Collector Story: Creating Rest in the Waves
Earlier this year, I completed a commissioned painting for an incredible collector named Samantha Wise.
Having been a former client from back in my freelance design days, I was really excited about the idea of working with Samantha again when we started chatting about creating a custom painting for her in-home office and studio.
As we prepared for this project together, I loved the process of learning more about Samantha's story.
After we landed on a size for the work, she let me in on all kinds of beautiful insights and ideas that we could use as inspiration for this new work of art. All while communicating the utmost trust and confidence in my work as an artist, which meant so much!
First, Samantha pointed out which of my paintings spoke to her the most and why she liked them.
From my wave-like mark-making to my calming color palettes to my tendency to tear and mend some of my pieces with sewing - I began to understand why each of these motifs mattered to her.
My wave-like marks reminded her of a personal mantra, "ride your waves," which she holds close to her heart, she enjoyed the calming feeling of my color selections, and the idea of something sewn reminded her of all the quilts her mom and grandmother had made for her throughout her life.
These explanations resonated with me deeply, and I was excited to see how we could channel the elements of waves, peace, and stitching into Samantha's painting.
Next, we got into a deeper conversation on color. My fav.
Samantha felt torn between a warm or cool palette - resonating with both as they each represented different seasons of her life - and she ultimately left it up to me to decide the direction we would go in, with the option to incorporate both. ;)
From there, I got to work, pulling our wealth of inspiration together to create something brand new. The two sides of this piece were painted on one canvas, and after tearing it apart, I even asked my mother to be the one to sew it back together.
(She's not only way better than me with a sewing machine, but I thought the connection to my mom would be a sweet hidden detail within the story of this painting – as the quilt-like motif pays homage to Samantha's own mom and grandmother.)
I named the painting Rest in the Waves and presented the finished work to Samantha.
Rest in the Waves — 36" x 24", mixed media on canvas, 2023
Thankfully, I was overjoyed by Samantha’s positive response.
Once the work was in her care and hanging on her walls for a little while, I circled back to ask how she felt about it…
Samantha said:
"I love it so much. I've always dreamed of having a painting that represents a mantra that means a lot to me — "ride your waves.”
This is by far the most meaningful work of art that I own. I will never be able to put into words what this piece means to me. Thank you so much for being so open to me sharing a piece of my story with you so that you could create such a beautiful painting for me. I love admiring it every single day. (:"
I loved the process of working on this commission with Samantha so much; it inspired me to open my schedule to a few more this year.
When I asked Samantha what she would tell someone who was considering collecting one of my paintings, here's what she had to say:
"It feels like such an honor to have one of Anna's paintings hanging in my home. While working with Anna, she was so thoughtful, responsive, transparent, and went above-and-beyond to bring my vision to life. Not only is the finished product incredibly beautiful in-person, but it's really professionally made. I was so impressed with the entire process from start to finish. Now, I can't wait to collect more of Anna's work!"
Interested in collaborating on a custom painting?
I’m now accepting a very small amount of commissions for the 2023 summer season.
Click here to inquire about my process and be the first in line for your next work of art.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing what we might create together.
Rest in the Waves (DETAIL) — 36" x 24", mixed media on canvas, 2023
