"Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community." ~ Anthony J. D'Angelo

EMBRACING THE "CASTLE" LIFE!

For many of us, "Our homes are our castle" is so TRUE!

We fuss over them ~ decorating, polishing, and doing everything to make them our "own." We agonize over choosing just the right furnishings and accessories to leave our "thumbprint."

Our libraries are full of books and magazines expounding the joys of building bookshelves, fixing plumbing ~ even folding sheets!

Holidays are opportunities for theme decorating ~ Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. And it doesn't stop indoors ~ wreaths for our front doors, flats of annuals, wicker chairs on porches, and brick pavers around our driveways. When autumn arrives, we plant our bulbs bulbs in anticipation of spring blooms, and of course, winter finds us scraping the snow off our driveways with Santa and his helpers lighting the way for our guests.

Our garages are loaded with tools of every kind to help us all keep it sparkling and "ship shape."

This process is often a labor of love. We are creating our own special "castle" for our family ~ and that includes our beloved pets. We are HOMEOWNERS!

"SPRINGTIME COMES TO SIMPSON STREET"

The painting featured here of the spring-themed neighborhood, showcases a variety of homes in all sizes, shapes and styles.

"Springtime Comes to Simpson Street" is very personal to me as it honors homes that I have lived in and loved over these past 50+ years.

The pretty white cottage and the Dutch Colonial in the upper left were "home" when I was very young, growing up on the South Hill in Spokane.

I spent my teenage years in the suburbs of the Spokane Valley with my folks, five brothers and sisters (and two dogs) in the 70s-style place in the upper right

Today I'm sharing the grey and brick Tudor with my husband, Doug. We're pictured here with our extended family, including our new grand-daughter. We really enjoy this friendly Sammamish, Washington neighborhood.

The brick craftsman in the lower right is our future home on the South Hill in Spokane, where Doug and I plan to spend our summers when we retire. This house is a block from Manito Park, one of the loveliest settings in the city.

The original 16x20-inch artwork of this piece will be on display in August and September at the:

GALLERY OF HOME PORTRAITS ~ AND MORE!

Recent Acrylic-on-Canvas Paintings and Pen-&-Inks

Because I'm one of those "castle people," I specialize in painting portraits of homes ~ both exteriors and interiors. It's the most rewarding experience working with clients to capture the image of whatever is meaningful to them. Below, I've shared ten commissioned pieces (four paintings and four drawings) featuring several architectural styles, an interior, and even a drawing of a yacht. The pen-&-ink line drawings are very affordable at about $200 per original.

Beneath this gallery, you'll find helpful tips for planning your commission, followed by a "Problems/Solutions" section, sharing some examples of challenges and solutions.

ONE STEP FURTHER . . .

Holiday Cards Featuring Your Artwork ~ For several of my clients I've adapted a print of the original artwork by adding holiday details like wreaths, snow, family ~ and of course, a Christmas tree in the window. Voilé! Artwork for Christmas cards!

Wedding Invitations ~ For one engaged couple, after finishing an autumn-themed portrait of their home (shown below, "The Beautiful Day,") I re-worked a print, changing it into a winter evening scene with them in their wedding attire. The invitations I designed were a beautiful, personal way to commemorate their intimate at-home ceremony. (Click on my Bridal page to see that artwork.)

Meeting ~ All of my work is custom, so the first step is scheduling a meeting ~ preferably at the setting you want me to recreate. We'll choose a time of day when there will be plenty of natural light for shooting digitals of your setting.

I'll share my portfolio with examples of artwork completed for other clients. We'll discuss your wishes and explore your own photographs ~ and determine whether my style is the right "fit" for you. The goal is to not only produce a lovely piece of fine artwork, but to capture "your" personality.

If we proceed, and the lighting is right, I'll shoot digitals ~ everything from panoramas to pictures of your front door, lighting fixtures, garden gates, bird baths and more!

Planning the Painting ~ Next we work out a "thumbnail" sketch for the artwork and make notes on the following:

Determining the Fee ~ We'll negotiate an estimated agreement on my fee and sign a contract. My formula is simple: I charge by the number of hours I believe it will take me to complete the work, taking into account all of the notes that we've taken in the planning process. I will receive a 50% deposit of the estimate.

Delivery of Your Artwork ~ When I had off your artwork, I'll receive your balance due (50% plus or minus, depending on the hours spent, plus sales tax).

As my gift to you (unless you wish to handle this), I have your artwork matted and framed.You will also receive a set of note cards of your artwork.You may wish to order additional cards, prints for family members or calendars (if your artwork is featured there). We can also discuss producing holiday cards or family reunion invitations, etc.

CONGRATULATIONS! ~ You are the proud owner of a very personal fine-art portrait of your home!

Problem solving can be a challenging, but creative process! I have over 200 samples of portraits of homes in my inventory to share with prospective clients. Nearly every commission presents one problem or another, so refer to the artwork and photos scattered throughout this page to see how challenges were met.

"Cannon Hill Cozy" ~ (ABOVE RIGHT) This pretty bungalow on Cannon Hill Pond on the South Hill in Spokane was the family home for years for the Pat and Janie Shelledy family. When I began this piece Pat was elderly and in declining health. The challenge was to gather photos as quickly as possible so that I could work in "fast track" mode.

SOLUTION ~ With some direction for me, Pat's daughter and son, Patty and Dave, dug up photos and history of three generations of Shelledys (I had lots to work with so that I didn't have to guess!). I finished the artwork in time for Pat to enjoy it hanging in his hospital room.

"The House in the Park" ~ (ABOVE RIGHT) In front of this lovely grey rambler was a huge hedge which completely hid the house from the street ~ and my camera.

SOLUTION ~ I took photos over and around the hedge and pieced them together in PhotoShop. Then I shortened the hedge in the painting and made the house slightly taller. I personalized the artwork by adding garden touches, colored glass bottles in the front window, the A-frame birdhouse ~ and my client, Merri Berg, when she was a youngster heading off to school.

"Bowers of Flowers at The Buiocchi's" ~ (ABOVE LEFT) This house was perched on a very steep hillside ~ a tough angle to photograph, plus it was usually shadowed by the trees in the greenbelt.

SOLUTION ~ Once again, I pieced lots of photos together. I also ended up re-painting the exterior of the home, as the shadows caused the green in my photos to be too dark. Finally, I sat in front of the residence and mixed paint "on the spot" to get the right hue.

"The Beautiful Day" ~ (ABOVE RIGHT) This was a handsome, contemporary home and I was commissioned to paint it within the confines of my American Primitive style. The challenge was to keep the finished piece from looking too "cute."

SOLUTION ~ I introduced more perspective with this piece than I do in most of my paintings and focused on the natural state of their surrounding property ~ a forest greenbelt filled with eagles, hawks, seagulls and other wildlife. I painted the trees behind the home with a more natural, less stylized look. When I delivered the artwork, the couple was delighted, and used it for their upcoming wedding invitations. See my Bridal page.

QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE ABOVE?

TELEPHONE: Tel 425.868.9238

E-MAIL: artist@pattisimpsonward.com

WEB SITE: www.pattisimpsonward.com