WHEN: Originally commissioned June 2011, problems started 3 months later.

PROOF: http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/fowolf321/?action=view&current=page1.png

http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/fowolf321/?action=view&current=page2.png

http://s276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/fowolf321/?action=view&current=page3.png


EXPLAIN: Commissioned her, at the time her paypal account was closed. So we traded art for shirts. She is great to deal with right up untill she gets paid. Then the real fun begins. She has already stated many times that she does not care about artist beware as it paints an unfair picture of her. Well, I suggest to anyone reading this, dont fall for it. Find another artist!


Edit: I have since been put on her block list on FA, so looks like my refund or art will be quickly coming........
Edit: hmm, not sure what this giant space down here is about, I can not delete it......

Comments

(frozen comment)

[foxwolf321.livejournal.com]

the problem is not in the one excuse, this was about the 4rth or 5th she tried. And I am sorry, many artists don't use the death of a family member to delay art by a YEAR.

(frozen comment)

[tunavoice.livejournal.com]

It's understandable that your patience ran out. But giving her that sort of treatment was unacceptable to begin with, ESPECIALLY with a close family member dying. Like Leahtaur said, the reply would definitely be considered out of line to an artist that acted kind and professionally toward you. You have a right to feel the way you do, but you could have handled the situation in a much better way.

In her defense, while Absinthe/Stellary didn't act professional, she's still a person with emotions. Artists have to work to create their paid commissions; they don't just magically appear. A death in the family isn't something everyone can get over quickly. Some cope better than others, and it can cause delays.

Your response to Leahtaur isn't really helping your case, either. A year is a long time to wait, yeah, but you came/are coming off as aggressive, and that could make artists not want to work with you even if they had a quick turnaround. Some of your notes had a lot of nasty responses, IMO, and the wording could have been handled a lot better.

(frozen comment)

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Everything here. Reading the responses from the OP to Stellary makes me scared to work with the OP ever. If either one of my parents died, I don't think I'd work on art again for a very long time.

(frozen comment)

[0acorn0.livejournal.com]

Not to butt into this conversation (and this isn't directed at Taasla or anyone in particular, but a generality), but don't many of you say that an artist's personal life should not impact their business and call it "pity partying" and "pandering for sympathy" when something does come up? I can understand where the OP is coming from by saying that this is business, I don't think people outside of the fandom would be given such an easy time. Especially if her dad died last September, that's quite a few months from then till now.

I realize I delay work myself at times, but I'm just stating that I can see where the OP might be coming from.

(frozen comment)

[foxwolf321.livejournal.com]

this.

(frozen comment)

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Speaking as a customer more so than as an artist, when you get into a fandom where an artist is "closer" in a way to their clients than the industry. When someone says their family member has died, it's a bit more different than "My life is busy!".

Other jobs allow leave for the loss of family members. I know Stellary has a bad history of things, and a year *is* a long time to have someone waiting, but the OP's way of responding her was just... scary. Not to mention the way he's responding here. Four months for four full colors? (That's the time frame they keep bringing up, even though it has been a year.) Come on.

(frozen comment)

[0acorn0.livejournal.com]

yeah, I in no way agree with the OPs way of responding. I just thought the turn about in thought was a little strange. I think 4 months for 4 full colors isn't THAT terrible a wait, since artists have other clients to juggle during that period.

(frozen comment)

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

but don't many of you say that an artist's personal life should not impact their business and call it "pity partying" and "pandering for sympathy" when something does come up?

Losing a parent is a pretty big deal, and since art - unlike most services like say, fixing someone's plumbing - the emotional state you're in can affect the drive to create.

As for what could be called "pity partying" honestly, it's a pretty subjective thing. To most people it would be having an excessive amount of (more minor) excuses rather than one large life-altering event. Also, those with these tendencies usually blame the customer/other people/everything under the sun rather than take responsibility for their failure to produce the work.

(frozen comment)

[0acorn0.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the answer! I do agree that it's a pretty big deal to lose someone and the OP's responses to it were a little uncalled for.

(frozen comment)

[likeshine.livejournal.com]

after my dad died last fall, art was i could really do. i couldn't focus on the rest of the world, so i focused on my work. just a drive by comment...

(frozen comment)

[foxwolf321.livejournal.com]

If my father died right now, you would not care.....
If your father died right now, I would not care.....

Throwing the death in my face as an excuse for such a huge delay is complete BS, and just that, an excuse, not a reason. a week or two, sure, 4 months? no.


I am not hiding anything, or trying to make myself look good, just letting the community know. Hopefully save others from having to deal with this.

(frozen comment)

[tunavoice.livejournal.com]

Uh, wow. That response was super uncalled for.

