I haven't shared a lot of my process with commissioned paintings, but here is goes! When I am creating something specifically for a client, to suit his or her taste, there is often a fair amount of redirection as I learn and discover what exactly it is that a person is searching for in a painting. In the past I have thought that sharing processes that are sometimes full of changes and new paths could be seen as mistakes, but I have come to realize that the spanned journey of creating a painting brings so much worth and depth to a piece of art.

I know some artists find commissions daunting. I have personally found them, however, to be some of the most stretching and rewarding projects for me as a painter! For me, there is nothing as sweet in life as being able to make connections with other people. Everyone has such a different story that has shaped their world and informed their values, and I love being able to learn about and experience what drives people, what gets them fired up about life and how they view the world. Doing a commissioned painting is not just about capturing someone else's vision for a piece of art for their home, it is more importantly a tiny journey into another person's heart. And if along the way I make twists and turns, that doesn't really matter in a negative way. Those redirections within the painting process bring about something that is far more captivating in the end than that which would have come about taking the easy way. The underpainting matters! My work as of late is almost exclusively commissions, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

If you are interested in working together, give me a holler here! I would love to hear what inspires you most!

"Lowtide"

40"x48" acrylic on canvas, 2018

ps- this is the first painting I have built from the ground up, and let me tell you, I really appreciate artists who build their canvases in a whole new way! It is a very tedious process you guys (or maybe that's just because I am fresh from the womb)!