Nashville Custom Art - "After Moon"

"After Moon" was a very special custom art piece I recently created for some very special clients of mine. They have brought me into their home to do live paintings during two of their Christmas parties. Both of those pieces now hang in their home. So, when they came to me with a concept for custom art that would be the focal piece of their house, I was all in.

Project: They have a beautiful stone fireplace that sits between two floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Brentwood and the surrounding hillsides. I threw several concepts at them and they kept coming back to one shape: round. So, after a while, a memory popped in my head: a few years ago, I made a set of paintings of a sun and moon for the birthdays of siblings. I decided to show them those and they freaked out. They explained that they had always talked about "how amazing it would be if Roy Laws did a Moon" and there was one just like they imagined. 

So, now we had a concept for their custom art: the Moon. Next, we needed a color scheme. I took pictures of the rocks so I could pick up those colors later on. They had also sent me a photo of a painting with shades of blue they really liked. The space needed a 35 x 35 canvas which isn't a standard size, so I made that canvas and got started.  I started out by using the outline of a dinner plate to make the circle. But eventually wound up making it bigger as the piece went along. 

​Next, modeling paste was added to give dimension and texture to the canvas. Then I drizzled acrylic paint mixed with airbrush medium to give it fluidity. It's a fast and effective way to get a lot of paint on quickly. Plus, I always like the way it takes on a life of its own. From then on, it was layer after layer after layer of paint applied with brushes and knives. 

The first version of this custom art I showed them (in the gallery below) was well received.  However, it didn't have enough of the blue they wanted. Besides that, the Moon had too much shadow for what they wanted. So, I used that information and went to work on the final version. And that's what got us to the finish line. 

When I delivered the painting, it would be an understatement to say they were enthusiastic. The real Moon actually passes by their windows at night, so now their mantle painting picks it up perfectly as it goes by. They were so happy with it that they gifted me a Fender guitar that they had built themselves. I've spent the last couple of months teaching myself how to play and I love it! 

If you'd like a custom art piece for your home, contact me today and let's create something amazing. Or, go and check out more of my custom artwork pieces here.

Roy
November 26, 2018