Why commission a painting?

I am always so excited to work on commissions. yes there is added pressure because someone has asked you for something specific - vs. just making what you want. But - some asked you for this, so they want it, they have already imbued your painting with meaning and value.. To me it is a very cool collaboration.

Back in the day painters painted because we didn’t have photography, and creating images in paint was the only way to preserve those memories.

Now, we have amazing options to create images, to save them, create books, wall art - its dizzying really, and a lot of fun. So why select and image you love, and have an artist interpret it in their medium?

Well - to me, its a celebration. These days we all keep so many images on our phone, unprinted and largely unviewed. The random photos we print become our memories - sometimes what makes the cut for the magnet gallery of the refrigerator isn’t our favorite memory, just what happened to get printed.

Ordering a painting is purposeful - you plan that project. You imagine the spot it will hold in your home, and how you will feel looking at it, talking about it, sharing it with friends and family.

One of my clients made me tear up talking about how my painting was now a prt of his family legacy, and that he imagined his great grandkids looking at it, and getting a sense of who his Dad was… That is powerful stuff.

So to me, ordering a commission is about highlighting what you really care about, and what you want to think about every day. Take the example I show here… This is a fun image - and the story attached to it is fun, funny - and empowering. Every day when my client sees it she’ll remember the moment she surprised everyone by landing that huge fish. She’ll also remember that she appreciated that sense of accomplishment and excitement enough to have a painting made for herself. It’s like a canvas full of joyous mojo :)