Commissions – What’s in a name?

An old friend and colleague of mine sent the sweetest holiday card this past christmas. It was a photo of her and her husband standing in front of their fireplace, looking all christmas-y. They were smiling for a reason. The card was actually an announcement. After much waiting and fretting, they proclaimed on this 5×7 card that they were soon to add a new family member. They had finally been matched with a baby girl in China and were going to be parents!

Fast forward a few months and my friend is excitedly anticipating a baby shower and wondering what exactly she’ll need for her daughter, who will be about 18 months old when they bring her home. Lots of the standard baby shower gifts just won’t apply. But one thing she knows she wants is a piece of art for the asian-inspired bedroom she is decorating. That’s where i come in. And here is the color scheme.

The proud mama had lots of great ideas, but the general idea is that i’ll be painting a 24×30 inch canvas with some blue skies and cherry blossom branches in the background and the baby’s Chinese name AND American name in the foreground. Inspiration will be drawn from the meaning of her Chinese name, which translates to “before the dawn.” I’ll also be including a hummingbird or two because the birds have special significance to the parents along their adoption journey. This artwork will be designed digitally for composition & color. Once approved, all bets are off as that flat digital image is translated into a richly layered paint, collage, pastel work of art.

i am so honored to be taking on this project for my dear friend and will happily post my progress for all of you to see.