Emma Jennings Gallery & Studio, 8A Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda, Victoria, Australia
Open Thursday to Sunday 12 to 5pm or by appointment FREE SHIPPING IN APRIL!
Commission a painting
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss working together to fill a gap on your wall, or to honour someone special in your life with a portrait. I can help you make decisions along the way, and you will have a say at every point. I consider this a collaboration, but if you're completely stuck for ideas that's okay, I always have lots! I can make something to suit your budget, in any size or medium. I will work with you to make sure it ties in with your house, garden, lifestyle, and find out what's important to you. What story would you like to tell?!
Curious? Please get in touch for a no obligation chat about your ideas! See more commissions here
This painting combined lots of elements to fit perfectly into a space in the master bedroom, with tiny images to represent each family member, ideas about forest and tree roots, movement, and colours to match the other artwork, textiles and furniture of the room. Thank you for trusting me to make such a meaningful artwork, this was a privilege and a joy to work on!
Below is a portrait of sisters Angeli and Yasmin for their dad Errol. I painted Errol for our Stories of Giants project in 2023 to tell the story of their experience of the 2021 storm when 5 trees destroyed their home in Kalorama. The family was inside at the time, and I feel honoured they have allowed me to share their story. The background of this painting shows their memories of the forest and garden where the girls grew up They have since sold the property and sadly no longer live in the area.
Olinda Whispers private commission 2024
Watercolour and gouache on Japanese paper, two panels 1.5m x 2m
This painting is a wonderful example of making something meaningful for a lovely local family. They had a big wall in a beautiful house and magical garden with lots of architectural inspiration, plus changing light at different times of day and seasonal colours in the garden. The huge tulip tree was the hero, with the family all drawing together on a beautiful Spring afternoon to make the first marks. I referenced other personal elements to build gentle layers over the tulip tree rubbings, with the forest, kangaroo paw, whimsical fairy references, and metallic gold and silver to reflect the evening light that shines through the windows. This painting is for this family, in this house, in this garden. That's the beauty of a commission - it's just for you, making memories that will last a lifetime.
 Examples of my other work the client likes |  Photos of the client's house and garden, with colour swatches to use in the artwork |  Scale illustrations of the wall showing options of the artwork size |
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 Examples of the amount of detail in other paintings to help choose the budget |  First sketches! Showing examples of Japanese paper options, colours, textures, rough sketch of the c |  Ruling lines on the chosen Japanese paper referencing the architecture of the home |
 Family involvement! The much loved tulip tree in the garden was selected to be the source of texture |  Back in the studio, my turn for building up the wet layers of watercolour over the oil pastel |  Building up layers, constantly referring back to the colour swatches taken from the house and garden |
 Working on the details |  Final painting |  Framed and delivered with the family coming together to open it up |
 Installed on the wall! |
Frisby Fitzgerald Landscape Architects private commission 2021
Acrylic on ecoply art boards, five panels 1m x 4m
This was a wonderful challenge, to fill a long 6m wall at the Parkdale offices of FFLA. Colours were sampled from the existing concrete floor, carpet, views out the window, and industry awards. I referenced mapping and technical landscape design drawing elements, and presented several panel options for the space. Panels were beautifully custom made by Art Boards Australia, and once concept sketches and colours were approved the painting, despite being a practical challenge due to the size, was an absolute joy!
 Colour swatches, landscape reference material, panel design options |  Concept sketches and colour roughs |  Final delivery and installation |
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 Painting progress photos |