Royal Society of Marine Artists 2016
Commissions of the Year Summer has given way to Autumn but you need not forget the holidays just yet. One of our most popular commission themes last year was the beach. Sandy bays in Cornwall, fishing off the end of piers, the kids building sandcastles; you were looking to catch those fleeting holiday moments that pass all too quickly.
Duncan Palmar Bantham Beach
One of the most interesting things about commissioning is that it gets personal. Commissioners are often drawn to an artist’s work because of the way they depict a region they know and love. They feel an affinity with the artist who sees the landscape the way they do.
Commissioning allows the art lover to engage with the artist from the beginning, to discuss and to share their own stories. Some clients have asked an artist to paint a specific place special to them, sending their chosen painter on a journey to a new place. But often people are interested in seeing their family in the picture frame. One of our favourite commissions to have come out of last year’s RSMA exhibition was a painting by non-member Duncan Palmar who had submitted a hugely popular painting of Bantham Beach in Cornwall. The painting had sold quickly and he was subsequently commissioned by a client who knew the beach well from holidays windsurfing there, to revisit this subject. As the conversation evolved and ideas were thrown around between the artist and the client, Sebastian Seal, the painting, shown above, was developed to include Sebastian’s family on the beach and himself windsurfing in the distance. Sebastian said: “Commissioning was a great experience for us, from the anticipation in waiting for the painting to be finished, the lovely surprise at the final result and the personal touch when we met Duncan and discussed how our ideas were introduced into his own work.” Our art consultant Anna Bromwich will be on hand throughout the exhibition to discuss the commissioning process and to help you find an artist. Find her in the North Gallery during the exhibition, where you can browse portfolios. Email: annabromwich@mallgalleries.com Tel: 020 7930 6844 www.mallgalleries.org.uk 36