"What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant." ~ Henry David Thoreau

For many of us, this is true. We fuss over them ~ decorating, polishing, and doing everything to make them our "own." We choose just the right furnishings and accessories to leave our "thumbprint." Our libraries are full of books and magazines about the "joys" of building bookshelves, installing plumbing ~ even folding sheets! Holidays find us theme-decorating for Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. We are HOMEOWNERS!

THREE "NEIGHBORHOOD" PAINTINGS ~ "Fine Fall Finish," "Springtime Comes to Simpson Street" and "The Peggy Places"

I've painted three "neighborhood" paintings since the 1970s. Normally, I work in 8x10-inch format, but with all of the detail that I wanted to include on these, they had to be larger (11x14-inch and 16x20-inch).

Fine Fall Finish (2010) This painting was created as a gift for our contractors, Lance Elliott and Chris Garrett (Elliott Construction), upon completion of the interior remodel/restoration of our future "downsizing destination."

Doug and I are celebrating the "finish" with them (and their pets) to the left at a fall picnic. I've pictured our renovated bungalow above and their homes below.

This was a huge project for them ~ challenges at every turn, but they finished the job beautifully ~ and I wanted to show our appreciation.

Springtime Comes to Simpson Street (2007) This was a completely self-indulgent painting I created. It pictures all of the homes that I have lived in and loved since childhood. Most houses were from Spokane, but the largest is our current home in Sammamish. It shows family (including our grandkids), pets, cars and lots of other personal little details that only mean something to me ~ great fun to create!

The Peggy Places (1972) This was a wedding gift for my sister Peggy and husband Jeff, honoring all of the homes that Peggy lived in before her marriage as well as her California house as new bride. She still has this painting (an early effort) and she's still happily married decades later!

CHOOSE FROM ARTWORK IN THREE STYLES:

NOTE: Paintings are best suited for the portrait work above as it's easiest to make alterations to achieve the best likeness with that media.

COMMISSION FEES:

Prices for commission pieces vary widely. Fees are based on the amount of time it takes to complete the artwork and the media selected and. In other words, I keep track of my hours, and charge accordingly. Some media inherently takes longer than others ~ for example, paintings require more time to complete than pen & ink drawings.

Below, I've shared a gallery of 14 sample commissions (6 paintings, 4 pen & inks, and 4 pen, ink & pastels). They feature several architectural styles and subjects.

Beneath this gallery, you'll find helpful tips for planning your commission, followed by a "Problems/Solutions" section, with more sample artwork and photographs.

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS PAINTINGS (5 Architectural Styles and 1 Interior Setting)

PEN, INK & PASTELS RENDITIONS (4 Examples of Architectural Portraits)

PEN & INK LINE DRAWINGS (4 Examples of Different Settings and Subjects)

ONE STEP FURTHER . . .

Holiday Cards Featuring Your Artwork ~ For several 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 painting an autumn-themed portrait of their home (see below, "The Beautiful Day,") I re-worked a print, converting it into a New Year's Eve scene with them in wedding attire. The invitation was a very personal way to commemorate their at-home ceremony. (Click on the Bridal page to see that artwork.)

Meeting ~ All of my work is custom, so the first step is scheduling a meeting. We'll choose a time of day when there will be plenty of natural light for shooting digitals.

I'll share my portfolio with sample artwork, we'll discuss your wishes, and peruse your own photographs. We'll determine which portrait 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 you have good photos, I may be able to work from those (especially if you live in another part of the country), but more often than not, I'll shoot my own ~ everything from long shots to pictures of your front door, lighting fixtures, garden gates, bird baths, etc. Once again, it's ALL in the details!

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

Determining the Fee ~ We'll negotiate an estimated fee. My formula is simple: I charge by the media selected and the number of hours I believe it will take me to complete the work ~ taking into account all of the notes taken in the planning session.

At this time, I receive a 50% deposit of the estimate.

Delivery of Your Artwork ~ When I deliver your artwork, I'll receive your balance due (50% plus or minus, depending on the hours spent, plus sales tax). NOTE: In some cases, I let my clients divide the fee into three payments.

As my gift to you (unless you wish to handle this), I have your artwork matted and framed. You will also receive a couple of note cards of your artwork.

You may wish to order morel cards, prints for family members or calendars (if your artwork is featured there). We can also discuss creating holiday cards or "we've moved" notes, etc.

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

I have dozens of samples of home portraits that I've archived to share with clients. Problem solving can be challenging, but it's always rewarding.

Nearly every commissioned piece presents one difficulty or another, so I've shared a few problems with their solutions here. Each painting example has a photo of the setting coupled with it, as well.

