JASON AND WENDY

This was a sketch that didn't go much further to a level of studio portraiture or painting. However, it was framed and gifted to Jason and Wendy for their wedding present. There weren't a lot of pictures available to choose from but this was a product of three separate photos combined into one.

THE MARRIOTT HOTEL

       The next project, I  and a friend of mine,  were commissioned to  do a 3ft cx 4f paint-
       ing, live, at the Marriott hotel in  Vancouver for their customer appreciation night. The
       medium: Acrylic paint on Canvas. The theme was international  skylines: Vancouver, 
       England, Paris and New York.  I chose Paris, because I just came back from Paris 
       not too long ago and my painting partner lived in Paris for a few years.  

       The challenge: Incorporate the Marriot and Renaissance logos in the piece.
  
        We only had three days to prepare. Painting in acrylics is very different     
        from painting in watercolors but I thought I’d make it look and feel like
        watercolors.

        When I tried to do it on canvas, I ran into some problems:

        1) I couldn’t get the acrylic paint to look like watercolors.
        2) I decided to use watercolors. (Approved by the organizers.)
        3) The watercolors kept dripping down the canvas.
        4) The white paint was not runny enough to make streaks.
        5) The internet had nothing about using watercolors on canvas

        It was a big risk to take but if I could somehow find a way to make it work,
        the result would be very different and really cool. So, I developed my own
        technique overnight, researched and drove around the city to find the
        special paint for the white streaks and then taught my painting partner the workflow.

We only had the next day to practice together. It worked. However, the last 

detail, the paint for the white streaks still didn’t have the right flow. It was 

just dropping dots instead of thin thread like strings.

 

When I got home, my landlord left a bucket of paint for me. I messaged him 

earlier in case he had the paint I was looking for, and luckily enough, he did.

I tested it and it worked exactly what I had envisioned. 

This was the result.

    

The event was huge. Check out the motiff:

This was our station: 

I had been asked if the painting was up for sale by 2 ladies who worked for the hotel. They were interested in buying it, without the hotel logos they said. The president of Marriott came up and was impressed just knowing the technique behind the crisp edges and the controlled drips of paint. I had the chance to talk to him and explained the concept: The building in the middle is their biggest location in Paris. It is an icon, side by side with other Parisian icons. The balloon also has the logo on it. It signifies no limits, flying, going places, all over the world. He was pleased to hear about the research and thought put in and the story behind the art.  He shook my hand. I was told by the organizers that same night, that it was gifted to their top vip client. 

Although the hotel was the focal point, people saw and felt something beyond that and connected with the painting. The beauty about art is that it reveals your thoughts and impressions. It reflects your feelings. It mirrors who you are. It shows you, you. 

It was a successful night and I had a taste of what this could be like if I could paint full time. It only serves to motivate me to work harder and develop an exit strategy from the day job.

THE LAST BOW

I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring ~ David Bowie (R.I.P: Rockin' In Paradise)