Life is full of lessons if one is attuned to the possibility.  My personal belief is that Jesus leads me daily and helps me meet the needs of others.

Two years ago I gathered several artists to donate their time and talent for the Historical House Tour in Wilmington during the Azalea Festival.  Each artist created paintings of two of the homes on the tour and gifted them to the home owners.  Most artists receive donation request all of the time "for exposure" which doesn't pay the bills.  If one gives from the heart, nothing is expected in return and so on goes life.

Now, two years later, a couple contacts me to say that they saw one of my paintings on the Historical House Tour and wrote down my contact information. They were now ready to have me paint a portrait of their newly renovated Italianate house.  Having talked about commissions and their difficulties before, I will not go into the details, but a size and price were agreed upon and the work began.

The first historical homes I painted (check them out in the Architecture Collection on my website) were 11" x 14", but this newer one was 16" x 20" and because of the closeness of the neighboring homes, the house filled the canvas, hence a portrait of the home.  While I enjoy painting a certain amount of detail, I can testify that painting dental moulding, balusters, and brackets on an image that size tested me.

Photographing the house was a challenge that required a ladder for a better view point.  Even though the azaleas were not in bloom, the clients supplied photos for me to understand just how grand they were.  Suggesting the neighboring houses helped to fill out the painting and along with the plantings and sky, offered a softness to the work that balanced the harder architectural lines.  Of course a red/green color scheme is in evidence.  So far, so good!

I encouraged my clients to name this painting and they chose, Serendipity:  A House and A Cat.  Boo Boo adopted them when they moved in because his owner's home had too many other cats, but in this house he was king and unconditionally loved.  When I had completed the painting, I thought about the name and a voice told me that Boo Boo just has to be in it, so I communicated that I wanted to place him on the front porch guarding his domain.  His family agreed and now the painting's title made sense.

I'm grateful that I listened to that voice that told me to include Boo Boo in the painting, because the day before it arrived in its permanent place, my clients found out that he has cancer and will not be with them much longer.  They appreciate his image remaining an important part of the reason they love their home.  I value the development of events by chance that allowed me to know to provide it for them.