Still life commissions
It’s been a great summer for still life painting. I’ve had the pleasure of discovering some lush, colourful gardens with an abundance of inspiration to paint my still life commissions. This year has also seen seen an increase in the number of demands for personal, still life commissions. So with that in mind I thought I would continue with the theme from the last blog. This week I take you through the simple process of commissioning your own still life painting.
Still lives themes can include anything, varying from flowers in vases and collections of personal items, to (moving away from classical) depictions of cakes, patisserie etc and more modern scenes. You really do have a huge range to choose from. One of my latest examples is the ‘Homemade pie’ themed collection I am currently working on. Two of which are already completed and for sale in the ‘still life gallery’
The Idea:
This particular still life commission was from two good friends who had been to see an exhibition in London called the Dutch Flowers exhibition specialising in 17th-18th Century Masters. They then returned home totally charmed with many of the still life paintings they had seen. An up and coming birthday was their perfect opportunity for them to approach me with the idea to commissioning their own painting, of some of their favourite flowers – some Peonies.
Studio Visit:
After the usual studio visit, chat and cup of tea, they had decided on the size of the canvas, and had a rough idea of where they might put it in the house . As with most commissions, my next step was to go about finding some inspiration whilst testing out a few ideas.
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- painting in the garden
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- peonies painted outdside
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- sketches completed
Proposals:
My three different sketches where then proposed and they chose the style they were most excited by. After a chat we decided to go ahead with the painting that had been done in the studio light which had a strong contrast between the flowers and the background. They liked the powerful image and it reminded them of the flemish style which was their original inspiration for the project.
The Final Painting:
I spent the week completing the chosen painting. Once it was dry enough I headed off to the framers to choose something to fit the painting and the style we had in mind. Below you can see the completed painting, in its dark frame with a small detail added on the insert. (provided by Kingswood frames).
Varnishing:
It’s always best to wait at least 6 months before a varnish. It avoids any paint cracking further down the line. The painting now hangs at it’s new home so they can enjoy it whilst the paint hardens. At some point over the next 8 months I will visit to give the painting varnish and it will then be totally completed.
