If you've read this season's issue of Coastal Living Magazine, your eyes were dazzled by a house in the Florida Keys designed by the talented Kara Miller. Amidst the cypress beams and coral accents, you might have noticed a vibrant marsh painting hanging above the dining room table. Kara commissioned this piece specifically for the space to reflect all of the colors in the marsh sunset. According to Miller, "I love how it pulls together outside hues with our interior palette." 

It was a pleasure to work with the client and designer on this custom piece. I truly love working with interior designers. If there is a project that you need something specific for, I am more than happy to work with you. 

The piece began with a three-way conversation between the designer (Miller), the client (Jeanne Hamil), and myself. Jeanne sent pictures from Cedar Key that meant a lot to her and her family and inspired the composition and colors of the final piece. " I love the greens of the vegetation, blues of the sky, the natural heather browns of the trees and wet marsh and also even the creams of the dead Palm fronds." This piece not only had to work well in the designed space, it had to speak to the client...making it a cherished piece of art for the family for years to come.

STEP TWO: COLOR AND COMPOSITION

 

Sometimes things aren't a one-and-done. I always allow one free round of revisions for my commissions for us to be in agreement about what the piece looks like. I want you to love it and it be everything you dreamed and more. 

After showing the client the painting above, they feared it was a bit too pastel for the space. More colors were added to tie in the beach and sunset photos that the client sent.

The final piece really captured the liveliness and serenity that the client desired. I'm so pleased with how it turned out and it looks incredible in the space that Miller created for Jeanne Hamil.

The typical commission process starts with the idea. Moodboards and dreams and color palettes are exchanged. Once a size is established, we create a price for the project that fits your budget. I ask for 50% of that price upfront. Depending on my current workload, the timeline for the completed piece is between 2-6 weeks.

From there, I will send you a picture of the piece. From there, you have the option to either approve that piece (Hooray! It's on its way to your home!) or make some changes. I give all of my clients one free round of revisions. Any further additions are $100.

Once the painting is approved, I send you an invoice for the remaining balance and it is shipped to you to have and to hold (or hang on your wall) forever.

I also love to offer high resolution prints of the completed piece to give as gifts to family, friends, or anyone!

 

If you or someone you know would like a custom Blakely Made piece, let's get connected to see if we can make something truly magic.

I'm so thankful to Jeanne Hamil and Kara Miller for using me for the space, and to the team at Coastal Living for including me in their most recent issue.

P.S. It's always a pleasure to share the pages with local blogger, Look Linger Love.