I was recently asked to do a commissioned painting. What an honor that is to an artist. You know your work has been noticed and admired enough to have that privilege, but at the same time it is a double edged sword. My client is a wonderful person who had definite ideas about what he wanted to portray, but really had no picture in mind. After several conversations, I realized what was important to him and what he wanted represented. He is a family man and a devoted husband and father who loves the outdoors. Mountains and water are very much a part of his life, as are family values and activities. This gave me some ideas of what I had to incorporate in his painting. Fortunately there wasn’t a tight time line and I was able to mull over ideas and do some basic sketches. Still it was a gamble and I was hoping that through our conversations I had grasped his story and what he wanted represented. While I worked on it, I constantly wondered and worried if I was on the right track. Upon completion, I still had some trepidation. It’s not that easy to get into someone’s head and you never know what the final reaction will be. My policy is, “If you like it, it’s yours, if not it’s mine.” Well….. this particular painting is no longer mine.
My biggest reward was the huge smile on his face as he unwrapped it and almost immediately started to identify and superimpose his family into the canvas before him. That is the ultimate reward for an artist!
Enjoy the day,