PROBLEM "Cannon Hill Cozy" (ABOVE RIGHT) ~ This pretty bungalow on Cannon Hill Pond in Spokane's South Hill neighborhood was the Shelledy family home for decades. When I began this piece, Pat was in declining health. The challenge was to finish the artwork as quickly as possible so that he could enjoy it.

SOLUTION ~ With some direction from me, his daughter and son, Patty and Dave, dug up not only snapshots, but the history of three generations of Shelledys. They gave me lots to work with, so that I didn't have to guess ~ and email did the trick. I finished the portrait in time for Pat to have it hung on the wall of his hospital room.

PROBLEM "The House in the Park" (ABOVE RIGHT) ~ A huge hedge running all along the front yard of this lovely grey rambler protected it from the street ~ and kept me from getting any decent shots of it with my camera.

SOLUTION ~ I shot photos over and around the hedge and pieced them together in PhotoShop. By shortening the hedge and painting the house slightly taller, I was able to get the results my client and I wanted. I added personal garden touches, tinted glass bottles in the front window, an A-frame birdhouse ~ and placed her as a youngster with her dog on the front lawn.

PROBLEM "Bowers of Flowers at the Buiocchi's" (ABOVE LEFT) ~ This house was perched on a very steep hillside. It was impossible to shoot, plus it was often shrouded in shadows created by the greenbelt's tall trees.

SOLUTION ~ Once again, PhotoShop came to the rescue. I pieced digital shots together and created a composite thumbnail. And, the shadows were indeed the enemy. I couldn't get the color of the house right, so I ended up painting the exterior twice. Ultimately, on a high overcast day, I set up an easel in front of it and mixed paint "on the spot."

PROBLEM "The Beautiful Day" (ABOVE RIGHT) ~ The owners of this handsome, contemporary house hoped for a portrait that wouldn't look too "cute." Yet they still wanted it created in my signature American Primitive style so all the home's remarkable would be captured.

SOLUTION ~ I introduced lots of perspective and then focused on their natural surroundings. The forest greenbelt had families of eagles, hawks, seagulls and other wildlife, so some of that found it's way into this piece. When I delivered the artwork, they were so happy with it that they requested a wedding-theme alteration for invites to their at-home marriage. Click on Bridal to see this.

For many years, I've built a reputation with my renditions of remarkable homes, landmarks, parks and other architectural settings and subjects.

I'm happy to share I'm offering personal portraits, as well. The paintings featured below are of our grandchildren, Addison and Austin.

I completed these works as special gifts for their parents and grandparents in honor of the kids' second birthdays.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS . . .

Who was it that said that? Brilliant Martha Stewart? She's right. It IS all in the details.

To create a truly compelling portrait, I've learned that the secret is more than creating a pretty picture. The key lies in discovering whatever it is that holds the subject's interest at the moment I'm recreating them.

When I planned these paintings, before I even put a brush to canvas, I looked at lots of family pictures from birth to present. Then, I took notes and made a list of all the special things that I could think of about each of the kids ~ favorite colors, toys, what they like to wear, what their smiles and eyes said about them, etc.

A FEW NOTES ON EACH CHILD:

Before I began these portraits, I made a list of everything that I could think of that made each child special.

Austin Lee ~ This little fellow is ALL boy. Like his father, he loves anything electronic (so un-grandpa-like as Doug barely tolerates computers and cell phones).

The portrait above captured his focused interest in his new birthday phone. It was "pretend," of course, but equipped with lots of realistic "bells & whistles" that kept Austin coming back to it time and time again during his party.

Of all the dozens of photos that I took of him that day, the one that I used to create this portrait shows how much this little guy gets focused on playing with his toys. He's not smiling ~ but content nonetheless, and easily keeps his interest intact after being interrupted. It's Austin all the way!

Addison Lee ~ Our granddaughter is a very feminine young lady. She's quite a bit older now (five on her next birthday), but when I painted this piece she had just turned two. On Easter, she was delighted to be in this sweet yellow dress, a gift from one of her other doting grandmothers (not me, this time!).

The outfit was topped off by white furry bunny ears and rainbow striped "Mary Jane" shoes.

That Easter, we gave her a basket filled with chocolate bunnies, Beatrix Potter books and a family of rubber duckies. She loved the ducks and carried one of them around in her fist for the rest of her visit that Sunday.

Such simple bits and pieces plus a few blossoms provided inspiration to create art of not only Addison, but of an unforgettable day.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED...

If a personal portrait appeals as awonderful gift to yourself or loved one, do a little homework so the unique, wonderful qualities of your subject shines through. For more information, please phone me. We can set up an appointment to explore the possibilities.

 

QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE ABOVE?

iPhone: 206.406.1409

Email: artist@pattisimpsonward.com

On the Web: PattiSimpsonWard.com