Modern Scandinavian Garden - Kingfisher's Post *SOLD

When approached to create a commissioned painting I look for a few key words in the description of the person interested in a custom piece. Number one on my list is that the person interested in a piece already likes my work and preferably already owns one of my pieces - so I know that my style fits their home. Number two is how flexible they are with what they are looking for. Number three is size and mood of the piece.

For this piece - many of the elements I look for were clear. Sue already owned one of my pieces plus she browsed through my blog and made a list of 10 paintings that spoke to her the most. Most of the paintings on the list were of trees and had a lot of color and layers. The next unknown was size.

Sue invited me to her beautiful home to get a feel for the space. Every detail of their home was immaculate with bright color that balanced calm sweeps of solid earth tones. Personal details from Scandinavian artwork to brightly painted cupboards and gorgeous furniture balanced tastefully. Somehow Sue managed to create a space that felt like home, was modern but not cold and made me want to sit and visit. I was treated to wine, cheese and crackers while we visited about what Sue and her husband would like for their home. I brought a 40" square canvas to test for size. We knew the piece was to hang above the fireplace and be a focal piece of the living room. We decided 36"x48" would work the best. I took some photos of the space and got to thinking more about what would work best.

It took me a good month to visualize what to paint for this space. I knew Sue wanted a piece that would make her feel happy which meant color and movement. The happiest pieces for me are my Modern Scandinavian Garden paintings. I had never done one on that scale before but I came to the conclusion that if it were my home - that is what I would want. …so I got to painting and had a lot of fun creating the oversized allium with a Kingfisher perched at the top. I didn't know if Sue would like it as much as I did but it seems she does. I hung it in their home for a trial run to see how it made them feel and got a message that evening saying they would be keeping it. This makes me happy.

Modern Scandinavian Garden - Kingfisher's Post is a 36"x48 acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars and painted edges.