Article: A Closer Look at Commissioning Artwork
Some of the most meaningful pieces begin with a commission — a work shaped around a space, a memory, a place, or a subject that already matters.
A commission offers the chance to create something personal, thoughtful, and lasting. It may begin with a photograph, a beloved pet, a favorite landscape, or a room that calls for just the right scale, palette, or presence. In every case, the process starts with a point of connection and becomes something more fully realized through the hand of the artist.
Fabric color swatches shared by client for commission painting color-matching
That kind of translation is part of what makes commissioning artwork so compelling. A vintage two-person figure snapshot, for example, became the starting point for a painting by Beth Dacey that carried the feeling of the original while becoming something fully its own. The goal is never simply to copy, but to reinterpret with care and create something that feels both personal and lasting.
Other commissions begin with a place. For one client’s Maine vacation cottage, Alexei Butirskiy created a watercolor of the coast that brought both setting and atmosphere into the work. In another project, Cathy Diefendorf created a Lake George commission that reflected not only the landscape itself, but the emotional connection people often carry to the lake and its light. These pieces often become more than decoration. They become a way of continuing to live with a place that already holds meaning.
Sometimes the starting point is not a landscape or a room, but someone beloved. A pet portrait, for example, asks for more than likeness alone. It has to capture personality. In a recent commission, Ray Simonini painted a portrait of a cat named Lena with exactly that kind of sensitivity. The result was not simply a record of the animal, but something with warmth, character, and a clear sense of life.
Commissioned pet portraits hold a special kind of meaning. More than a likeness, they preserve personality, presence, and the quiet details that make an animal so deeply loved. These custom works become lasting pieces for the home, created to honor a companion and the connection shared with them.
Ray Simonini, "Lena" (top) and "Penny" (bottom), client reference photo and commissioned paintingOther projects are driven less by stillness and more by force, movement, and identity. For a Texas client, Jessica Leonard created a bull-riding portrait that brought together action, drama, and personal meaning in a way that felt bold and unmistakably tailored to the subject. And in a commission for a Florida client, David Hill created a birch tree painting on copper that responded beautifully to the setting it was meant for, proving that some of the strongest custom pieces begin with the room itself and the desire for something that feels fully at home there.
What ties these projects together is not one subject or one style, but the way each one begins with a clear point of connection. That may be a memory, a meaningful image, a favorite place, a beloved animal, or a space that still feels unfinished. From there, our role is to help guide the process, shape the direction, and match the vision with the right artist.
That is what makes commissioning artwork feel far more approachable than many people expect. The process is not about having every detail figured out from the start. It is about beginning with something that matters and allowing it to take shape through conversation, guidance, and the hand of the artist best suited to bring it to life.
If you are thinking about a custom piece, our commissions page offers a fuller overview of the process, answers to common questions, and a direct way to begin your inquiry.
