and drop a drape so that the subjects are seeing the painting for the first time.
judith dickinson: Commission portraiture will be on someone’s wall almost forever because usually it will be passed down to their children, and their children’s children perhaps. So that’s very special. There’s just something about faces that we all love. When you can see your great- grandfather’s face in a portrait, it’s something very special. Ted Nuttall: I love painting people. And with commissions, what makes it meaningful is that someone who really cares about this particular person liked my work enough that they wanted me to paint them. So part of it is I really want to please the people I’m doing the painting for and I do pride myself in trying to capture the likeness and the expression, but also hopefully capture the story and the meaning and the essence of the person. I find that exciting and challenging.
Pendant by Isabelle Posillico
Isabelle Posillico: One of my favorite commissions was when one of my clients years ago brought all of her little rings, pendants and earrings from when she was a little kid. We made pendant for her and each piece in it was a gift from her mom or dad. With the stones together, we created a whole story. And that became her story. She remembers where she got each stone. Even though it wasn’t in the same original setting, it became a new setting that she could wear and it became very personal to her. It was just very memorable. Pete tillack: I enjoy the challenge of it. I’m working for someone else to create their story. They’ve gifted me this ability to do that for them, and there’s a bit of pressure in that. I like that though because I’m always trying to challenge myself. And that’s the best thing about it. "People come to me because of the stories that I involve in my pieces. And everybody, and every family, has a story." ~ Pete Tillack
robin damore: I love working with people and anybody who's decided that they want to do a portrait is usually excited, and maybe nervous about the whole process. Usually, people come away saying, “I had so much fun!”. It's a really fun process to spend the time focusing on what they're going to wear, how they're going to look, what's their best side, and discovering the composition. I like every step along the way. I always have a ceremony [for the reveal] where I cover the painting
Watch the full video here.
"Temporary Beauty" by Pete Tillack
Page 9
Issue 3 | Winter 2023
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