What am I creating NOW for Holland Hospital?

I am blessed to be able to create happy art for the healthcare facilities. Providing the community and workers with something positive and uplifting in their hallways, reception areas and offices. My latest project is for Holland Hospital. A view on top of the dunes looking out towards the lake with Big Red in the distance. I've been working with Mindi Freng (Mindi Freng Designs from East Grand Rapids) for a couple decades now! Happy to call her a great friend and fellow creative. We get each other and gel well.

Love my upside-down sticker? LOL🤪

The great part about being a painter is that I get to omit, change and add to the painting in process. I use photos for reference. Majority of my paintings come from my personal photographs. In this case, I'm using multiple photos for reference to create the perfect painting. Changing some of the landscape and turning the fall colors into a summer inspiration and adding a sunset. Looks like I will need to take a trip to this area now that it is starting to green up for additional photos and future paintings!

"The possibilities are endless if you let your imagination take hold. Freedom to create the unknown!" -Christi Dreese

The space will include a few other paintings and therefore I will need this piece to work well with the additional paintings in the room. The deadline is tight with an installation date of June 5th. I've also been spinning ideas around a little too long instead of just getting started. A little procrastination! However, once I get started, I kick it in high gear. Inspired, motivated and on a mission. I think I actually work better under pressure when it gets down to the nitty gritty. I really hone down and focus on what needs to be done. Over analyzing just doesn't help.

I'm off to a good start and I have the first layer blocked in. I prep all of my canvas' black. The colors really pop off of the canvas. I leave a little bit of black here and there exposed throughout the painting. Chalk seems to be the easiest and most forgiving if I want to change something. It's easy to see the outline and I can use baby wipes to wipe it out if I don't like it or change my mind.

My summer color palette for this commission.

I probably have every manufacturer's paint in my messy collection. I started mixing my own paint as well. A little time consuming but really gives me a beautiful, buttery consistence and quality paint if I hand make it myself with linseed oil and pigment from Kama Pigment in Canada. Love their products!

Lately I've been mixing my paint with Neo Megilp to speed up the drying time. Alkyd medium works well too but I'd recommend the smaller bottles. The large bottles (I typically buy) once opened end up drying to glob of rubber if you don't use it soon enough. So, I've switched to Neo Megilp.

A glass of wine never hurts with a little background music. Sometimes classic rock and other times jazz. Just depends on my mood. :)

I'm off to a good start. My first layer should be partially dry tomorrow so I can continue to add layers of paint. If I don't give it time to rest, the paint becomes a muddy mess. Some things I've learned over the years.

I'll be back at it tomorrow with an update on this painting! Stop back and check out the progress.

More of my originals can be found here.

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