[Tom Edgerton]

Kim--

DO NOT relinquish artistic control over this project. If you work from someone else's photo, that's what you're doing. You then become nothing more than a "hired wrist" to copy the photo.

Do the work from existing professionally taken archive photos, or set up a shot with a professional photographer under another guise as stated. But remember that if you use an existing photograph, you have to get permission from the previous photographer under copyright law; if you copy the photo without permission, the photographer can take you to court. Don't assume that no one will find out, as it's a high-profile commission in a public place.

A project like this is potentially too highly visible to leave control of it in someone else's hands, or to put yourself in the position of having a less than fabulous painting, from bad reference, hanging in so public a place with your name on it. And believe it--you can't overestimate the resume' value that a painting of a former governor of your state can have. Not to put pressure on you or anything.

Just tell them that as good an artist as you are, you can't paint what you can't see. That usually works for me.

Best of luck--TE