Painting for Art Collectors – Top 5 Commissioned Art

From time to time over the years, I have stepped away from my own studio practice to create something unique for an art collector or client. While most of my time is devoted to developing new bodies of work inspired by Canada, landscape, symbolism, and storytelling, I occasionally take on commissioned projects for both private collectors and corporate clients.

Creating a custom artwork for an individual collector or a distinctive brand brings another dimension to my practice. The most successful commissions are true collaborations, projects that spark excitement for both the artist and the client. Although I do not accept a large number of commissions, as they naturally pull time away from my independent studio work, they often open unexpected creative doors, leading to new ideas, themes, and directions that later find their way into future paintings and series

There is something transformative about original art in a space. A painting can completely shift the atmosphere of a room, creating warmth, conversation, memory, and identity. While prints and mass-produced décor may fill a wall, original artwork has the ability to tell a story and create an emotional connection that feels deeply personal.

Over the years, many collectors have approached me about creating commissioned paintings for their homes, offices, and private collections. Sometimes they connect with the visual language of my work but are looking for a subject matter, colour palette, or atmosphere tailored specifically to their space and experience. Commissioned artwork becomes a way to merge the collector’s personal story with my artistic voice as a painter.

As a Canadian artist, my work has evolved through decades of exploring themes connected to Canada, from landscapes and regional identity to symbolism, popular culture, and the quiet poetry of everyday life. Travel across the country continues to inspire my paintings, and these experiences naturally shape the commissioned works I create as well.

One of the most rewarding aspects of creating commissioned art is the collaborative process itself. Each project begins with a conversation. Sometimes a client comes to me with a photograph that holds special meaning. Other times it begins with memories, stories, music, travel experiences, or simply the feeling they want the artwork to evoke within a room. The process often becomes part storytelling session, part creative exploration.

No two commissions unfold in exactly the same way.

One commissioned painting may be inspired directly from a client-supplied photograph, while another develops after walking through a collector’s home and understanding the architecture, light, and mood of the space. Recently, I created a painting for a couple using iPhone photographs and stories from the places where they fell in love. Those fragments of memory became the foundation for a deeply personal work of art layered with atmosphere and meaning.

Creating commissioned paintings also proves that collaboration no longer depends on geography. I work with collectors across Canada and internationally using a variety of communication methods depending on what feels most comfortable for the client. Some prefer email, others enjoy conversations over FaceTime or phone calls, while some projects include in-person studio visits or meetings. Often the process becomes a blend of all of these forms of communication. Modern technology has made it possible to create meaningful collaborative experiences regardless of distance.

For collectors, commissioning an original painting offers the opportunity to become part of the creative journey. Rather than purchasing something mass-produced, they are investing in a work that reflects their own experiences, aesthetic tastes, and emotional connection to place. The resulting artwork becomes more than decoration. It becomes part of the identity of the space and the people who inhabit it.

For me as an artist, commissioned work offers a unique opportunity to connect with collectors on a deeper level while creating paintings that remain authentic to my artistic practice. The best commissions emerge when there is trust, openness, and a shared excitement about the creative process.

Top 5 Commissioned Art

Below are my Top 5 commissioned paintings created in collaboration with collectors over the years. Each painting carries its own story, atmosphere, and sense of place.

If you are interested in commissioning an original painting for your home, office, or collection, I welcome you to reach out and begin the conversation.

Where Icebergs Roam Free – private commission for a Quebec client, 2016