Commissions
"Painting is a way of slowing down looking." - Joseph Yaeger
"Painting can never compete with the image. That's why it has to be something else." - Luc Tuymans
A portrait is more than a simple likeness; it's hundreds of decisions made slowly over weeks, a record of something being looked at deeply. It's not just to reproduce a face, but to hold a person, the way they sit in themselves at a certain point in their life, sharing this in a much more slow and deliberate way than a camera can capture.
I take on a small number of commissions each year, alongside my exhibition work. If it's a piece that aligns with my style and I'm able to fit it in, I'd be glad to discuss it with you.
Have a read through the details below, then get in touch and tell me what you have in mind.
Commission price list (AUD)
All paintings are oil on stretched linen, supplied in a flooded gum float frame.
How it works
Once you've read through the details on this page and everything looks right, get in touch and send me your reference along with what you have in mind.
I take on a limited number of commissions each year, so getting in touch isn't a guarantee I'll be able to take the project on, but if it's a good fit I'll be glad to discuss it and take the first steps from there.
I paint from photographic reference, so the first step is making sure we have the right source material. The quality of the reference shapes the quality of the painting, so it's worth getting this right before anything else.
The strongest references have directional light, where you can see form and shadow across the face, rather than flat, even lighting that flattens everything out.
Natural, settled expressions also hold up better over time than big smiles or exaggerated poses, which start to feel forced once they're rendered in oil. A relaxed expression reads as more timeless, so for these reasons I don't work from big smiles or exaggerated expressions.
All my commissions match my current style: head and shoulders, framed by a simple background colour, so I may crop your references to suit this. You can send an existing photo you love, or several references and angles, and I'll select, adjust, and combine as needed to get the best likeness, pose, and lighting. In most cases I'll edit the reference before painting, adjusting the lighting and colours to suit oil paints rather than photography. We'll review and agree on the final reference together before I pick up a brush.
Before I start, I want to understand what you're after, both in the work itself and in why you're commissioning it. We'll have a few conversations about colour, mood, and direction, and I'll ask which of my paintings you connect with and why. That tells me a lot about what's drawing you to my work and helps me steer the piece in the right direction.
A few things worth thinking about beforehand:
- Who is the portrait of, and what's the occasion? A milestone, a gift, a person you want to hold onto in paint.
- What do you want the painting to feel like when it's hanging on your wall? Quiet and contemplative, warm, striking.
- Which of my existing works speak to you most, and what is it about them that lands.
Once we're aligned, I'll put together a short commission agreement covering everything we've discussed. To begin, I ask for 50% of the total upfront, with the remaining 50% is due on completion, before delivery.
Once the reference is agreed and the first payment is in, I start painting. Turnaround is usually four to six weeks depending on the size and complexity of the piece.
I don't share images of the work in progress. Every painting goes through an awkward, unresolved stage partway through, and seen out of context it can be alarming if you're not used to how an unfinished oil looks. Holding off means your first look is the finished piece, seen the way it's meant to be.
Once the piece is finished, I'll send you a full set of photographs: the complete work, close detail shots of the brushwork and surface, and a few images from along the way so you can see how it came together.
If you'd like an adjustment, you're welcome to one minor change, where it's possible within the painting, a slight shift in a hue, or a touch more detail in a particular area. Beyond small adjustments like these, the rest I paint with the eye and process I bring to every piece, so the painting stays loose, considered, and true to the work you came to me for.
Once you're happy with the finished piece and the final payment is settled, I arrange delivery. Each painting arrives in a flooded gum float frame (see FAQ below for more details on the frame), ready to hang, securely packaged and fully insured in transit.
Shipping is included, anywhere in the world. For international collectors, any import duties or taxes are charged by your local customs and are the buyer's responsibility.
Your commission arrives with more than the painting itself:
- The collector package, a set of documents that travel with the work: a process journal recording each stage of the painting, the record of paints and pigments used, the original preparatory sketch, and a provenance and care card.
- A studio process film, a short edited video documenting the creation of your painting from start to finish. A way to experience the story behind the work.
Delivery timing depends on your location, and I'll keep you posted on tracking once the work is on its way. You can find more details on the shipping page.
FAQs
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The strongest references have directional light, where you can see form and shadow across the face, rather than flat, even lighting. High resolution helps. You can send one photo you love or several angles, and I'll select, adjust, and combine as needed. I'll edit the reference before painting to suit oil rather than photography, and we'll agree on it together before I begin.
