My first International Commission!

"Lambretta"

24x24

oil on canvas

I had a client contact me via the FineArtAmerica.com website. He was looking at my vespa series and was wondering if I had any larger paintings for a certain wall he had in mind. I told him I could work with him in painting something specifically for him. He liked the 24x24 size and was wondering if I could include a "Mod" guy in with the a certain model Vespa, the Lambretta. I drew this sketch as an initial idea:

He was okay with it, but during the night I came across a photo of a man in a mod Nehru jacket, [anyone under 40 will not know about Nehru jackets and love beads] and he was leaning against a Bentley. I submitted this sketch and he likes this pose better:
The photo reference had the man leaning face on with his arms at his sides. I asked my son's friend to pose for me:
Which resulted in this nearly done painting I submitted to the client:
Well as you can see from the end painting, the client changed his mind on the "mod" attire and wanted a more up to date look. He gave his final approval for the finished painting: *phew* and as soon as it drys a few more days, I hope to get it on its way to Belfast, Ireland.

Why did the Chicken....II

9x12 oil on gallery wrapped canvas

Some of you who have been viewing my posts for a while may remember my first chicken crossing the road. [ click HERE to view the post] Well someone who had view this first version on FineArtAmerica.com wanted to buy the original. I realized I committed an awful faux pas because I no longer had the original and had not updated my web page. She allowed me to paint another version a little bigger and I thought better and she was under no obligation to buy.

Fortunately she loved this version and said she had been looking for the perfect present for her sister's 50th birthday. I had to ask of course....why the chicken? She explained that her sister loves chickens and her life motto is "forward progress" and she thought the sprinting chicken represented that attitude. The client also thinks the fact that I am retired Law Enforcement would add to her sister's delight because she also loves crime dramas. The client was kind enough to share that she had worked for the Art Institute in Chicago in the 20th Century Department and later became a graphic artist so imagine my delight when she emailed me to say the painting was even more beautiful in person.

This is half of the reason I have been away from my blog. The other half is another commission I've been working on for the past several weeks that I'll tell you about in my next post. Love to all!

Silly Sami

Sami

8x8 oil on gallery wrapped canvas

This is my other cat. Her idea of camouflage is to hop into a box or bag and lay in wait. If my son sees her in a box or bag, he will inevitably pick her up and carry her like a package as he goes about his business around the house. Silly begets silly I guess.

Donovan

"Donovan"

20x16 oil on canvas

My still 16 almost 17 year old is in that interesting boy/man stage of his life. He towers over me and his father but still delights in doing things kids like to do. I captured him when he wasn't feeling well in this POST two years ago. I captured him in a sketch a year ago in this POST so maybe instinctively I know he's only going to be hanging around the house a couple more years at the most and then he'll be off building a life on his own. I wanted his portrait to be unique and quietly different like he is.

The Challenge....

"Nikko"

8x10 oil on panel

This is a pet portrait for the winner of our local High School Band's fundraiser. The winner, [a band player herself] wanted a painting of her beloved Nikko. I asked if she had any photos of Nikko and she said no because Nikko never sits still and doesn't like to be held. I volunteered to come over and take pics myself.

Nikko is very shy and skittish even around strangers bearing cat treats. The winner and her little sister took turns catching, holding and letting go of Nikko so I could try and get a shot without their hands wrapped around Nikko's body. Nikko went through the cat treats quickly and I was able to get a couple of body shots while he was still for a few seconds. The head was from another shot of Nikko looking at me while little sister was holding him down and I going through my repertoire of my best cat attention getting sounds. So even though Nikko was an unwilling participant, he ended up with his portrait for his sweet owner anyway.

Petalos de Rosa

Petalos de Rosa

20x24 oil on gallery wrapped canvas

Doesn't it always sound more exotic in another language? Pink petals in Spanish [petalos de rosa] gives my painting of my neighbor's cactus flowers an extra punch. As I approached our court, these blooms were a pink spotlight on her lawn. I went and grabbed a few photos and this was the result.