Dear Art Lover,

One of my all-time favorite commissions came from someone I went to college with, a fellow Seattle native.  She wanted a specific landscape of Seattle, the view from Madrona Beach, very near to her heart, especially as she now lives on the East coast.

I said well, there is no real guarantee that I can go to that location, once, and produce a view (painting) that will satisfy the emotional resonance necessary for a commissioned work to be successful.  It’s too much to ask to have ONE painting, made in one session, satisfy that need, with money at stake.

So I suggested - what about I go to Madrona Beach many times, make many paintings, and then give her first refusal on one or more?  We agreed, I made about 7 or 8 works over a week, and she picked the one she liked the most.  Since, several of those works have sold to other clients.  You can find some still available within my 2023 Holiday Sale.

This commission also established a pattern for me - the more I visit a given location, painting there for repeat visits, the better the work gets.

So, thank you to the client for the reinforcement of a solid art-making process.

Cheers,

David