Bringing Your Story Into Art How I Create a Commissioned Painting

Transforming Your Story Into Something Beautiful and Permanent

There’s something uniquely powerful about art that is created just for you. A commissioned painting isn’t chosen from a gallery wall or discovered by chance, it’s shaped from your memories, your places, and the moments that matter most in your life.

As a Scottish artist, I’m often asked to create custom landscape paintings that capture a favourite view, a cherished memory, or a connection to Scotland’s landscape that someone wants to keep close. Clients come to me with stories of childhood holidays, a loch they still miss after moving overseas, a windswept beach where they got engaged, or a landscape that is simply beautiful.

This blog takes you behind the scenes of how I turn those stories into bespoke artwork. Whether you’ve commissioned art before or are quietly considering it for the first time, I hope this guide removes any mystery and shows how warm, collaborative, and enjoyable the process can be.

Why People Choose Commissioned Paintings

A Painting That Truly Belongs to You

Commissioning artwork is deeply emotional, far more meaningful than buying a piece straight off the wall.

People choose an art commission because they want something personal, thoughtful and deeply rooted in their own life. Often, it’s a desire to capture:

• a view that holds happy memories

• a coastline or mountain landscape tied to their childhood

• a meaningful place from travel

• a gift that truly says “I thought of you

A custom landscape painting allows you to see your own story reflected back in colour and light.

Instead of adapting your memories to fit an existing artwork, the artwork is created to honour your memories. It’s also the perfect opportunity to have the ideal size of artwork created for your space, in a colour scheme you want, with a frame that blends in perfectly to its surroundings.

Step One: Sharing Your Story

Understanding the Meaning Behind the Painting

Every commission begins with a conversation either by email, phone, through Teams/Zoom, or in person.

You don’t need to arrive with artistic knowledge or a perfectly formed idea. Many clients simply begin with: “There’s this place…”

Together, we explore what you’d love your painting to hold. You might share:

• photographs from your phone

• a childhood place or holiday spot

• a favourite walk, loch, beach, or hill

• colours that feel like “you”

• a mood: calm, uplifting, dramatic, wistful, full of light

This first conversation is about understanding meaning. I listen closely to the stories behind the place, what it represents emotionally, and how you want your painting to feel every time you see it.

Step Two: Choosing the Perfect Composition

Turning Your Ideas Into a Vision

Once I understand the story, I begin shaping it into a visual plan.

This stage often includes:

• rough sketches or small compositional thumbnails

• choosing the ideal canvas size

• refining the colour palette

My aim is to translate the mood of your chosen place: the brightness of a summer sky, the soft pink glow of dawn, the dark blues of a calm loch, or the shifting, expressive light over a mountain.

Together, we confirm a composition and colour palette that feels right before I begin painting. This ensures the artwork reflects not just the landscape of Scotland (or anywhere else) but your relationship with it.

Step Three: Bringing the Painting to Life

My Creative Process: From Blank Canvas to Finished Artwork

With the composition agreed, the painting begins.

My process typically involves building up layers of colour, depth and light, allowing the landscape to reveal itself gradually. I often begin with a golden gesso undercoat, adding in layers in soft glazes and expressive marks to capture movement, atmosphere and the unique tone of the weather.

Here are some elements I focus on:

• the shifting pinks, blues and golds in both Scottish skies, and other skies from around the world

• the way water or hillsides catch light

• the sense of calm or energy in the landscape

• the emotional mood you want the painting to hold

This part of the commission is where intuition and storytelling merge. I make sure the artwork is grounded not just in place, but in feeling.

(If you’re curious, you can read more in My Artistic Process.)

Step Four: Client Feedback and Final Touches

Ensuring the Painting Feels Exactly Right

Near the end of the process, I share progress photos so you can see how your painting has developed.

Clients often enjoy this glimpse behind the curtain, it creates a sense of connection to the artwork as it forms.

If small tweaks are needed (a slightly softer sky, a warmer tone in the hills, a bit more light on the water), this is the time we make them. My goal is for the painting to feel exactly right for you.

We talk about and agree on the colour and type of frame you would like, it’s often a simple, handcrafted wooden box frame, but it’s totally up to you.

