Gazebo at the Lake

"Gazebo at the Lake"

12x12 acrylic on stretched canvas

Commissioned piece - NFS 

I have been a bit absent from my blog & posts - and It's partly because of the holiday prep, but also because I've been working on a few commissions. Here is one, "Gazebo at the Lake" was done for a woman who is giving it as a gift (I don't believe either the gift giver or receiver are followers on my blog). This is 1 of 2 she commissioned me to do - the second is a wider view of the overall property that I'll post tomorrow.

This was to focus on the gazebo & the lake - her only request was to make it "autumn" (the reference photos were late summer). I added the colors to capture the change without eliminating the greens entirely. I thought that would give the indication of the season without it overpowering the entire scene - this way the gazebo is definitely noticeable. 

The one thing about doing commissions of the loved scene or building, there isn't always room for artist interpretation.  Meaning, I can't change the elements drastically, even to make a better composition, because they are meant to represent a "place" that the new owner sees in their heart. For me to change things could break that connection the owner may have to the painting, so I tread lightly when it comes to suggesting changes. Most times I can only suggest a different crop of the image, or an altered vantage point, to try & both represent the location and give it a balanced composition.

But, in the end, the customer has to get what they want. For them, the connection to the heart is far more important than the balance or composition. And I, the artist, just want them happy!

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I hope all of you had a Happy Thanksgiving today and were able to share time with friends and/or family. I have found that, as I get older, the holidays tend to differ each year. We lose people, we gain some new people in our lives - we hear good news & some bad news as we gather together. But one thing we always do - we lift our glasses & salute one another. So I lift my glass to you my art friends, who I am quite grateful for! The best to you & yours!