Welcome to July, my friends. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere like I am, July is the height of summer and the painting for this month encapsulates a special summer memory for dear clients of mine. Ready for the story?
Way back in May 2022, I received an email from my friend, Allen, who was considering a commissioned work as a gift for his wife, Kay, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Allen’s parents and mine were long-time friends (his sister was actually my parents’ flower girl!) and we had seen each other as kids and reconnected more recently through social media. Of course I said it would be an absolute honour to paint them something.
After a phone call and some discussion, they decided they wanted a statement piece for above the couch in their living room. For a while already, Kay had been wanting to get an enlargement of a photo they’d taken on a family excursion to Centre Island. It was, in Kay’s words, “A moment that I wanted to remember… A moment when my 4 kids were carefree, enjoying riding bikes with us parents and with their siblings, and for me to just be present and be grateful for the health and family we have.” How much better would it be to have a painting of it?
At 30″x60″, it was the largest commission I’d done to date and it felt significant that the skyline was of Toronto, the city I was born and raised in. I had been planning to visit Toronto in the summer of 2023 so I asked Allen and Kay if they would be ok with waiting for me to bring the painting to them. They told me not to rush and we made plans to see each other on my visit.
With the canvas being so large, I had to decide how to transport it from Vancouver to Toronto. One option was to build a crate for it and ship it across the country. This was, however, a very expensive option. A more economical and practical option would be for me to remove the canvas from the wooden stretcher bars, roll it up carefully, and transport it in a tube mailer. Once it arrived in Toronto, a framer would re-stretch the canvas. Since I was going to be flying to Toronto, I could bring it with me as a carry-on item.
The plan would be that I would arrive in Toronto, bring the painting to a framer, get it re-stretched and meet Allen and Kay at the framers’ so they could see the painting in-person and also choose a frame for their painting. All this within a week.
What remained for me to figure out was which framer I would use in Toronto. Fortunately, through an online search, I found Peter at Bordered Image, and he was able to accommodate my quick turnaround time and do it within a reasonable budget. (Side note: Bordered Image has recently moved to a larger location with a gallery space. If you’re in the Markham area, check it out!)
Thankfully, my plan worked out and I was able to meet Allen and Kay at Peter’s shop and see their reaction to their painting. Kay chose a beautiful silver frame for their piece and Peter did a wonderful job framing it up for them. A few months after I returned to Vancouver, I received a photo from Allen and Kay of the painting hanging up in their home. This project spanned 17 months from inception to completion and it was truly epic.
I titled this piece, “Where We Belong,” borrowing from the 80’s pop song, “Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong,” as a reflection of how they belong with each other, and also because it is a painting of the city they call home. More importantly, I hoped that it could remind them that Love is the One who holds them and is their place of ultimate belonging.
After seeing their painting in person, Allen said, “It exceeded my expectations and I love it!” Kay shared the story about the meaning behind the image with me and also wrote, “Your painting captures this moment for me, Olive, and that is a true gift… Feel free to share this as I hope it may encourage others to reach out to you should they have such a moment or photo they want to capture by your artistic eye and talent.”
A significant part of being an artist, for me, is the connection. As much as artwork is a product, I believe what I offer is really a service. It brings me deep satisfaction to be able to bring a concept from an idea into real life alongside of my clients and I hope that the commission process is an experience they will remember with fondness.
For those with the Scripture calendar:
This month’s painting is paired with the verse from Isaiah 43:1 (NIRV) which reads, “Do not be afraid… you belong to me.” I thought it was appropriate to have a reminder of our belonging-ness to go along with the title for this piece. Whatever you may be facing this month, may this promise of belonging to God bring you comfort.
Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: Imagine yourself in a similar scene, where would your location of belonging be if it’s not Toronto? What emotions do you associate with belonging? What current fears do you have that would subside knowing that you belong to God?
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As always, I love to hear from you! If something in this story resonated with you, if you’re interested in commissioning a painting, or if you have other thoughts, feel free to email, or connect with me.