Yeah, I would care. I would care enough to offer condolences and support. Even to someone I don't know, because losing a family member, especially one you're close to, sucks.

It isn't complete BS, if I had a death in the family, I wouldn't be able to work for a long time, and would refund my commissioners. Stellary should have done the same but her delays are understandable if that was the reason.

Nice to know you have absolutely no empathy for who you are working with. BIG red flag there, and I'll be avoiding you like the plague.

(frozen comment)

[leahtaur.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

(And to take it a step further -- even if you truly don't care for some random person on the internet and their family, you can at least express condolences and not mean it, but sound like you do. It's one of those things you do to get by in polite society, like automatic pleases and thank yous, and I see no reason people can't do the same over the internet.)

(frozen comment)

[foxwolf321.livejournal.com]

if i walk into a store, the owner goes my 'father died last week.' I think 'wow thats random', I say, 'Sorry to hear that'. then I still buy my shirt. this is no different.

(frozen comment)

[mistresswolf.livejournal.com]

"Nice to know you have absolutely no empathy for who you are working with. BIG red flag there, and I'll be avoiding you like the plague."

I completely agree with you.

(frozen comment)

[skittlewolf.livejournal.com]

Pretty much this. Just...wow. Losing a family member is a HUGE LIFE ALTERING ORDEAL. People need to take time to mourn, and it varies on each person. Some people take YEARS to be able to cope with the loss of a close person.

I understand OPs frustration and over a year is a long time to wait. The artist should have sent out a mass message, via journal or something, saying she was not in the right mind and to expect delays and offer refunds to those who didn't want to wait. However, responding with this NASTY attitude that OP has when responding to people commenting, is not going to change the situation for/with the artist.

(frozen comment)

[wyngaed.livejournal.com]

It is always interesting when a beware about an artist also turns into a beware about the commissioner. >_> I would not want to work with the OP either!

(frozen comment)

[linksage.livejournal.com]

A death in the family is a big deal and something that usually calls for a sympathetic approach.

However, considering Stellary's track record I'm not entirely convinced that this actually happened. If she's lying, she's hit a new low in my personal opinion... Do we have anything aside from her word to suggest that this just isn't another excuse she's fabricating?

Forgive me for sounding cold, but one can only cry wolf so many times before I have trouble taking anything they say seriously.

EDIT: Please don't misunderstand; I'm in no way agreeing with the OP's behavior/attitude. Just throwing my two cents out there in regards to the excuse they were given, since that seems to be the topic at large.

(frozen comment)

[copper-curls.livejournal.com]

From what I can see, neither you nor Stellary has exactly covered yourselves with glory.

I agree that if Stellary indeed had a death in the family, the best thing would have been for her to contact her customers and say, "I'm sorry, everyone, but because I'm not in a good creative space right now, I ask your understanding that your art will be delayed." And, of course, to not take on any more commissions in the mean time. However, there's also a certain onus on customers not to act like unfeeling jerks, too, which is how you come off in your note, and in your responses here.

As a customer commissioning art, I would be extremely leery of commissioning Stellary; as a writer, should you approach me for a work, I think I would refuse.

(frozen comment)

[jakejynx.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling you don't have anyone really close in your life, and that you've never lost anyone who mattered to you... It's kind of frightening, how little empathy you have.

(frozen comment)

[foxwolf321.livejournal.com]

This is a business transaction. empathy has nothing to do with it. If she had sent me a note mentioning personal hardship, art would be delayed/refund given. then fine. I got none of that. communication is key. there is none with her, only excuses.

(frozen comment)

[jakejynx.livejournal.com]

Also, a week or two? For the death of your father?

Yeah, you've never lost someone close to you.

(frozen comment)

[genkigami.livejournal.com]

Yeah no. Sympathy for you gone. A death of a parent is way more important than art. And the fact you say it should only delay for a week or two is shocking and heartless.

Even if she made it all up to scam you (not saying she did,) I'd rather play it safe than chance making things worse for a grieving person. Your lack of empathy is creepy and I wouldn't work with you.

(frozen comment)

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Alright, this is getting a little out of hand and off-topic. I think the OP gets the point people are trying to make and we aren't really here to dogpile posters that we don't think they were sympathetic enough during a business transaction. Can we all ease off the personal judgments, please? I'm going to be freezing a chunk of this, I think everything that could be said has been said and it's going too far.

(frozen comment)

[leahtaur.livejournal.com]

Did you read what I said? "Now, the rest of the delay/attitude/general unprofessional behaviour? No excuse. Certainly not all of it can be attributed to family events."

Two wrongs don't make a right.