How to Commission a Painting

Commissioning an original painting is one of the most personal things you can do with art. You are not choosing from what already exists. You are asking an artist to make something that has never existed before — for you, around your life, in response to what matters to you.

The process is less mysterious than people expect. It begins with a conversation. What do you want to feel when you stand in front of it? Not what you want it to look like — what you want it to do. The best commissions start with emotion, not description.

From there, the artist proposes a direction. In my case, this means thinking about scale, palette, and the quality of movement in the work. I paint in flowing color — water is a recurring presence in my work, not as subject but as tone. A commission with me will carry that sensibility, whatever the subject.

Next comes a timeline. Original paintings take time. A serious work at full scale can take several weeks from first brushstroke to final layer. Rushing a painting shows in the painting. I ask clients to allow the work to arrive when it is ready, within an agreed window.

The practical side is straightforward: a consultation to establish the brief, a deposit to begin, progress updates during the process, and final delivery with documentation of the work. Every commissioned painting ships with a certificate of authenticity and full provenance — who made it, when, and for whom.

What you receive at the end is not a product. It is a painting that was thought about, worked through, and finished with your life in mind. That is a different thing from selecting a painting that already exists. Both are valid. But a commission is the version where the art was always going to be yours.

If you have been thinking about commissioning something — for a home, a gift, a moment you want to mark — the Custom Artwork Consultation on this site is the right first step. It is a short conversation to see if we are a good fit. No obligation. Just a beginning.