Commissioning custom art is fun and can be affordable!

The finished commissioned art will be installed over the sofa in the front room.

Traveling is a favorite past time of many of our clients, not to mention both of us!

This winter when our clients Sherman and Becky returned from a new favorite locale, Cinque Terre, Italy, they were brimming with excitement.  They’d had a marvelous time and celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary.  We suggested they have a piece of art made to remind them of the experience.

They were hesitant at first to consider commissioning an artist, mainly because the term sounded like it might also come with an out-of-this-world price tag.  When we suggested getting a bid for the size, style and medium of their ideal piece, they agreed.  The two of them had purchased art from a variety of different shops and dealers in the past and felt it would be nice to be able to compare the costs associated with two very different ways of acquiring art.

We asked one of our favorite local artists, Candice Simpson, to consider Sherman and Becky’s concept for the piece and offer pricing.  They were surprised to find that commissioning Candice to create something for the two of them, with their personal taste in mind, could be so similar in price to purchasing art from a store or gallery.  They grinned from ear to ear.

And rightfully so.  They’ve had the opportunity to become a part of the art experience.  We’ve worked with Candice to incorporate all the lovely new colors, textures, tastes and sounds they felt while on their get-away and provided her with their design concept as a starting point.

The finished piece will be featured in their front room.  It’s a space they both use every day and the first wall they see each morning when they come down the stairs.  We can’t think of a better way to stay connected to each other than to have a daily reminder of a shared experience.

The following pictures are from a recent studio visit to check on the progress of the pieces.  Stay tuned in the coming weeks for pictures of the final piece being installed!

Candice shows Becky her progress on the artwork.

Candice is detailing the inspiration image and telling us about her next steps.

Candice hangs the inspiration images from Sherman and Becky so they are easy to reference as she paints.

Here’s what Becky had to say about the experience:  ” Having artwork commissioned by Candice has been such a magical experience. She has taken our memories and made them into something tangible that we will always cherish. We could have searched high and low but we would have never found a pre-existing piece that we would have loved this much. Not only will the artwork fit our space and color palate perfectly, but it will have an incredible amount of meaning to us. And the best part of all, it will always be one of a kind!“

Where are YOU headed next?

-Holly