"I'll Take You To Italy"- a wonderful love story painted!!!

 

18"x24" oil on cradled birch panel

Commissioned work

When I get the opportunity to work on commissioned pieces for my collectors, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. I truly appreciate my 'job'. It dawned on me recently that almost all of my commissions (actually perhaps every single one) is a love story of some type or another.  Each story has been as sweet, and beautiful as the next.  

This couple met at a charity auction, and both were bidding on a trip to Italy.  Neither of them won the bid. The woman was disappointed, but the man (who was obviously smitten) offered, "I'll take you to Italy"!  A few years later, this is where they stayed- and now, I get to paint it for them! 

Travel memories are some of our strongest and fondest memories - especially when romance is involved! It's especially wonderful to commemorate and celebrate these wonderful times in our lives.  It's another way of "making your love visible in the world"...an outward sign of inner joy.  

Make sure you don't miss my next post! I'll tell you why choosing a good name for your painting is as important as naming your child!  

Commissioned Paintings - Giving Your Buyers Some Choices

Commissioned pieces are so much fun for me! Helping someone commemorate a special time in their life is truly a delight...and I don't take it for granted that I'm very lucky to be able to do that and share in that joy!

When I got the call to take on this project, my new collector had a wonderful reference photo from her travels. I knew I would be able to have some real creative fun with this! First was to take her photo and play with some possible focal points. By changing up the values and color of certain items; flowers, walls, cast shadows - the photo could be interpreted a bit differently.  I made 2 different color studies (smaller, but to scale) and photographed them along the way as I painted. That way if I went too far and didn't like the changes...I already had a version of where I coulda/shoulda stopped! 

Here's an example- before I added the cast shadow joining the two buildings, I had this area with no shadow down the center walk-path. 

 

The second painting I'll have the focal point on the right side of the painting. First I'll have it be on a small grouping of white flowers that happened to be in the original painting. 

 Then, I decided to carry the design of the white flowers up to the turquoise-blue door on the right, for a bit more impact, like this:

Now, that my buyer has had time to peruse some ideas, she has pulled together her favorite parts. This is what I enjoy about a commission - making it a collaboration. So they understand the choices along the way, each party taking the time to enjoy the process.  

Now, I'm off to work on scaling up this drawing:

 

onto my freshly gessoed panel. 

If you follow along on my blog, you'll get to see what my clients have selected .....oooh- this is going to be fun! (I love this part!).

 

I'll be leading a sketchbook workshop in Ireland this September. Mark your calendars for September 11-18, 2016. Bring back a personal treasure that you'll be sure to enjoy! I'll be updating info here on my website, shortly!