I got in contact with the artist in question in mid-October. I had commissioned them once before, years ago, and was very happy with the finished product.
A commission was agreed upon. An initial sketch was received via email on 27 December, 2019, and payment was sent via Western Union, along with an agreement for some additional material. After payment was made, the last contact I received from the artist was on the 28th of December. All further attempts to respond have gone unanswered.