What a Lovely Commission

I have to say, I am hugely grateful to Claire Freeman for commissioning me to do what was an incredibly personal piece for her lovely family. Claire has the most amazing hair colour, so vibrant and perfect for the way I use colour, and I think her hair is one of the main features of the painting. Claire is one of those amazing people that every artist longs for in a client; she gave me free rein to paint this how I wanted, completely in my style, which made it very enjoyable and a pleasure to complete.

We talked about incorporating sunflowers into the piece, a subject I’ve always enjoyed depicting in my style. Working with real 24k gold is such a pleasure because the light really reflects off the piece, creating a warm glow and giving it a sense of luxury, contrasting against the fauvist colors that have always influenced my work.

In the foreground, you will see the sunflowers and four pictures of the family dogs on a Union flag-inspired table. With it being an Olympic year, I thought this would be a great nod to that. I love working with shape and pattern, and it’s something that I layer into my work. The influence of Matisse is very strong with me, and he continues to be an artist I look towards for inspiration.

To see the piece being created, please click the video below.