Ever wonder how a commissioned artwork comes to life?
Your experience of a work of art can be incredibly personal and commissioning your own is the chance to have the stuff of your life inform the art from the beginning. Here's an insider's look at the process with two of my favorite clients.
Collaborative Vision
When I began talking with Mary and Tom on a piece for their newly renovated home, I got to chance to use Mary's beautiful photograph from her home town. I loved that this was an opportunity to bring some of Mary's vision and history in as they worked toward making Tom's charming historic home into a shared space that reflected their new lives together.
Inspiration Struck
"Our decision to work with Rachel came from a couple of factors. Tom had seen some of her work from early on and liked her approach. I had the privilege of visiting her in-studio right when her cloud studies were in full gear. I had taken a photo just after a storm at sunset near my home town, and thought she might appreciate seeing it. At that time, we were in the throes of renovating our house, and had long wondered what to do with the wide, blank expanse above the fireplace mantle. Inspiration struck when we unwrapped a cloud diptych I had purchased at the studio, remembered my photo, and simultaneously thought that the mantle space toward the ceiling would be an appropriate place for the subject of clouds."
"We appreciated that Rachel was willing to consider such a long narrow space, and shared our enthusiasm for creating a piece of art that would be integral to the room."
From Start to Finish
"Once the commission was decided, we also liked being able to see the work in progress."
Upward and Outward
"In the end, having her apply her skill, techniques and interpretation of my cloud photo created something both unique and memorable. It never fails to elicit a comment from someone visiting our home -- plus it always keeps us looking upward and outward!" -- Mary Novak & Tom Piette
Your Art, Your Story
Thanks to Tom and Mary for sharing their story. You can see more examples of past commission work here. To see your story come alive, use this form to explore the possibilities.
Have more questions? You can always get the conversation started by emailing rachel@rachelkerwin.com.