That One Night in the Windy City

A couple of months ago I was commissioned for a painting as a wedding present.  This was a first for me.  I've done commissions before but not as someone to give as a gift.  That adds a little more pressure, instead of pleasing one person...you've got 3.  Of course I was glad for the challenge.  I was given several photos to choose from and then a couple of pictures of the couple from that night to kind of get the feel of how the night went....

The painting is the view from the Trump Tower in Chicago.  The Groom flew the Bride to Chicago to propose...had a personal chef, candles, and roses; surrounded by the city lights.  

Here's how the painting went...

Check out my new "official" website at www.artistlindsaynorris.com 

The Latest Porch

Haven't been drawing since Christmas.  But here is the latest porch drawing!  

Now all I have to do is get it framed! ....and sold of course. 

Recycled

Recently I've been extremely busy with finishing up school.  But I did have a couple of hours to work on this new abstract painting....

"Recycled"
20"x28"
Acrylic on Canvas

Isaiah 55:10-11

Well...this has been a long time comin'

A couple of weeks ago I finished a commissioned piece and have been meaning to write about it.  I've been asked to explain my inspiration...this can be a little tough sometimes, especially for me since there are times when I have no idea where a painting comes from...it just happens. I play some music and then BAM! there it is...funny I know.

It's different when I get a commission painting though because its usually about something specific.  For this last piece I was given a Bible verse and then asked to come up with a painting expressing the verse.  The first thing I always think about is whether or not I will want the verse to be visible...do I want people to be able to read it? Or will I want the painting to speak for itself? What will the "client" want?

So the verse I received for this last painting was Isaiah 55:10-11 (I used the "easy-to-read" version)



 ¹⁰ “Rain and snow fall from the sky 
   and don’t return until they have watered the ground. 
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow, 
   and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat. 
¹¹ In the same way, my words leave my mouth, 
   and they don’t come back without results. 
My words make the things happen that I want to happen. 
   They succeed in doing what I send them to do."

Does the customer want you to be literal with your translation or do they want your "vision" or "version" of the verse? ....Oh yes...there's a lot to think about.  With this verse I decided to stay far away from literal.  Would they really want me to paint snow falling from the sky...hitting the earth then returning and whatever else?

I decided that with this one, that the verse obviously meant something to him, it wasn't just any verse from the Bible.  I didn't want it to be "readable" I wanted it to be personal, something that only he knew what it meant and if someone saw the painting in his home or such, that they would ask about it.  (You guys reading this are the exception)

So here it is...

It took me a while to start the painting after I received the verse.  I read the verse over and over and of course slept on it then just kept reading it.  Basically until I had memorized it.  Then I just said "Lindsay" we have got to do this painting.  I had no idea where I was going to go with it.  The word that just kept ringing out in my head was "promise".  When I was thinking on this verse I was trying to find a kind of symbol for the word promise but nothing came to mind, I searched the Hebrew language and then other verses.  The only thing that really came to mind was the olive branch that was sent to Noah by the dove after the flood, how it resembled God's promise.  I of course thought on that a couple of days and kept thinking about the olive branch.  When I started reading the verse more I began to realize how I was translating it...

--When we are in God's will, where he wants us to be... When we're in just going with the flow, God's flow, things are gonna happen, they way that God wants them too. Because of this thought I used the color blue for calm, and peace.  Because when you are in God's flow...that's pretty much how I feel.  He doesn't send us here or there for no reason..."My words make the things happen that I want to happen".

I also used blue for the water/snow effect and then the dripping like you're kind of being "washed" 

I wanted a way of "returning" so I used the bold gold, it was just powerful to me. On the gold I did decide to write the verse, but I made it "unreadable" I wanted it on the painting for a reason that I can't really explain, I'm sorry.  All I know is I wanted the verse in his house, on his wall; even if he can't read it...he knows its there.  

I didn't mean for this post to be so long! But that was just a little insight on how the process works for me...I really enjoyed it, I am so happy he gave me the opportunity to make something so special for someone.  

-Linds

Happy LATE New Year!

I hope everyone's new year has started off as awesome as mine has!

I have been blessed with some great opportunities and am happy I get to share them with you.

Before the year ended I was extremely busy getting some works completed to put in the restaurant that is letting me show my work.  It's my first chance to show my work in a public space...besides facebook.  I was able to expand and not only show my paintings but photography too. I can't even express how thankful I am to have this platform.  Ok...the restaurant is in downtown Greer, here is the facebook page for Ember.  If you go into the albums and go to the untitled album, you'll be able to see some of my work that is up already! The pieces are for sell, there will be a whole album on my fan page named Ember, those are the pieces that are displayed in the restaurant.  I was commissioned to do a large piece for the restaurant and I'll go ahead and show that here!

The owner later admitted to me that night that he wasn't too sure about the piece when I brought it in but then said that it grew on him and he loved it. My response...I wasn't too sure about it either until I saw it hanging on the wall! I knew the purple would look amazing with the copper/orange walls. Now I really enjoy this piece and might have to do a similar one for myself! 

I took 3 photos that I, and the owners liked.....

"Pushing Through"
22x28
$160 (comes framed)

"King Triton"
28x22
$160 (comes framed)

"Pine Cones"
28x22
$160 (comes framed)

   I am very happy with how the black and white photographs turned out...

I also completed several other pieces to display in the restaurant that I haven't been able to share yet....

"Eye Map"
$75

"So Far Away from Where you Are"
$200

"Lone Tree"
$75

"Fall Trees"
$200

Ok enough about Ember....I've also found an awesome website that I have started on that allows for me to sale prints! I am so grateful for Fine Art America. (that link will take you to MY page with fine art america). The website also allows for greeting cards and canvas prints.  As you can tell there is something different on the blog home page...there is a slide show on the right side...that is a slideshow of the work I have posted on the Fine Art America website.

Once again, everyone have a great 2012! I hope it has started out as great as mine! And thank you everyone for your support in 2011, and thank you for the support I'll receive in 2012!

-Linds