An Art Commission Retrospective of Silver Dreaming

Silver Dreaming 18” x 18” 2024

I recently completed a commission that is soon on its way to Ontario. I wanted to share a little about it in hopes of demystifying somewhat the process of commissioning a special piece of art. It is a very fulfilling experience to have something created just for you, but I think many people shy away from it because it feels so uncertain even vulnerable to do so.

This commission was a request to have a painting very similar to a little one I’d painted just over ten years ago, titled ‘Silver Lining’. The idea was not to copy it but to evolve it into a new composition that still retained the features that most appealed to the client, we’ll call her Cathy.

Silver Lining 11” x 14” 2013

Cathy wanted it to be a bigger version and wanted a square 18” x 18” size (the first had been 11”x 14”). I quoted her the price which is primarily based on the size. Once Cathy was certain to go ahead, I had her tell me what aspects of ‘Silver Lining’ she most liked, as well as if there was anything that should definitely change.

Most important to Cathy was the natural iridscence and smooth appeal on the inside of the shell, and in contrast, the ridges and roughness of the shells edges and exterior. She mentioned its butterfly shape, as if about to fly off to the horizon. She also mentioned the swirls of the water, the seaweed in and around the shell and the overall colour palette. What Cathy was not as fond of was the wonky horizon line, she feared that she would be forever trying to straighten it on her walls.

In contemplating this redo, my excitement was that with a bigger size in which to recreate the scene, I would have the opportunity to develop greater detail while also smoothing out what I felt was a certain roughness to my earlier brushwork. I was also curious to see how much my skill level and overall style had evolved over the last decade.

Unfortunately I forgot to take any photos of the painting in progress until it was well underway. I started the painting at the end of November. After a few weeks of down time for the holidays I had mostly completed it by the end of January. Then with a few days of reflection on my efforts, I decided that I was unhappy with part of the inside of the shell where the seaweed was, consequently some revisions were required. I called it complete midway through February.

After the painting was finished I left it to dry. White is one of the paint colours that seems to take the longest so this one has been a bit slow. Drying time for these water soluble oil paints is variable and a bit unpredictable and is also affected by the kinds of mediums that are mixed with the paint. Next up it will be varnish protected before being safely packaged and sent to Cathy.

I’m yet undecided as to whether or not I will make it available in my small but growing line of print options?

Marble stone palette after completion of ‘Silver Dreaming’