The Sketch Book — commission

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I thought I'd share a loving little commission sketch. How sweet are these sisters? Painting children is simultaneously one of the hardest and one of the most fun kinds of commission for me. As you may have noticed - adding a little extra pudge to my figures isn't my first instinct - so getting a perfectly plump baby cheek is a sweet challenge!

Here's a merry doorway I painted for a Christmas Card design.This is for a lovely couple who happen to be good friends of mine. Every time we ran into each other at weddings this fall, we would brainstorm about what I should paint for their card. Partridges in a pear tree? Pheasants in a snowy wood? There was a lot of discussion of birds...Ultimately though, when it was time to sit down and paint, I thought of their charming, beautifully decorated Charlottesville home and how festive it could look decked out for a rustic, snowy Christmas.Of course, my artwork couldn't...

 Meet Diana Elizabeth! Isn't she perky? She is a west coast-based Photographer who commissioned me to capture her shooting with her farther's vintage camera and with her beloved citrus tree grove that sits in her backyard. I loved the suggestion to incorporate these two quirky things into her sketch, she was definitely a fun one to work with.I cracked up reading her blog post about her new illustration - apparently I captured her "good side" - I love this because I have a good side too. I'm that person in group pictures that always makes everyone move around so that the left side...

Hello! Today I want to show you all a commission project. These are the four senior ballerinas graduating this spring from the Dance Academy of Loudoun (in my home town). I worked with their moms to create a painting of each girl as a farewell/graduation gift. Here is Melissa... and Ann.... Cassidy... And Jane... And as a special surprise for their favorite teacher, Ariana - a painting of her expecting her new baby boy!

So last year I documented all my close friend's birthdays as blog sketches. This year I'm still birthday sketching, but for real customers. Progress! Here is Eslpeth, a recent birthday commission. Intrigued by this person who has a more unusual name than me and happens to be born on Valentines Day? Well, she has a blog! Happy belated, Elspeth, hope it was fabulous!