When Meg began thinking of Christmas presents for her husband Dan, she decided she wanted to do something that he would cherish for years to come.
Both Meg and Dan had seen my paintings online and in person, and when Meg saw my painting of Martha’s backyard shed she got the idea to have me do a painting of their home. The key word here is “home” instead of “house”. What makes the house special to Meg and Dan is the life they have built together there with their two sons. When Meg saw the final painting, she thought about not only how special it would be for Dan, but also how it would be something that her sons would always have and cherish as well.
One of the challenges in this painting is the season. Taking pictures now gave me a lot of the information I needed, but in talking with Meg, we decided that showing the house in spring would be the best way to capture the picture she was looking for. Below is the picture I worked from and the final painting, showing the educated guesses I needed to make on the surrounding landscape!
As we looked at pictures and walked around the house, Meg wanted to make sure the lawn in the painting was a lush green to honor all the work Dan puts into it. She also wanted to make sure I captured the flag out front.
We then talked about the painting style she preferred and what would work best to achieve her goals. We looked at my primitive trunk, the folk-style Nantucket sailboat and the painting of Martha’s shed. Ultimately, we decided something between the clean and precise look of the Nantucket sailboat and the feel of Martha’s shed would fit the bill.
Meg can’t wait to give the painting to Dan and to hang it in the front hallway as people enter the door so their family and friends can enjoy it right as they enter the house.
