How to always feel like summer

While I’m in wild and windy Wellington, away from my home in the Bay of Islands (where the temperature definitely feels almost always summer) it’s fun to revisit this commission piece of the same name and the commission process.

“Always summer doing what it was meant to do,“ new collectors told me after a tropical downpour not long after their commission piece, “Always Summer” was installed.

They commissioned a large painting to celebrate the renovations of their home during Covid. The brief was for the house to always feel like it was summer even when the rain was full slosh ahead.
I love working on bespoke commissions!

“You exceeded our expectations, we love it”

It was such a joy to create this beautiful piece for such an amazing, truly loving family.
The palette enjoys washes of summery blues and greens with dashes of sunshine yellows and a splash of hot orange to warm the soul.

In terms of artist’s mindset and the importance of pushing through setbacks, the initial painting was originally created on pure canvas with no stretcher bars. This technique was employed by my grand muse, 50s abstract expressionist painter Helen Frankenthaler.

When I sent it down to the framer for stretching in Auckland, the canvas ripped!! What horror! I confided to the client what happened, and we both agreed that we would start again! This time I used a customised canvas already stretched on bars so that as soon as the painting was finished, it could be placed on their walls… happy days were here again and remain! One year after this commission was completed the clients emailed me, ‘This painting is a sanity saver.”

I hope wherever you are that it feels summery… even if simply in the landscapes of your mind.

Why Commission A Painting?

Knowles Commission, Beeswax on panel, 1800 x 1200mm

You have remodelled your home, built new, or just feel like an immediate uplift. Perhaps you’ve found an artist whose work you love. Maybe you’ve seen their work on social media or met them at an open studio event or exhibition.

Perhaps you’ve been introduced to their work through a gallery and have never met them but their work speaks to you. Maybe the artist mainly works in a smaller format and you have a large rectangle piece in mind, or there is a particular palette or you want, or a reference to a favourite place that holds so many happy memories.

There can be an infinite array of reasons to want a bespoke piece of work made to your taste and this is where you might consider commissioning a painting rather than purchasing an artwork that is already made.


HOW TO COMMISSION A PAINTING

I love to create bespoke, customised work and create with a range of mediums, including oil paints, acrylic, encaustic, watercolour, gilt and more. I adore the mesmerising colours that come from natural pigments enabling an alchemical relationship between nature and the painting. There is a joy and immediacy to my work too and a direct and absorbing relationship with each piece that is really exciting.

Hundreds of hours of work go into the process of building up the many layers of many of my work. Sometimes a painting can take many years to make and during that process they develop a personality of their own. The minimum lead time on a commission is 3 months but for a large heavily layered piece it is advisable to think in terms of at least one year. I’m trying to capture transcendent beauty and capture this as an antidote to our chaotic times. 

My soul purpose is to create something that uplifts spirits and provides harmony, peace and tranquillity. My style is constantly evolving as I keep discovering new paints and techniques and explore the boundless possibilities of colour. I am committed to taking creative risks and pushing things to the edge of possibility—and beyond. I absolutely love working to a huge scale.

Looking for larger art? I love, love, love creating bespoke pieces tailored to your home, lifestyle, goals and dreams. 

LEARN MORE HERE>

Dickey Commissions




LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMISSIONING A SPECIAL PIECE FOR YOUR HOME HERE>

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