CREATING IMAGES OF SPECIAL SETTINGS AND SUBJECTS FOR CLIENTS, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS
PORTRAITS • This process is SO rewarding. More often than not, clients become friends in the process.
HOME SWEET HOME ON SPOKANE'S OVERBLUFF ROAD • There are many architectural styles and I appreciate them all, but the details I'm drawn to most often are found in older structures, blessed with what appears to many to be more artful design. They've been a fascination with me for decades.
In the photo (left) I'm exhibiting 18 home portraits (right) at a past Spokane Preservation Advocates (SPA) Tour of Homes, this one on Overbluff Road. Russ Lundberg and Sarah Weaver-Lundberg owned the three-story Storybook-style cottage when I painted it, their home portrait displayed on the left side of the buffet.
Highlight ~ VINTAGE BRICK BEAUTY ON GRAND BLVD. • Learn about Sarah's connection to the tiny brick structure that once housed Lindaman's Bistro by Saint John the Evangelist. This building is having restoration work done. Find "LATTES AT LINDAMAN'S" in my South Hill Collection pdf and learn about its history.
PORTRAITS AND PROCESS • In addition to architectural art, I've featured portraits of people and pets on this page. See the Loved Ones and Pets in Painted Portraits section below, plus learn about the portrait process and challenges I've solved for clients.
CASTLES • For many of us, our homes are our castles. This was really true during COVID when social distancing had us upolishing inside and out. Whether we owned or rented, we began to fall in love with our homes again.
COTTAGE CHARM • In July 2020, we sold our Craftsman by Manito Park, moving to a brick-trimmed cottage (center of the art left) on Moran Prairie. Highlight ~ Remarkably I learned my grandparents farmed the property where this cottage sits from 1931-1945. See my NEW "FULL CIRCLE SIMPSON RANCH ON MORAN PRAIRIE" artwork below.
Doug chose this home as he loved the floor plan. Built in 1989, it was a "sea of oak," so I painted miles of woodwork (had the cupboards done professionally) and switched out oak hollow-wood doors with solid 6-panel white ones.
MORE IMPROVEMENTS • Before he passed, Doug had our contractor replace the dated linoleum in several rooms with sleek dark wood-grained flooring. He enjoyed it greatly his last six months, thrilled at the huge change they made.
He also replaced the messy Honey Locust tree in our front yard with an Ornamental Pear to get more light. Plus he got replace our deck's old wicker, withit with easy care furniture. I've ticked off most project we dreamed up together on our home improvement bucket list. I absolutely LOVE the results!
A SPECIAL GIFT• If yours, or a loved one's home, is a "dream house," why not commission a portrait of it?
AMERICANA PAINTINGS WITH MULIPLE HOMES • I've created four neighborhood works since the mid-1970s. The most common size I use is 8x10-inch, but with all the detail I needed on these, the canvases had to be larger at 11x14 and 16x20-inches.
FINAL REVISION! NEW "SPRINGTIME COMES TO SIMPSON STREET" (2007 to 2023) • Pictured below is the original I first painted in 2007 plus a revision completed in 2016. So much has changed over the last two decades. I've added family members, pets, cars, changed the color of our Craftsman, and more. The final edition above is the last effort done on this evolving piece with all six grandkids included. "No more to come," Matt, Kevin and Leah shared. I added our Simpson family red VW bus in front of Sally Mom's beloved Mid-Century Modern. The final task was tucking our Moran Prairie place into the center of the scene, adding Doug and me in front of our garage with our golf clubs, his beloved pastime!
"FINE FALL FINISH" (2010) • I painted this Autumn-themed art (below) as a gift for contractors Lance Elliott and Chris Garrett (Elliot Construction) at the end of the big project on our 1937 Craftsman. It grew from a six-week job into a six-month one. I pictured us celebrating the "FINISH" with Lance, Chris, their sweethearts and pets at a picnic (their homes positioned in the lower portion of the "neighborhood"). The remodel was a huge undertaking with major challenges at every turn, so they were especially delighted to be rewarded for their perseverence with this art at dinner at Wolf Lodge.
"THE PEGGY PLACES" (1975) • I created this very early piece as a wedding gift for my sis Peggy and her fiance Jeff Barton. It honored all the homes she lived in before their marriage (some with me), including the small ranch-style rambler near San Francisco that Jeff purchased as a wedding gift for his bride before their marriage. Now a very active happily retired couple, Peggy and Jeff still have this art.
