“We think this photo would look really cool in your painting style. Would you be up for it?”
I’ve discovered over the last few months that the life of a self-employed artist is certainly unpredictable. You never quite know when a message like that might appear in your inbox.
I didn’t quite reply with “abso-bleeding-lutely”, but I definitely thought it.
As an artist in the early stages of building a career, things can feel a little stop-start financially. But there have been a few welcome firsts recently: the first sale, the first 100 followers, and now, quietly and importantly, the first commission.
Truthfully, it arrived on a day when I really needed it.
As some of you will know, I’m currently on a year-long career break from my day job. Given my ongoing and worsening eye condition, I’ve been trying to work out whether it might be possible to reshape my life around things that genuinely feel meaningful and creatively fulfilling. Making art that helps preserve memories has become a big part of that.
On the day Hayley contacted me, I’d spoken online about needing to make some difficult decisions soon about my future, and honestly, I was feeling fairly gloomy about my prospects. Social media likes do not directly equal income.
That’s where Hayley stepped in.
She told me about the photograph. A family day out at Chesterton Windmill with her husband and young daughter. Her daughter climbed onto a wall, leaned into her mum, and proudly announced:
“I’m as tall as you, Mummy.”
To measure yourself against someone you love like that. The quiet significance of the moment.
That was the real subject of the painting for me. Not the beautiful windmill against the blue sky, though that certainly helped. The important thing was capturing the tenderness of the interaction itself.
As I continue trying to build this career, I hope I’ll have the opportunity to paint many more memories like this for people, while also continuing to preserve and explore my own.
If you have a photograph that tells a story or captures a moment that matters to you, I’d love to hear about it. No pressure at all if you simply want an exploratory chat.
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