Over a year ago, the George Billis Gallery was approached by an art collector with the idea of a large commission. George got in touch with me and gave me the proposal. I was initially intimidated by the scale of the painting—four feet high by eight feet wide. How would I even move something like that around the studio?

I figured out the logistics, moved things around in the studio and started to work. Everything went much smoother than I had anticipated. The collector was very open to the ideas I sent, and the result is a painting that represents almost the entirety of the subjects that I have depicted in paintings for the nearly two decades.

I was given ample time to work on the painting, which was a blessing. I spent months and months with this canvas, and the slow but steady build-up of paint and color was an enjoyable experience.

Of course, the one lingering thought that kept me up at night was how to safely ship the completed painting across the continent. I am on Vancouver Island; the painting is headed to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. How does this go smoothly?

I worked with a local framer who was accommodating and knowledgeable about framing such a large painting. They did it in record time. Then, I had a local carpenter and shipping expert prepare a crate. The painting was safe. It was loaded onto a plane in Vancouver, carefully unpacked once it landed in New York, and installed in the collector’s home by George.

Over the years, I have received many commissions, but this one has been the most challenging. And I am so happy with the results.