The Commission Process Step 5-Imagery and Details: Shirley and Roger

Some parts of the process are exciting and quick- like the pour. But some are slower, more meticulous and exacting.  This week was one of those times.    I spent several hours two days in a row fine-tuning some areas of the painting, adjusting color, eliminating details I didn't like, accentuating those I did. Once I got it to the point that felt right- I the continued on with the next step- the grasses.

It was important to Shirley that the grasses retain their original “straw” color. I was going to use actual grasses- but during the process of attaching them, their color can become obscured, (or scorched by the torch!).  So based on feedback from Shirley on earlier pieces, I opted instead to silkscreen them on.  

  

I still wanted to use some actual botanicals in the piece, so I chose leaves in their color scheme, some dollar plants, and Queen Anne’s lace to incorporate.  Once again- I am very slow and deliberate about placement.  Composition – or the arrangement/balance of a piece- is very, very important to me.  I spent a good chunk of an afternoon going through my collection of pressed botanicals to find a good range of size and shape, and then laid them on in various configurations.  When I finally thought that I had a good arrangement- I left. ! Yes, I wanted to wait and see if I felt the same way the next day, looking at it with fresh eyes.  The next morning- I made some small adjustments, but went with the plan. Now to attach in the exact configuration I’d decided on!

I have done this process with with the encaustic wax on a smaller scale, but the larger scale here caused a couple of difficulties.  You must heat up the surface before applying wax, and to do so requires the use of a heat gun or blowtorch- both of which will blow all of my fragile and very light arrangements right off the panel!  I take a picture with my ipad so I can refer back to it- but then I weighted down the ones not being worked on to keep them in place while I heated and applied hot wax to attach the leaves or pods or flowers. It took all afternoon to attach them- but they are exactly where I wanted them :)

In the home stretch now- I hope! I think I am clear about the next step- 

but want to take a break and come back and look and see…

Here it is in its present state hanging on a small piece of studio wall painted in Shirley and Rogers colors....

The Commission Process Step 2-Preparing: Shirley and roger

So while I am waiting for the custom panel to be built, I have plenty to do. I spent an afternoon going thru my inks, paint, and pigments to see if I needed any more- and despite having millions of colors- of course, I did not have exactly what I needed!  So I ordered those.

Then- mixing and matching.  Spent a bit of time trying to match the wall paint exactly not only because it was important to Shirley, but also because I want to be able to mix it into other colors on the piece, and use tints and shades of it.

  Also played around with other color combinations until they felt right. I always try to mix plenty so I don't have to repeat this process in the middle of the painting!  I also painted a large piece of paper their wall color to hang the piece on to get a sense of how it will look on their wall. 

I looked thru my collections, and am very happy that I spent so much time pressing leaves and grasses last year.   I’d be stuck until late summer waiting for the grasses to mature if I didn't have any grasses left! But I have enough to work with, and also found some leaves that I think would pick up their accent color perfectly.  

  

 Now- if that panel would only hurry up!

The Commission Process Step 1: Shirley and Roger

For a couple years, I did almost nothing but commissions (http://www.cherylholz.com/art/artwork.php?Subject=756) and needed a break from them, but this latest one sounded so appealing I had to accept, and I thought it’d be fun to document its progress and process on my blog.  

Shirley is a fellow artist- she does exquisite black and white photography.  I met her and her husband Roger on the art fair circuit a while back, and we had such fun that soon we requested to be neighbors whenever we were at the same fair. They recently relocated and are in the midst of redecorating.  They contacted me to do a piece for their new dining room, and sent me some pics of their space to give me an idea of where it would live.    

   

I started the discussion that I normally do when beginning a commission to find out what their requirements are: size, color, imagery, and any other “givens.” Then I usually brainstorm with the clients to see if there are any other images or materials that are possibilities- I have used everything from house plans to baby footprints to Indian arrowheads, depending on the client. This part is fun and insures that it is personal to the client.  Roger and Shirley, however, opted not to go that route. Although the color palette is important to her in that it works in the room, she didn't want to restrict me with anything else.  Shirley said she wanted to keep it light and airy with plenty of open space, but “didn’t want to get specific because she wanted to allow my creative juices to flow!!!” WOW. Music to my ears- somebody who gets it!

Next step was a visit to see the space, take some pictures, get swatches of paint and fabric that are in the room, and tie down some details. 

We used a square of brown craft paper on the wall to help us determinate the size.  We looked through my portfolio, and I took note of what pieces they liked and why, and which didn’t appeal to them. This helps me get a better sense of their tastes, within the framework of what I do.  They really like botanicals like grasses, leaves, and ferns, so those more than likely will be incorporated. The colors are set- and they are colors that are part of my recurring palette. If she‘d requested lime green and fluorescent pink- I would have had to take a pass. Since they are so open and this is well within what I normally do, I am going to work on two paintings simultaneously so they have a choice when I am done. A win win.  We both signed a contract that spell out the details, they put 50% down, and I am off and running! 

Stay tuned for the next step of the process!