Memories of Home

This summer I was asked to create a painting of a home, to be given as a gift. The house had been in the family since 1946, and the current owner, the brother and sister-in-law of the person commissioning me, were selling it.

People have many memories connected to their homes, and I have completed paintings for homeowners in the past. Most often the paintings are requested when there is a move pending, but occasionally I have done them much later. Paintings are usually completed from both visits to the home, if possible, and from photographs. For this commission, I was able to both visit the property and use the beautiful photos taken by the owner.

Visiting the home was a real treat - it was a beautiful home situated on grounds with a lush garden overlooking the river. The owner decided that what she would like was a painting of the gardens as they would be on a June morning. This was on a drizzly day in September. Luckily, she had a nice collection of photographs with the flowers in bloom that I could use.

Next step was to visit the home on a more June-like day. During that visit I was able to paint in the garden, getting a feel of the scene, do color studies,  and take some of my own reference photos.

Next, working in the studio.