This commission was for a Christmas present....the original brief wasn't for a map but there was a humungous collection of places and pubs and things to go in. I had no idea how I was going to put them together in a picture that still looked attractive! Then I was struck by a brainwave that everything could be loosely dotted around a map of Cornwall and suddenly it all came together perfectly. So here is the scarily long list of things to go in....
The Anchor pub in Helston, famous for its home brewed 'Spingo Ales', (also to feature)
The Kings Arms in Stratton
The Tree Inn in Stratton
The Port William pub in Trebarwith Strand
The Bude Rats Running Club
Hampsons of Hayle Pasties
St Michael's Mount
Bude Chess Club
The Bude Barrel Monument
Manchester United
A pile of second hand cars used for spares
A pint of Guinness
Earl Grey Tea
Dominoes
The much loved pet dog
A jug of driftwood with heart ornaments hanging from it
A collection of loved friends and girlfriend
Once I had been rescued by my map brainwave, this daunting list of things could now fit together easily. I researched lots of old maps and was reminded that they always have an impressive compass included, as well as often ornate panels with extra information. The panels around the map made perfect mini paintings to put the people in and I found a lovely compass image on an old map of England to borrow. I was able to trace the outline of Cornwall in the perfect size directly from my road atlas, which was a relief as my Cornish friends would soon grumble if the outline wasn't right!
It was a real joy to put together, and the lady who commissioned the piece sent a photo of her chuffed man with the painting on his lap giving me the thumbs up on Christmas Day! He also took the time to send me his own thank you email. So we all were delighted, that's job satisfaction and customer satisfaction all rolled into one!
The Anchor pub in Helston, famous for its home brewed 'Spingo Ales', (also to feature)
The Kings Arms in Stratton
The Tree Inn in Stratton
The Port William pub in Trebarwith Strand
The Bude Rats Running Club
Hampsons of Hayle Pasties
St Michael's Mount
Bude Chess Club
The Bude Barrel Monument
Manchester United
A pile of second hand cars used for spares
A pint of Guinness
Earl Grey Tea
Dominoes
The much loved pet dog
A jug of driftwood with heart ornaments hanging from it
A collection of loved friends and girlfriend
Once I had been rescued by my map brainwave, this daunting list of things could now fit together easily. I researched lots of old maps and was reminded that they always have an impressive compass included, as well as often ornate panels with extra information. The panels around the map made perfect mini paintings to put the people in and I found a lovely compass image on an old map of England to borrow. I was able to trace the outline of Cornwall in the perfect size directly from my road atlas, which was a relief as my Cornish friends would soon grumble if the outline wasn't right!
It was a real joy to put together, and the lady who commissioned the piece sent a photo of her chuffed man with the painting on his lap giving me the thumbs up on Christmas Day! He also took the time to send me his own thank you email. So we all were delighted, that's job satisfaction and customer satisfaction all rolled into one!
RSS Feed