Highlight ~ This art shows in a very real way how my Americana style has evolved over time with the addition of much more details and perspective.
LIFE ON SPOKANE'S BEAUTIFUL CANNON HILL POND
"CANNON HILL COTTAGES" (2016) • This scene shows two Colonials, one white with green shutters and the second a yellow barn-roofed Dutch Colonial. Both overlook Cannon Hill Park on Spokane's South Hill, a neighborhood Doug and I loved. In the last couple of years before I lost him, we often walked around this pond.
The families who owned these home for decades have fond memories. In Summer, picnickers lunched here, thus the theme. Moms pushed strollers and kids played on swings and bridges that spanned the pond when it was much larger. Folks of all ages still skate on it and Winter visitors find kids playing hockey. Occasionally, someone starts a bonfire on the shore. Is that brandy in those thermoses?
A LITTLE HISTORY • It was a brick yard In the early 1900s, but when the clay deposits ran out, the Adams family (relatives of John Adam and John Quincy Adams) donated it for the park, later renaming it for early devoper A.M. Cannon.
Before I finished this, Lynn Nevers asked for prints of the yellow house as prints for siblings at Christmas. Current owner Kay Richardson Edmonds bought the orginal for husband Todd and had me add in their grandkids.
Highlight ~ Five Holy Names alumni lived in these. Bridget and Lana Lavin grew up in the white one, and Carly and Lynn Nevers, the yellow one, which Kay and Todd Edmonds went on to enjpy life in for 45+ years.
AMERICANA FINE ART IN A CHOICE OF MEDIA
Find more in The Portrait Process ~ And More further down on this page. It shares everything you need to know about commissioning fine art.
NOTE: COMMISSION FEES • The cost varies for a commissioned piece. This is based on the hours it takes to complete the artwork and on your choice of media. In other words, I record my hours and charge accordingly and some media inherently takes longer than others. For example, paintings require more time than pen and ink line drawings. Highlight ~ Consultations and framing of the finished art by me are always complimentary.
FOUR COLLECTIONS OF SUBJECTS • ARCHITECTURAL FINE ART IN 3 MEDIA • PLUS BELOVED PEOPLE AND PETS IN PAINTED PORTRAITS •See these images in this diverse collection of paintings, sketches and line drawings. They show the many options for creating memorablef settings and subjects we hold dear. Below I've shared samples from all the media I'm currently using for commission projects.
A DOZEN PAINTINGS (5 NEW! ) DIVIDED INTO SIX THEMES OF TWO EACH
1 NEW! • HOMES SWEET HOMES AND GARDENS • MY NIECE STEPH'S NORFOLK, VA HOME, PLUS SIS MARILEE'S KENMORE, WA GARDEN
1 NEW! • MARVELOUS MANSIONS • VICTORIAN IN SPOKANE'S BROWNE'S ADDITION AND PARRY LODGE (LITTLE HOLLYWOOD) IN KANAB, UTAH
1 NEW! • BEACH BEAUTIES • COTTAGE IN MAUI AND CABIN ON PEND OREILLE RIVER, WA
1 NEW! • FRIENDS AND FAMILY HOUSES • MY SIMPSON GRANDPARENTS RANCH ON MORAN PRAIRIE AND INDIAN TRAIL HOME IN SPOKANE
INVITING INTERIORS • THE MAC'S CAMPBELL HOUSE IN BROWNE'S ADDITION SPOKANE AND A TEA ROOM IN ARIZONA
1 NEW! • WINTER'S COZY WONDERLAND • SPOKANE'S GLOVER MANSION AND HOLLY FESTOONED PORT TOWNSEND, WA BEAUTY
SIX PEN, INK AND PASTELS DIVIDED INTO THREE THEMES OF TWO EACH
HOME SWEET HOMES AND GARDENS • SPOKANE, WA MANITO PLACE CRAFTSMAN AND KIRKLAND. WA VIEW COTTAGE
MARVELOUS MANSIONS • LAW OFFICES IN A GRAND MANSION IN SEATTLE, WA
FRIENDS AND FAMILY HOMES • LOON LAKE CABIN IN WASHINGTON AND A DESERT GETAWAY IN MESA, ARIZONA
FOUR PEN, INK AND PASTELS DIVIDED INTO TWO THEMES OF TWO EACH
HOME SWEET HOMES AND GARDENS • SPOKANE, WA SALTBOX AND A FAMILY'S LODGE AT HAYDEN LAKE, ID
GORGEOUS GETAWAYS • JUST-A-TUG IN THE SAN JUANS, WA AND OUR FRIEND'S INVITING PATIO IN PALM DESSERT, CA
OTHER FUN OPTIONS WITH YOUR COMMISSIONED FINE ART
HOLIDAY CARDS • For several clients, I've painted on a canvas reproduction of their art (or a paper print of their drawing if the art lends itself well to that) ~ adding in Holiday details like wreaths, family, a dusting of snow, and of course, a glittering tree in the window.
