One of my great joys is creating a piece that captures someone’s essence, whether it be in fabric or paint. This gives me the chance to get to know you in a unique way.
For me the relationships I develop in this process are paramount.
The process begins with a meeting, either online or in person, so that I can get a sense of what you want to feel and see in your special piece.
It might be a reminder of something you want to have reflected back to you about yourself, a long forgotten dream, a part of yourself that you left behind to pursue a career, or a connection to something in nature that is particularly significant to you.
It could also be as simple as wanting a piece of art that makes you feel at peace when you look at it.
If it is fabric you are interested in, you might want something to wrap yourself in to feel the spirit of the art surrounding you.
The photos below are one example of what can be created. The original painting is a special one to me. I wanted a sacred shawl that incorporated the stones and metals that had meaning to me at the time. Each strand of stones, each piece of chain and each stitch was hand done one at a time. It was a labor of love that now reminds me of the resilience I have in coming back from cancer. It was the beginning of honoring my passion for fabrics and stones and of creating a life based on what I love.
Here are some of your options as far as special orders and commissions go:
I create a painting specifically for you.
I design a fabric from your painting and make any of the items you see on my site.
I design a fabric from one of my existing paintings that speaks to you and make any of the items you see on my site.
You order a giclee print of an existing painting from www.dkhillardart.com.
You have a painting created for you and order prints of that painting from www.dkhillardart.com.
You choose one of my existing images that resonates with you and I design a fabric from that image. That fabric can then be transformed into any of the textile pieces you see on my site.
A commission piece, whether in paint or fabric, is my interpretation of the feeling you wish to experience.
It is my way of saying “I see you and I honor who you are”. It is my way of helping you reconnect with who you truly are in your heart and soul. Taking this a step further, we can also collaborate on a "soul portrait" which is an expression of your soul's essence in physical form. You can read more about soul portraits here.
Please “Contact Me” to inquire about the process and let me know what you are interested in. I would be honored to create something special just for you.
Some examples from previous commissions….
"G” wanted a painting that would remind him of how insignificant his daily worries and stress are in the larger scheme of things. He told me that the ocean was very important to him and his spiritual life needed to be reflected in the work. This painting was to be the first thing he saw when he walked through his door at the end of his day. He gave me dimensions, stated his preference for paint on canvas and also told me that he needed just a touch, a barely noticeable touch, of red somewhere in the painting. The color and the smallness of it had significance for him. We met a couple of times, once in my studio while he looked at the pieces I already had. That gave me a sense of what he was drawn to. When I was partially done with the painting I called him to come back to the studio to take a look, just to be certain I was on the right track. Fortunately I was and he was thrilled with the finished piece. I entitled it “Benevolence” and included a short piece of writing to go with it.
“S” came to me asking for a piece that would reflect the importance of the afterlife to her. She was a chaplain in a hospital and her work was to comfort those who were dying. The painting needed to be a reminder of the beauty of life’s passages.
We sat for a couple of hours and talked. She shared about her work, her spiritual life and about the feeling she wanted when she looked at her painting. “S” was clear about the colors that she wanted.
My process for this piece was slightly different. I spent quite a bit of time in meditation asking for guidance in creating this painting. What appeared was unlike anything I had done before. When I was finished and delivered the painting, she was moved and thrilled with the end result as was I.
“V” and I are friends, but we had never shared on the level that she shared with me during the process of creating her painting.
I asked her to bring a box of things from home that she considered sacred. It didn’t matter what they were, how insignificant they might seem. I wanted a sense of what was most important to her in a more intimate way.
She arrived at my studio with a box as requested and we spent a few hours as she unpacked each piece one by one. We were both in tears as she told me of her passion for music, showed me the notes from patients she had helped, and brought out photos of those long gone. During this process she told me that lace had special meaning for her. It was in passing, but I took note.
As I began this painting I was unclear where it was going. Once again I asked for guidance. I requested that her spirit come through, the spirit that she felt she had long ago buried in favor of her medical career.
When I was partially done with the painting I called her in to the studio. I wanted to be sure I was heading the right direction. Though she loved what was happening on the canvas she said that there was one color that was bothering her. Up until then she hadn’t mentioned that she didn’t want me to use green because she didn’t remember her aversion to the color. But when she saw the small bits of green it triggered a memory of a painful experience from her childhood and she shared the story with me. So I transformed the green into something else, embedded a piece of lace in the painting and it all began to gel.
“V" was thrilled with her painting and with the experience of co-creating it with me. For her birthday I designed a fabric from that painting and made her a scarf so that she could wrap herself in the memories and the love whenever she wanted to. It was a beautiful experience for both of us.
I designed a scarf for myself with the extra fabric, my way of honoring the deepening of our friendship during this process. It is a special reminder to me each time I look at it hanging in my studio.
If you would like something designed specially for you, a painting or a fabric, please contact me.
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