-
I don't work from big smiles or exaggerated expressions. They tend to feel forced once rendered in oil, where a natural, settled expression reads as more timeless. A subtle, relaxed expression is fine.
-
No. Every painting goes through an awkward, unresolved stage partway through, and seen out of context it can be alarming if you're not used to how an unfinished oil looks. Holding off means your first look is the finished piece, seen the way it's meant to be.
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Usually four to six weeks from the 50% deposit, depending on the size and complexity of the piece.
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The original painting is yours, and you're free to display it in your home. I retain copyright and reproduction rights to the work, as is standard for original art. Commissioning a painting doesn't transfer the right to reproduce it, whether as prints, posters, book covers or otherwise. Reproduction rights aren't available to purchase.
-
You're welcome to one minor change, where it's possible within the painting, a slight shift in a hue, or a touch more detail in a particular area. Beyond small adjustments like these, the creative decisions stay with me, so the painting stays loose, considered, and true to the work you came to me for.
-
The original painting in a float frame, ready to hang, plus a collector package (a process journal, a record of the paints and pigments used, the original sketch, and a provenance and care card) and a studio process film documenting the creation of your painting from start to finish.
-
Oil on pre-stretched linen, supplied in a float frame, ready to hang.
-
To begin, I ask for 50% of the total, with the remaining 50% due before the work ships.
-
All my commissions are painted in my current style: head and shoulders, framed by a simple background colour, with a limited palette and visible, gestural brushwork. I don't take on commissions outside this style, what you see across my recent work is what your piece will look like.
-
I film the making of every painting and share the process on my YouTube channel as part of documenting my practice. Your reference photo and any personal details are never shown, only the painting itself as it develops.
-
Each painting is supplied in a float frame made from Flooded Gum, a sustainable hardwood, milled 8mm wide on the front face and 45mm deep. A 5mm gap sits between the linen and the frame, so the framed work is roughly 26mm larger than the canvas on each dimension. The painting arrives ready to hang. For an example of these frames, see the images of my original paintings at the top of the page.
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Send a message my way via the contact page
-
The strongest references have directional light, where you can see form and shadow across the face, rather than flat, even lighting. High resolution helps. You can send one photo you love or several angles, and I'll select, adjust, and combine as needed. I'll edit the reference before painting to suit oil rather than photography, and we'll agree on it together before I begin.
-
No. Every painting goes through an awkward, unresolved stage partway through, and seen out of context it can be alarming if you're not used to how an unfinished oil looks. Holding off means your first look is the finished piece, seen the way it's meant to be.
-
The original painting is yours, and you're free to display it in your home. I retain copyright and reproduction rights to the work, as is standard for original art. Commissioning a painting doesn't transfer the right to reproduce it, whether as prints, posters, book covers or otherwise. Reproduction rights aren't available to purchase.
-
The original painting in a float frame, ready to hang, plus a collector package (a process journal, a record of the paints and pigments used, the original sketch, and a provenance and care card) and a studio process film documenting the creation of your painting from start to finish.
-
To begin, I ask for 50% of the total, with the remaining 50% due before the work ships.
-
I film the making of every painting and share the process on my YouTube channel as part of documenting my practice. Your reference photo and any personal details are never shown, only the painting itself as it develops.
-
Send a message my way via the contact page
-
I don't work from big smiles or exaggerated expressions. They tend to feel forced once rendered in oil, where a natural, settled expression reads as more timeless. A subtle, relaxed expression is fine.
-
Usually four to six weeks from the 50% deposit, depending on the size and complexity of the piece.
-
You're welcome to one minor change, where it's possible within the painting, a slight shift in a hue, or a touch more detail in a particular area. Beyond small adjustments like these, the creative decisions stay with me, so the painting stays loose, considered, and true to the work you came to me for.
-
Oil on pre-stretched linen, supplied in a float frame, ready to hang.
-
All my commissions are painted in my current style: head and shoulders, framed by a simple background colour, with a limited palette and visible, gestural brushwork. I don't take on commissions outside this style, what you see across my recent work is what your piece will look like.
-
Each painting is supplied in a float frame made from Flooded Gum, a sustainable hardwood, milled 8mm wide on the front face and 45mm deep. A 5mm gap sits between the linen and the frame, so the framed work is roughly 26mm larger than the canvas on each dimension. The painting arrives ready to hang. For an example of these frames, see the images of my original paintings at the top of the page.
