Commission Work
Mika
Oil on Canvas
2016
A commission to help immortalize a man's a mans best friend.
I enjoyed playing around with colour and scale to make something visually stiking that captured his personality and likeness.
Oil on Canvas
2016
A commission to help immortalize a man's a mans best friend.
I enjoyed playing around with colour and scale to make something visually stiking that captured his personality and likeness.
The whole reveal experience was kinda cute.
His human best friend who commissioned me brought him to my studio for the reveal.
WIth no understanding of what was going on, he started to look around my space and ended up at the painting hanging on my wall.
Casual chatter became staggered as we stood back and watched him start to see what was in the painting.
Casual chatter became staggered as we stood back and watched him start to see what was in the painting.
He was clearly moved as he realized this was for him.
When he turned back to confirm this was happening after several double takes, he was in tears.
Great studio memory and the kind of experience that makes being an artist so rewarding.
When he turned back to confirm this was happening after several double takes, he was in tears.
Great studio memory and the kind of experience that makes being an artist so rewarding.
***
Condo Commission
Mixed Media on Canvas
2016
To keep my studio, I had many jobs to help with rent.
I was introduced to a client through a cleaning company I worked for.
They wanted have someone come into their home and do a mural directly on the wall.
I convinced them to let me paint off site which was definitly beneficial to my process.
Having completed a 10' x 11' oil painting the previous year, I was less intimidated to take on a similar scale project for a client.
Because I started that painting (NothingSerious) without much direction, I spent a year learning and taking risks that eventually resulted in a completed painting.
The client shared their thoughts and provided good direction to get started.
They wanted something bright with lots of colours.
Addititonally, they wanted trees, birds, and other elements from nature.
The more unusual request was the frame in the painting. I struggled to find a way to play with the form while maintaining its intended representation.
(I was working at a flower shop in the financial district which granted me access to some of Toronto's finest establishments. I do not remember the place, but it had the gaudy over-the-top framing throughout. I took some photos for reference and used elements to complete my ornate frame corners.)
After several stages of sketched elements and composition studies, I was given the go ahead. With one month as the initial timeline, I had to find ways to make the process more efficient.
I did the underpainting with acrylics, taking advantage of the fast drying time. This allowed me to quickly block in areas before adding in the details with oil paints.
There is a Simpsons couch gag deep in the composition that was not for the client.
Based on the location of the installed painting, the clients couch would be blocking this area.
I spent a good amount of time trying the melt these forms into the final composition.
Fresh cut flowers were used to help bring more of the bright colours requested by the client.
The clients got a sneak peek and provided some input for the final piece.
The next step was to figure out how to install it at their condo.
Friend, studiomate and fellow artist Arber Makri was up for the job.
A practicing luthier and scenic painter in the film industry, he is no stranger to problem solving and was able to find a solution for installating on a concrete wall.
I painted on stretched canvas stapled to the studio wall so the idea was to use the same method here.
A wood frame was drilled into the foundation and we attached the final painting to the frame.
Happy Customer :)
There are some process painting videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HR7aXkC-nZM
Condo Commission
Mixed Media on Canvas
2016
To keep my studio, I had many jobs to help with rent.
I was introduced to a client through a cleaning company I worked for.
They wanted have someone come into their home and do a mural directly on the wall.
I convinced them to let me paint off site which was definitly beneficial to my process.
Having completed a 10' x 11' oil painting the previous year, I was less intimidated to take on a similar scale project for a client.
Because I started that painting (NothingSerious) without much direction, I spent a year learning and taking risks that eventually resulted in a completed painting.
The client shared their thoughts and provided good direction to get started.
They wanted something bright with lots of colours.
Addititonally, they wanted trees, birds, and other elements from nature.
The more unusual request was the frame in the painting. I struggled to find a way to play with the form while maintaining its intended representation.
(I was working at a flower shop in the financial district which granted me access to some of Toronto's finest establishments. I do not remember the place, but it had the gaudy over-the-top framing throughout. I took some photos for reference and used elements to complete my ornate frame corners.)
After several stages of sketched elements and composition studies, I was given the go ahead. With one month as the initial timeline, I had to find ways to make the process more efficient.
I did the underpainting with acrylics, taking advantage of the fast drying time. This allowed me to quickly block in areas before adding in the details with oil paints.
There is a Simpsons couch gag deep in the composition that was not for the client.
Based on the location of the installed painting, the clients couch would be blocking this area.
I spent a good amount of time trying the melt these forms into the final composition.
Fresh cut flowers were used to help bring more of the bright colours requested by the client.
The clients got a sneak peek and provided some input for the final piece.
The next step was to figure out how to install it at their condo.
Friend, studiomate and fellow artist Arber Makri was up for the job.A practicing luthier and scenic painter in the film industry, he is no stranger to problem solving and was able to find a solution for installating on a concrete wall. I painted on stretched canvas stapled to the studio wall so the idea was to use the same method here. A wood frame was drilled into the foundation and we attached the final painting to the frame.
Happy Customer :)
There are some process painting videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HR7aXkC-nZM