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I recently accepted a commission from a long-standing client for an artwork she needed in a short time frame.  That typically isn’t an issue, so I began to work on the piece.  It was relatively simple in scope, a smaller version of a painting she admired, but couldn’t use as it was.  The subject was uncomplicated, and my confidence was strong that the result would be pleasing to the client.  The composition was straightforward, and it seemed like a simple assignment. 

As I worked on the piece, the technical execution of the art was moving smoothly toward completion, and I should have been happy with what was evolving on the canvas.  But I wasn’t.  As a photograph of the inspiration piece, it was accurate, but as a painting, it had no life.  It was lacking in the magic of the scene.  When I realized there was a disconnect, I began to augment with active brush strokes, and subtle, but charged, color combinations. Not enough to stray from the client’s wishes, but enough to breathe life into the scene.  The painting came alive.  Now I could see what she loved in the inspiration painting.

The work was accepted by the client, and I’ve moved on to another commission.  It was a timely reminder to keep finding the magic in each artwork, large or small, and to treasure that spark of the creative that only the artist can bring to life. Isn’t that one of the reasons artists do what they do?