A Three Cat Gift

“If you understand a painting beforehand, you might as well not paint it.”– Salvador Dalí

Painting is an accumulation of marks, each representing a discovery:  it's not possible to know ahead of time what lies along the way. I can quickly put a rough sketch on canvas, but then things shift. I enter into a dialogue with the painting, and treat it as an organic, developing thing with it's own logic, unknown to me but discoverable.

This began as a drawing of a small wire snake Wes brought home from a business trip to Mozambique:

Snake, charcoal on linen, 32”x52”

Snakes, acrylic, oil paint, glass, beads, porcelain, and fabric on linen, 32”x52”

And ended up as two intertwined snakes traced out in beads and found objects.

But when someone comes to me with an idea for a painting or other commission, I have to balance my desire to see where the image will go with confining myself to the task at hand.

When a client has a photo they would like made into a painting, things are pretty straightforward.

If someone has an idea in mind, but is open to how it will come together, I spend time getting to know the personalities involved and take photographs, giving us settings and ideas to choose from.

I just painted three cats, a gift for a son and daughter in law.
The cats lived some time ago, and the assorted photos in my hands were my only references for them. These cats were bursting with personality, and I decided to show them up close to highlight it. This also eliminated the need for full body photos, which I didn't have. 
 

First rough sketch of the cats.

Each cat was pictured separately- I chose the photos with sharpest detail that seemed to work together. One of the photos had a cat on a green bedspread in a green walled room. Perfect, I thought, with the orange and grey of the cats, and made that their environment.

I share the finished drawing with the client

and start to paint.

Washes of blue will be the base for green wallpaper and bedspread. I use this same blue to put shadows in and around the cats: the blue weaves through every part of the painting.

The painting is almost done, and I like how certain areas are left unpainted, weaving in with washes and thicker paint. But it's time to check my vision against the client's, especially as I have not met these cats.

I add orange to both cats to more accurately show their coloring and bring the piece more in line with the client's idea. I try to make the work my own, while holding back or setting aside my more experimental impulses, saving that for my studio work.
I had fun painting these felines and wound up happy with the balance of creativity and representation.
 

Art is a source of reflection, meditation, inspiration, and the lifting of spirits. Commissioned paintings offer an opportunity for a bit of adventure as you become part of the creative process.
Painting commissions are focused creative collaborations, and average a few thousand dollars. If you have an idea you'd like to turn into a painting, drop me an email and let me know!