The process is gentle and collaborative. You never need to worry about asking for adjustments, the painting should feel like home every time you look at it.

The Emotional Impact of a Commissioned Painting

Art That Holds Memory, Place and Meaning

When clients receive their commissioned painting, the response is often emotional.

I’ve seen:

• tears of joy

• a sense of connection to home across oceans

• families cherishing a landscape that honours a loved one

• clients telling me their painting feels “alive”

Commissioned artwork becomes part of your story. It’s something you can pass down through generations, a piece that grows even more meaningful over time.

For many, buying original artwork becomes a way of preserving emotion through colour.

How Long a Commission Takes and What to Expect

Every painting is unique, but here is what you can generally expect:

Timeframe:

I work on a select few commissioned paintings twice a year: in January/February and again in June/July.

You can sign up to be added to my waiting list for the next available block of commissions.

Each commission takes between 3-5 weeks depending on size and complexity.

Pricing:

Prices vary with size. I’ll always share clear options upfront so you can choose a size that suits your budget and your space.

Deposit:

A 30–50% deposit confirms your place in the commission schedule, I only ask for full payment once you have received the painting and are 100% delighted with it.

Framing:

You can choose to receive your painting unframed or framed. I’m happy to advise on styles that complement the artwork and your home. (See How to Choose the Perfect Frame for more guidance.)

Shipping or Collection:

Paintings can either be collected in person or shipped at cost safely to your home, within Scotland or worldwide. I use a well-respected courier company that specialises in shipping artwork around the world, they safely package paintings and deal with all the paperwork for customs, and I’ve always found them reasonably priced.

Clear communication runs through the entire process. You will always know what to expect next.

Examples of Past Commissions

Stories Behind Artwork I Have Created for Clients

Here are a few examples that illustrate the variety and meaning behind past commissions:

“Hot Air Balloons Over Albuquerque” for Olympian Josh Kerr.

Josh is originally from Edinburgh, but lives and trains in New Mexico. His parents commissioned me to paint this scene of the annual hot air balloon festival as it was the perfect way of capturing his life story through art. The frame is made from Scottish pine, it was painted in Edinburgh, the view is of a magical and serene rise into the skies of gravity-defying balloons over the mid-west landscape. Josh and his fiancé loved the thoughtfulness behind their gift: “they love their painting and were very touched by the story, cannot thank you enough for creating such a beautiful painting”.

“Eclat d’Automne (Autumn Radiance)” for a ski chalet in the Alps

I was delighted to be asked to paint this view of Pointe de Nyon for a Scottish couple who have a chalet in Morzine, France. They wanted an original artwork to be hung at the top of a staircase, reflecting their intertwined Scottish and French lives. They had a clear idea of which mountainside they wanted to be painted, and that it should be an autumnal view with warm golds and vibrant pinks. I worked closely with them to decide that a diptych of two paintings side-by-side would work best, sent them photos of the initial drafts, and videos of my working on the paintings as they progressed. We chose the framing together, and I arranged for a courier to deliver the paintings at an agreed date.

“Glen Strathfarrar” for a client in London

A client asked me to paint a view of Glen Strathfarrar, a remote glen in Scotland where access is strictly controlled and limited to 25 cars per day via a private road. The area is known for its wildlife and mix of dense forests and open mountain landscapes, with views of the River Farrar and surrounding peaks. My client had been fortunate enough to visit the Glen the previous summer and wanted a souvenir of her time there. It now hangs in her bedroom in central London and offers a serene and calm view.

Working with me

If you’re looking for a piece of bespoke artwork that reflects your memories, travels or connection to Scotland, I’d love to create something unique for you.

I offer:

• warm, personal consultations

• custom landscape paintings of mountains, coasts and lochs either in Scotland or anywhere else in the world

• expressive artwork inspired by light and colour

• helpful guidance on size, framing and composition

• worldwide delivery

Closing Reflection

Art Becomes Even More Powerful When It Holds Your Story

A commission is more than a painting.

It is a memory made visible, a place you can return to every day, a moment captured forever in colour, and a story only you can tell.

If you’re thinking about commissioning artwork and want to begin the conversation, I’d be delighted to hear from you.