Some Laguna College of Art & Design students have turned to a digital platform to obtain art commissions. The online art marketplace Easel provides prospective art buyers a simple process to commission pieces at affordable prices, a statement from one of the site’s co-founders said.
Started as a project to help friends manage commissions, Easel founders Negah Nafisi and Sahand Nayebaziz, childhood friends in Laguna Niguel, quit their jobs earlier this year to commit to the project.
“A friend who had just moved into her first place after college asked me where she could find art that she could afford, but was also original,” Nafisi said. “At the same time, I was hearing artist friends lament over the difficulties of finding new clients, and the idea for Easel developed.”
Artists, including some LCAD students, have created profiles on the site to show their work. The average commission costs around $250 and Easel takes a 20 percent commission, Nafisi said.