WEDDING INVITATIONS • For one engaged couple after painting their home portrait, I re-worked a print into a New Year's Even scene with them as bride and groom. The invitation was a perfect memento of their at-home ceremony. See it further down on this page under Challenges & Creative Solutions. Find the wedding alteration on my BRIDAL page.
OUR SIX VERY SPECIAL GRANDKIDDOS
COLLECTION OF SAMPLE PAINTINGS, AND MORE
BEST PORTRAIT MEDIA • As it can be a challenge to recreate a true likeness of a family member, friend, or pet, acrylic paintings work best for portraits. It allows easy tweaking to achieve a perfect likeness. Pen and ink is much more difficult to alter, as once the ink dries, these are nearly impossible to change.
HOW THIS ALL BEGAN AND EARLY UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORT • As I shared above, I've built a following with art of Home Sweet Homes, landmarks, parks, gardens, schools, churches, and more. Architecture is my first love. It took me nearly two decades into my career to add portraits of people and pets into the body of my work. Blessedly, I found the results to be much more pleasing than I expected.
OUR WEDDING • Done for my sweet Doug to honor our 4th Anniversary, I painted a portrait of our wedding party bordered with flowers chosen for our ceremony. This very special portrait has hung in our master bedroom ever since. And even though he is gone, the precious memories are still like yesterday.
EXPO '74 FAMILY SCENE • This scene of the EXPO '74 Anniversary could easily have happened if Doug was still with us, as Kevin and his family loved to visit this fun section of Riverfront Park.
1 NEW! • OUR WEDDING PARTY ANDA NOD TO EXPO '74'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH DOUG, ME AND SON KEVIN'S FAMILY
1 NEW! • INDIVIDUAL PORTRAITS • THREE OF OUR SIX GRANDKIDS
CELEBRATING HOLIDAYS • EASTER AND CHRISTMAS
"PIPER LOVES PETER RABBIT" (2020) • Miss Piper has always been a darling little girl impossible to resist. When she was born to Kevin and Taryn in Spring 2018, I began sharing items from my large collection of Beatrix Potter with her which inspired this portrait with light blue ribbon, carrots and white daisies.
BEATRIX POTTER'S FARM • Many Peter Rabbit items came from a trip I took with Sally Mom to England's Lakes District near Winderemere where Beatrix and husband William Heelis once share life at Hilltop Farm. I had such respect for this artist who began her career as a revered fine artist in her middle-age years. She became world-famous for her detailed, charming portraits of woodland creatures that populated the countryside of north Great Britain where she had vacationed with her brother and parents as a child.
Highlight ~ When Sally Mom and I toured the area over a decade ago, we lunched at the Beatrix Potter Tea Shop, filled with dozens of delightful gift items, like storybooks, crafts, stuffed animals, tea sets for both children and adults, table linenes, quilts, blankets, clothing and more. Some of these goodies found their way into Piper's bedroom in Bothell when Taryn brought her home from the hospital. Now that Piper knows how to read, my library of Beatrix Potter story books is filling her bookshelves.
"HARRISON ALLEN AT HARVEST FEST"(2021 ) • 2021 was a milestone birthday for son Kevin, so in addition to all the big gifts that Christmas, he also received the portrait (above) of his youngest son Harrison Allen (left) with "GW' (Grandpa Ward) in the pool at what was once our Arizona vacation property.
I had shared with Kevin's wife Taryn that next on my list was doing a portrait of Harrison, so she was a a huge help with finding photos of the cute little guy to use for inspiration on this project.
The snapshots that really jumped out at me were from a recent family excursion to a Harvest Fest at a farm in Snohomish County. Autumn and its vivid colors were in their full colorful glory that day, so grandkids Austen, Piper and Harrison had lots to grab their attention.
