A Challenging Commissioned Double Portrait

Last Saturday, October 10 was George's birthday, I brought this double portrait on a wet canvas finished only the night before to his booth at the local Farmer's Market. A big surprise for him! Everyone was happy, his two sons and a lady named Nami worked there, and some people who happened to be at the market at that time. George gave me a big beautiful bouquet of flowers. I felt satisfied by my effort.

George and his wife were immigrants from Japan, raised their granddaughter Aika like their own daughter. Aika wanted me to paint a portrait for George's birthday. She told me that she loved both of them deeply. I was very grateful to get both Aika and Nami's trust, no matter what obstacles I would face, I must finish a decent portrait for them.

It was only a one-week deadline for the commissioned work. Aika's grandparents were busy working, barely had decent photos together. I found that out after our agreement to paint an 11 inch by 14 inches oil painting, but actually turned out a double portrait. Aika sent a total of nine photos, only two photos were both of her grandparents together, but one was super blurry, the other one was not suitable for painting a double portrait. Two head shots of George, the rest of photos of her grandma. I tried my best to combine the photos together, barely got enough information, different angles, different lighting, etc. Got Aika's permission and decided to paint a little larger canvas 12 inches by 16 inches for the same price, otherwise it would look too crowded with two people on a smaller size canvas. Time ticking away, I tried different photo combinations. Until Monday night, I just settled my drawing on the canvas by combining three different photos together to make them looked next to each other naturally.

Tuesday morning, I started painting in oil. I felt everything was not going the way I normally paint. Dinner time, my husband looked at what I had done on the canvas, then said to me that I should be myself, paint how I felt, create a piece of art, not try to be a copy machine... the rest of the week, I could paint as usual. Looked at Aika's grandparents' photos to connect all the unconditional love from my grandmas in my childhood. I never met my both grandpas, they passed away before I was born. So I was imagining some of my childhood stories merged into the current's. Woke up my inner voice and looked deeper... The gratitude of Aika's grandparents' photos encouraged me to continue the expression on the canvas. Just like most immigrants, including me, love our families, working hard, had experienced some uncertainty, or racial unfairness, but doing our best to stand up strong on our own feet. Also being an Asian female, I could understand better Asian women's that sensitive expression, unlike carefree western women.

Thursday evening, I was very tired after working and correcting this portrait almost the whole day, thought it was done. Woke up on Friday morning, I realized that it was still needed retouch, ended up working until dark again. But I was grateful! The portrait result might need some technical improvement, but I know I painted it with my heart. And I told Aika that I would varnish this oil painting after it was fully dried.





Original Art Story

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