Story of a Commission

I handed over my first ever commission today - a strange feeling but mainly one of relief as the recipient's reaction was overwhelmingly positive. No matter how much I've checked and discussed the picture, I discovered that it's an apprehensive moment when the future owner looks at one's finished artwork.

The discussions started a while ago when I was flicking through a sketchbook (at the Shambles market, Devizes where I have a stall most Fridays) trying to find a drawing and Peter saw this rough sketch I'd done whilst sat on the beach outside the Stein Inn in Skye:

He saw something he liked about the boat and asked me if I'd redraw it to include the colours he selected and to include specific characters on the hull which meant something to him. So I sketched this:

...which was then scribbled around as I made notes on Peter's thoughts and ideas when he saw it. We then talked on the phone and I started the final picture in watercolour pencil. The stages of building the colour and definition occurred over several days as can be seen in the following pictures:

And so finally it was framed and delivered! - to a happy customer.

This was my first commission experience, and one which was unexpected (I don't advertise or tell anyone, hadn't actually considered it, but was asked and thought I'd have a go) but I learned loads. Also received a lot of fabulous advice from fellow artists which was so kind of them. Who knows what the future holds but I feel like I'm taking steps to being a working artist :)