My favorite photos were when the kids were at the Pumpkin Patch, pushing their way through the brillaint Autumn orbs. The colors and evergy was the BEST, plus I realized I had never done a portrait of any of our grandchildren with a Autumn theme.
Highlight ~ I finished the painting, framed and wrapped it with the other gifts, and the package made it just in time for Christmas that wonderful year.
"BABY BUNNY ADDISON" (2009) • Sweet Addison our oldest granddaghter, and has always been a very feminine young lady. This aspect of her personality has persisted and developed, even though she's a teenager now, as shown in the painting above, "LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!"
Addison's played soccer for years, but also has over 10 years of dance classes from her Auntie Leah. With the elaborate costumes she wears at competitions, Doug and I guessed she loved dancing more than soccer. When I painted her as a toddler on Easter Sunday 2009, she was wearing a sweet yellow frock that was a gift from another of her doting grandmothers. Her outfit was topped off with furry pink and white bunny ears and rainbow striped Mary Janes.
Highlight ~ In this photo, Dougie and I had just given her an Easter basket filled with choclate bunnies, a Beatrix Potter storybook, and two yellow rubber duckies. One of these caught her eye, and she carried it around for the rest of the day. It was even on her lap at dinner ~ not usual protocol, but it was Easter!
OUR BELOVED PET COMPANIONS • HOUSEMATES AND DEARLY-DEPARTED PETS
PET PORTRAITS CREATED FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS • In the past decade, I've painted over a dozen of these for my sisters, brothers and friends. Some were done as Christmas gfits, like my sister's snow scene "PEGGY & JEFF'S POOCHES" Others were done as birthday gifts like sis Marilee's "KINDRED SPIRIT KITTIES" and friend Linda Ebner's sweet rescue Arizona kitty "CUTE CACUS KITTY." Brother Bob and wife Jan's "AUTUMN OUTING ~ BRYCE, SPIKE & PUMPKIN" piece was a reminder of their three furry pals who passed away. It's amazing how our beloved critters can steal our hearts.
STEP 1 • INITIAL CONSULTATION
CUSTOM WORK • My work is custom, so the first step is a constulation meeting, preferably in-person. NOTE: In some special cases, this can be one on FaceTime. Often times, I need to visit a site or meet a client, as I may need to take some photos. I'll share samples of my work, discuss your wishes, and see what images you may already have. Sometmes depending on quality, I can work from personal photos if you live in another part of the country. I'll need long shots as well as close-ups. Once again, with my Americana style, its ALL in the details. We want the personality to shine through.
COPYRIGHT • ALL my work is copyrighted (©). You will notice the (©) icon on all my fine art and products. Please respect it. Also, after I create your art, I reserve the right to use it to promote my business on my webite and products i.e. calendars, jigsaw puzzles, etc. Copyrighting means you may NOT reproduce it in ANY manner without my written permission.
STEP 2 • PLANNING YOUR PROJECT
CREATING A "THUMBNAIL" SKETCH USING THE FOLLOWING:
STEP 3 • DETERMINING THE FEE, AND DELIVERY OF YOUR PORTRAIT
Fees are always estimated, but I do my best to bring your project in on time and as close to budget as possible. Typically, I receive a 50% deposit before I start work on your project. NOTE: The more specific you are about the details above and what you want at the beginnng, the less need for costly revisions later. When we meet to hand off your "masterpiece," I receive the balance of what you owe plus sales tax where applicable. In addition to your handsomely framed (framing is complimentary) fine art, I always include a packet of art cards as my gift to you.
Once again, a gentle reminder that ALL of my work is copyrighted (©). You may NOT reproduce it in ANY manner without my written permission.
DOZENS OF SAMPLES • I have dozen of home portrait samples in every architectural style imaginable. Problem solving can be tricky, but always rewarding. Nearly every commission piece presents one difficulty or another, so I've shared a few challenges with their solutions below.
"CANNON HILL COZY"
CHALLENGE • EXPEDITING THE PROJECT • This pretty blond brick bungalow with green and cream trim overlooked Cannon Hill Pond near Saint Augustine's Parish. It served Pat and Janie Shelledy's family home for decades. They loved life there! When I began this portrait, sadly Janie had already pass away, and her husband Pat was in rapidly declining health, spending his last days in a hospital room at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. His adult children Dave and Patty were wth him much of the time, sharing stories and memories about family reunions, Christmases past, misadventures growing up on "The Hill," and more. These conversations inspired Dave's request for this artwork.
