I have commissioned an artist for a reference sheet. I paid full price for it up front at $125 and the artist offered to throw a pin up comission for free as well, as they were going to be utilizing the money for moving expenses right away.

That was February 28th. Three weeks went by, and I messaged the artist and got nothing back. I finally got a response at the end of March and they stated that work and the moving was keeping them busy, and that they hadn't had time to sit down to work on it. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and was at least thankful that they responded.

Now, my question is this:

How long should I wait until I ask about my comission and if I get the same answer, is it right of me to ask for a refund as it is, it has been over a month and a half since the artist was paid?

I'm intentionally leaving the artist nameless and will not give out the artists name.