Working on a Commission

Everyone loves a compliment, especially when it’s about something they really care about. So when Adam Sparks saw some of my paintings and said how much he loved them, I was fit to explode. You see, he’s not a family member or close friend, so he didn’t have to say anything at all.

I was even more pleased when he commissioned two pieces for Sparks Ellison Estate Agents in Chandler’s Ford.

Adam had an idea of what he wanted and a definite colour scheme for the office. I produced several small scale paintings for him and the staff to choose from and we discussed how they might look on a larger scale.

I totally loved working on these large scale pieces. Red Explosion is 100cm x 100cm and Red Balloons is 120cm x 90cm, which is pretty big for me. This had its own challenges: adapting my working space, scaling up and sourcing canvasses that were the size we wanted. On the other hand, it meant that I could be more expressive with my marks and this led to me being more experimental and trying new paint effects.

I spent a long time painting Red Explosion, building up layers of colour, splashes, dabs and brush strokes, incorporating grey into a vase of flowers (not so easy for me), adding pattern and texture until I felt it was finished. I was not ready to show it to Adam though. After putting in so much effort and spending so much time thinking about it (I actually dreamt about red circles), I needed some time to “let go” before I got Adam’s verdict.

I was relieved to start work on Red Balloons, a very different painting, even though it was still red circles. The large background of greys gave me chance to breathe and the slightly random nature of the drips gave a sense of jeopardy. Sometimes the paint just does what it wants and I just have to let it.

To my enormous relief Adam and the team loved both pieces and put them up on display straight away.

Adam is a big supporter of local business and put me in touch with Becci at Hiltingbury Interiors to see if we could work together. So watch this space.

Feedback from Adam Sparks:

“We are thrilled to bits with the fantastic new artwork that adorns the walls in our office. These amazing bespoke paintings are by a very talented local artist, Rebecca Porter.”