Ruby Anniversary Present

I got an email from a lady asking for a painting which was going to be a gift to her parents for their ruby wedding anniversary. The whole process starts with me asking for photos and for scenes of special moments in their 'love story' I always think this is a lovely part of the process as the person commissioning the painting finds out sweet stories about the couple and about places or things to be included in the painting. In this one, the couple visited Monte Carlo in their twenties, and vowed to return to the very very posh and very beautiful Hotel du Paris on their 40th Wedding Anniversary. They kept their vow and so the hotel had to be a big part of the picture. (Little did I realise how ornate it was and how fiddly to paint!) Another nice story was that the family all used to holiday in Swanage and have a plaque on Swanage pier that they have adopted, and they shine it up whenever they visit. So the pier had to go in...a scene from their wedding day, plus a beloved Fender guitar, their old Morgan car, as well as the family home, references to holidays and a cherished photo of the children...

Fitting all the parts together is always a bit tricky but I sent off a sketch and got the go ahead. A week later the painting was ready...it is apparently now hanging in the living room of it's new owners. Chuffed!