The Commission
Art is such a personal thing, for both the artist, and the viewer. The artist makes very personal choices about each work of art, putting a little of themselves into each piece. There is a word in Greek that expresses this well: meraki, (n.) to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work.
Each viewer brings their own thoughts, ideas and experiences to their encounter with new art, and sometimes expectations or goals. What a wonderful thing when the artist’s work and viewers’ desires converge.
I recently had the opportunity to complete a commission on a shell provided by a client. It was a large, beautiful Tonna galena shell that she wanted ‘KintsugiGraced’ as a gift for a family member. I was immediately excited and honored to be asked to create this special art piece. We met so she could give me the shell and tell me about her ideas and goals for the gift. The shell was large and beautiful. It was not like any shell I had ever seen, let alone painted. I happily brought it to my studio and sat down to paint it. As always, I turned the shell over a few times (this time I needed two hands!) and studied the deep ridges, the full curved shape and the large opening.
As the direction, colors and vision given were clear, I easily had an image come to mind of how I wanted to paint the shell. Colors chosen, I laid out the tubes of paint and squeezed a bit of each onto my palette. They looked good together. It was just then, that it occurred to me that I could paint this shell and it may not be what she had in mind after all. It was a struggle I had not anticipated. I’m grateful that I knew her well, and she had described what she wanted pretty clearly, but there was still some hesitation. After a bit of reflection, I decided to continue with the image that had formed in my mind as she had spoken. So I began.
GOLD. There had to be gold on the inside opening, also called the aperture of the shell. Painting this alone added a beauty and depth to the shell, but I knew there was more for this piece. I continued to paint the entire shell, using the deep rich colors of royalty, complemented by soft sunset colors emerging from the inner shell. It was finally completed. I took a few quick pictures and sent them to my client. She soon called to say how pleased she was with the outcome, how the gold inside was a beautiful surprise and it was perfect for the recipient.
I have since heard how the recipient understood the art shell right away and they both were touched in the gift giving. Sighh, I am relieved that my art and her goal matched up. It was a delight to be included in this special communication between loved ones. It truly is wondrous when a message, communicated with simple paint, is received, cherished and makes the moment even more than anticipated.