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There's often an interesting story behind the creation of a commissioned painting and many more steps to its creation than one might imagine. This newly completed painting which is called the "Neuenboat II Near Croton" is no exception.

I was contacted through my website by a prospective client who had seen my 8"x10" painting "Hudson From Croton Landing" and wondered if I could put his boat into that scene. After a discussion, it was decided that I'd do a 12"x16" version of the scene which included the boat and would present it framed.

The first step in creating the painting would be to have  photos of the boat. After a discussion about my coming over to the marina where the boat was docked, it became very apparent that the marina wasn't the right location for photographing the boat moving in the water and away from shore and that there would be nowhere for me to have a clear view of the boat in action.

After further discussion, it was decided that the boat would be driven over to the area of the Hudson near Croton. I would be on shore and as the boat came into the scene, I would take a number of digital photos for reference.

In order to get the shots I needed, we communicated via cell phone, first to locate each other, and then, so I could take the boat from all angles.

Once accomplished, my client briefly docked his boat nearby so we could meet in person and surprised me with a large bouquet of flowers. It turns out that he's a florist. What a lovely touch!

Photos were sent by email until we found the best one to work with. Sizing of the boat within the painting was a challenge and took several tries, since I wanted it to have featured status but not be too big. As the painting neared its end, my client sent me a photo of two of his young children in their colorful life jackets and asked if they could be included on the deck. It was tricky because they would be mere specks of color at the small size needed to fit on the boat at the size it was painted. It turned out to be a wonderful added touch of life and color.

Once again, I had the pleasure of working with someone who appreciates what an artist does and makes the whole commission process worthwhile, challenging, and fun.