Art at Scale: Inside a Current Hospital Commission

Thanks to artists Daryl Muncey and Jonathan Miller, we literally got this project off the ground.

When an art consultant approaches you for a 22 foot canvas, you know it's not going to be a typical project. This commission for a prestigious East Coast hospital represents a large-scale challenge.
To begin, this project requires a long, continuous canvas roll and next, a custom support system combining aluminum and wood, engineered to maintain structural integrity across this expansive surface. On the canvas, I have drawn in a grid to proportionately locate all of the elements in the composition.

Right now, the canvas is in its foundational stage. It looks rough and unfinished, but that's intentional. I'm focused on structural elements and spatial relationships, not aesthetic refinement. Now that the oil is blocked in, I can begin the artistic process, creating a finished work that is appealing across this 22 foot span.

Creating art this large isn't just about technique—it's physical work and I'm constantly repositioning myself and the canvas to access different sections. Each part requires a different perspective and approach.

I am fortunate to always have commissions going and this project is one of four currently, but it stands out for its complexity and sheer size. With the support from art consultant Mary Dreblow, who procured the project, what could be overwhelming becomes an exciting artistic challenge.

Sometimes, art is about more than just the final image—it's about the process of creation itself.

Work in progress, first blocking in

New Work: Yellows Beyond the Water, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

Exhibiting: Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

$6650 framed
To purchase
 
It’s a common occurrence among artists that someone will ask you, “How long did it take to make that painting?” It’s a good way to start a conversation since the person doing the asking can’t be expected to ask technical questions that are outside their experience. The best answer is that it varies.
 
In this case, my answer would be that it took me 3 years to the month to complete this one. There are other works in the studio that have been around for a similar length of time, but I’m not bothered by the slow progress. At any time in the studio I have over a dozen works in progress with each one moving at their own speed and path toward completion. Fortunately, most of the oils finish in 1-3 months.
 
Walking into the studio is like going to school every day where there are lots of problems to be solved and this painting certainly had it's share. I keep a photo record how these works evolve and for this oil there were 6 different variations before this 7th idea provided a good solution.
 
As I worked on it, the yellows began to take over and became the main color. This shift helped reveal the shapes and patterns within the painting, making them glow beautifully. The years- long process allowed me to discover and refine the artwork in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

Grateful Notices: Tangerine Evening I, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

Tangerine Evening I, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches Exhibited: Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

Private collection
 
My thanks to the collector of this oil.

About this oil:
This is a composition I was immediately attracted to. It was from a photograph that I came across and a canvas was begun the next morning. The challenge was to use those three strip elements and create something interesting without losing the original simplicity.
 
It’s another one of those sunset challenges – make something compelling without the full orchestra fully going at it. So, subtle it will be and I decided on soft tangerine hues.
 
I began blocking in the canvas with loose, open strokes and allowing the green and tangerine variations to show without blending. Once the land mass was added, it became very clear that a minimum of detail would be necessary. That was a nice surprise – there was enough texture in the brushwork elsewhere to create a uniform but quiet complexity. The land mass is important, but only to serve as a break in the composition in order to set up the illusion of weight and distance.
 
After blocking it all in, I left it for the day and when I returned to the studio the next morning, the oil declared itself done. There was nothing left to add except a signature…a very satisfying outcome!