sabine has been a friend of mine for nearly ten years - she is all sorts of amazing and inspiring.
so, when she commissioned a large piece from me, i was as equally honored as i was excited . . . especially when her vision was very straight forward, and allowed for my personal style to have a place within it.
i invite you to read about our process working together on this piece, as well as sabine’s recently published article about free diving in The Evolve Mag!
inspired by a minimalist piece i had painted of baldwin beach in paia, maui - sabine wanted something very similar, but adding her own twist - a surfer couple standing next to the lifeguard tower, about to head into the water to catch a few waves. i loved the idea.
sounds simple enough, right?
yes and no.
when i paint in this style - there is no room for error. therefore, it is imperative for me to take the following steps to ensure my client, and in this case a dear friend, will be entirely happy with the final piece.
initial sketch : i generally like to know everything surrounding a client’s thought process around their painting - what they envision, whether or not it is intended to be sentimental as well as functional, where it will be hanging, sizing and pricing options, and determining the timeline for the project. during these preliminary conversations, i use one piece of paper to note what they want for their painting, as well as the initial sketch, so we can make sure we’re on the same page right away. sabine and i cranked this all out over a working lunch - it was fun and productive! oh yeah, and save that piece of paper, because it will come in handy later . . .
tech samples : for this particular piece, each element had to be executed in one shot. in this way, i practiced painting each of the elements on a piece of scrap paper and ran them by sabine for her feedback. i refer to this sheet as my tech samples, as they display technical skill and artistic technique, and these are helpful for a few reasons 1.) this is another opportunity to see if you and your client are on the same page 2.) to practice painting these elements before the execution of the final piece. for a minimal painting like this, if i paint each element a few times, i’ve not only worked out the kinks, but i’ve also developed a muscle memory for painting them, so that when it comes time for the final execution, i’ve developed a strategy to successfully paint them in one shot. for sabine’s piece, she picked out the style of lifeguard tower she wanted, and certain elements of the surfers she liked.
final layout : this hack is my pride and joy. again, for pieces like this, there is no second chance. so, i keep the wrapping on the canvas, and i draw on the clear plastic wrapping with a white board marker. this is another way i can familiarize myself with the size of the canvas, and even build more muscle memory for the final piece. i send a picture to the client, and if they want to make adjustments, you can easily do so. once the client has approved the final layout, i measure everything out and record those measurements - on the initial sketch (aren’t you glad you saved that piece of paper?). in this way, all the information you need for each project is always on one piece of paper.
execution : referring to the measurements written down on the initial sketch, i lightly use a pencil to mark where everything will belong on the canvas. for this piece, i painted everything in the following order - sand, lifeguard tower, waves, palm trees and then the surfer couple.
S P E C I A L D E L I V E R Y !
Beach Lovers | 48” X 36”
it is always an honor to work on a piece for a friend, and for them to be pleased with the final outcome.
as an artist, i truly appreciated sabine’s flexibility in letting me take the lead on certain creative decisions, and her unwavering trust in my execution of the final painting. that relaxed approach is probably why sabine thrives so incredibly well in the depths of the ocean - with only one breath . . .
her fearlessness is truly impressive and interesting to read about - in the words of sabine, “…was really fun writing an article for The Evolve Mag about one of the things I really love doing...”
thanks for jumping in, and diving deep, into the process of this recently commissioned painting!