The Gift That Came From the Heart (and the Artist)

How one husband’s leap of faith turned into something truly one-of-a-kind

Art That Tells a Story

There’s something magical that happens when a piece of art is made specifically for “that special someone.” It goes beyond being just a decorative object and becomes a story. I witnessed that firsthand when Jon S. reached out to commission a special painting for his wife, Darby.

The Perfect Subject Matter

Jon found my art the way a lot of wonderful clients do: through a personal connection. My aunt had told him about my work, and he decided to check out my website. As he was browsing through my collections, an orange octopus caught his eye.

Orange #01, watercolor, 9×12 inches

And that would be because Darby, as it turns out, is a serious octopus enthusiast. Jon told me that Darby has been captivated by the wave of books and documentaries celebrating just how extraordinary octopuses are. Octopuses possess great intelligence, complexity, and live strange and beautiful lives. (If you haven’t seen My Octopus Teacher on Netflix, add it to your list!) Jon saw my orange octopus painting and thought: that’s Darby’s gift. However, the original had already sold, so it was only available via commission.

Taking the Leap

What I love about this story is what happened next, because Jon didn’t have a roadmap. He hadn’t looked up how commissioning art works with me (I outline the process on my website). He wasn’t sure what questions to ask; he just took a chance and bought the commission right there on my website.

“I was wondering whether it was something that Darby would like,” he told me when I sat down with him recently. “I was wondering about what the process would be, in terms of getting something that I thought would be the right match.”

That uncertainty is very common and understandable. Most people have never commissioned art before. In my experience, they assume that they need to show up already knowing exactly what they want as far as colors, composition, mood, and size. But that’s not how it works, at least not with me. My job is to ask the right questions to help you bring the vision that you have to life.

Making Orange #03

Finding the Vision Together

Jon admitted that at first he struggled to articulate what he was looking for. “I wasn’t expecting to have to explain what it was that I was looking for,” he said. “But you did a great job of asking questions and teasing it out, and helped me formulate a little bit better what I had in mind.”

That collaborative process — that back-and-forth — is one of my favorite parts of a commission. By the end of our conversation, we both had a clear picture of what this painting would be.

The Big Reveal

Jon and I arranged to meet at the frame store when the piece was finished, at which time Jon would see it for the first time in person. “I was excited,” he said. “I was very happy that it came out so well.” He hadn’t given much thought to the framing beforehand, but when it came to the art itself, he said it was exactly what he’d hoped for.

Orange #03, watercolor, 9×12 inches

Then came the moment that made all of this worth it: giving the artwork to his wife.

“She was, you know, sort of a little surprised and said, ‘Wait, where did this come from?'” Jon recalled with a smile. He and Darby had bought art together before, but this was the first time either of them had ever commissioned something. And that made all the difference. “I think it made it more special that it was something I had gotten specifically from the artist for her,” Jon said.

More Than Just a Pretty Thing

When I asked Jon what he thought the difference was between owning a commissioned piece versus picking up art at a store, he put it beautifully. He talked about how he and Darby have posters and prints that they enjoy, and pretty things, and things worth looking at. But there’s a disconnect between the buyer of the art and whoever made the art. Jon had experienced something closer to a connection at art shows, where he could look an artist in the eye and hear the story behind a piece, but commissioning something, he said, takes it even further.

“To actually interact and to be part of the process, however small my part was of it being created, it definitely makes it a more exciting gift and a more exciting thing to have.”

That orange octopus painting is now displayed in Darby’s home office, where she works remotely. She looks at it every day.

Darby and her painting. She’s smiling, I promise!

Ready to Commission Something of Your Own?

Jon’s advice is simple: “If you find the right artist, it’s a very easy process.” As an artist, I would like you to know that you don’t need to have it all figured out before you reach out! You don’t need the perfect brief or a mood board or the correct artists’ lingo. You just need to know something about the person you are commissioning the artwork for: what they love, what moves them, what makes them them, and then we’ll build from there together.

A commissioned piece isn’t just a gift. It’s a story you’ll both carry with you. It’s a specialized and special piece of art that people will comment on and ask about, and you’ll get to tell them exactly how it came to be.

I’d love to make something like that for you. Reach out sometime, and let’s talk!