Commissioned painting challenges

Commissioned painting in progress

Commissioning a piece of art is a wonderful way to get exactly what you want. Sometimes a collector has a specific request.

For the past several weeks I  have been working on completing a commission that was requested by someone who knew exactly what he wanted. When Mark (name changed to protect the innocent) saw one of my paintings in my studio, he fell in love. He would have walked out with the piece, but it simply wasn't big enough for his space. So, he asked me if I would make the painting again in a specific size. 

Now, I know that many artists would likely say no to such a request because they would not want to repeat a painting that was already completed.  I saw it as a challenge that I wanted to tackle.

Also, Mark really loved the painting and I wanted to bring joy to his life.

The original painting is 30"x30," and Mark determined that he needed a piece that is 36"x50." Now, needless to say, that meant that the painting was going to change from a square to a rectangular format. To ensure that the composition would be as strong in this altered format, I made an oil sketch in a size that was proportional to 36"x50." To figure out those proportions, I pulled out my trusty  proportion wheel from my graphic design days.

After I ascertained the correct proportions for the small oil painting sketch, I got to work. YES, I could make the composition successful using these different proportions. Whew!

Below, you will see an image of the original square painting, the oil painting sketch, and the commissioned work in progress.  ​You'll also get to see my embarrassingly messy table of supplies. 

Swimming into Focus, 30"x30," Oil on panel, ©Lynn Goldstein, Private collection

Commissioned painting in progress with small sketch on an adjacent easel

Exceptionally messy table with palette, brushes, etc.