A winding river of commissions

Right now I’m finishing up a commission for a couple in Portland, Oregon. This is a special place that they continually go back to get outside and find peace. I think they wanted to bring that feeling they get out there into their home.

I don’t typically paint landscapes, I like to focus in on an action or an element instead of the broad view. Painting the larger vision forces me to blend along with atmospheric perspective and create layers that don’t come entirely natural to me. I love the hard lines of close up details — I find flow in the sharp reflections on the water or the harsh transition of shadow to snow. Painting a landscape forces my mind to think differently. I have to think about depth in a larger way, decide where to bring the viewers focus with a lot of detail and where to leave more unfinished.

I think it’s great to force yourself into these new perspectives as an artist. I find that I learn more from every painting, and it’s mostly that there are endless things to get better at. I suppose that’s why I’m so thankful for commissions, they steer me away from my own habits. Without commissions I probably wouldn’t have chosen to paint a scrub jay or the Crazy Mountains or fog doused trees (okay, I probably would have painted foggy trees eventually) these led me to discovered that bird feathers paint like fish fins, and rolling hills use similar techniques to rolling water, and that fog and smoke can seem synonymous. To me it nods at how the universe is endlessly connected, and if that can come through with a painting, I think that’s pretty special.

But commissions are special beyond discovering overlaps and universal truths, someone is choosing to spend their hard earned money on an unknown outcome — to me that big. They are taking the time to think about a place or symbol that is deeply personal and trusting me to recreate it in my own style. It’s truly an honor to create these paintings for you all. If you’re interested in a commission this year get on the schedule now! They take a lot of time and I only have space for a small number. I have a new page on the site that outlines the pricing structure and scheduling. Please reach out if you’re interested! The process is really fun and unique every time — look forward to hearing from you!