The obvious challenge here was to be able to finish the portrait of their home as quickly as possible so it could be hung in Pat's hospital room where he could see and enjoy it during the last few weeks of this remaining life. Highlight ~ Pat and my dad were at Gonzaga Law School together in the 1950s after World War II.
CREATIVE SOLUTION • PREPARATION, PLANNING & RESEACH • With some direction from me, Dave and Patty went to work digging through old snapshot albums and boxes of photos. Remarkably, the two not only found great pictures, they put their heads together and collaborated on an overview of the history that encompassed three generations of family. All this work in such a short amount of time made all the difference in creating this memory-filled scene.
These two gave me everything I needed, so guess-work was taken out of the equation. At times, the portrait felt as though it was painting itself. As you can see by the image here, I was able to include all three generations of Shelledys ~ the grandparents on the steps, parents in the driveway, and youngsters Patty and David playing in a huge pile of Autumn leaves in front.
Pat was moved to tears at his life story on canvas. In 2013, the original held such beloved memories for him.
"BOWERS OF FLOWERS AT BUIOCCH'S"
CHALLENGE • CREATING "TRUE" COLOR FOR A HOUSE ON A STEEP HILLSIDE • There were actually inter-related issues here. This sprawling two-story was perched on a very steep wooded hillside overlooking a lush greenbelt above Lake Washington's Yarrow Bay.
Other than using a drone (was there any such thing in 1999?) or hiring a helicopter pilot to fly me over the property so I could get the photographs necessary for this, I was in a quandry as to how the finish the portrait while keeping the property's integrity.
And, not only was the home nearly impossible to photograph, heavy dappled shadows created by the tall trees in full leaf made the color of its exterior change substantially at the different times of the day. There were many shades of green. Which one to use?
CREATIVE SOLUTION • MAGICAL PHOTOSHOP • This property was wrapped around a Kirkland hillside overlooking Lake Washington's Yarrow Bay. Adobe's PhotoShop allows designers to do practically anything. I've used this favorite software because of its flexibility and myriad of creative options. I took lots of digitals from every angle, created contact sheets, and pieced together some of the images enough to achieve a composite showing the "bones" of the structure. This "collage" gave me the diving board essential to begin the project.
GETTING IT RIGHT • I nearly always work from a collection of 30+ gathered photos, as each detailed piece of fine art takes many hours to complete, some in excess of 70 hours. Also as mentioned, the color of the house was a huge challenge. After several false starts, the owners and I sat on their rock wall and mixed paint on my palette until we agreed on the best shade of green, thus the final portrait shown shared on this page.
"THE BEAUTIFUL DAY"
CHALLENGE • TRYING FOR SLEEK AND HANDSOME, A PORTRAIT THAT WAS NOT TOO CUTE• This handsome stucco contemporary home was owned by a successful local attorney and his fiance when they asked me to create this fine art for them. Their property was at the top of on the same wooded hillside overlooking Lake Washington as the Buiocchi's, but their lot was flat where it needed to be and lit with direct sunlight most of the day.
The owners appreciated my charming Americana style, but were worried the finished product might look too cute for the home's modern sleek feeling. They also wanted the painting to be appropriate for their upscale neighborhood, its carefully planned landscaping to achieve a natural feeling.
CREATIVE SOLUTION • PERSPECTIVE AND MORE • The first thing I did was to add much more perspective into the artwork than I'd been using in most of my other paintings at the time. I took a lot of photographs of the property from many angles which was a huge help in achieving the proper perspective they wanted.
Although I focused on the important architectural details, I also did my best to make this painting have a more realistic, authentically natural feel. I kept my portrait of the perperty a bit simpler than in many of my previous home portraits. The wooded forest and thick foliage around the house was varied and lush, so I spent a lot of time and care on these The greenbelt was full of birds and other wildlife, including families of eagles, hawks and seagulls, so some of those stunning created made their way into this painting.
When I delivered this to the couple, they were so delighted with the completed artwork, they requested a wedding-themed alteration of a print for their wedding invitations. Visit my BRIDAL page to see the samesetting on New Year's Eve, dusted with snow.
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