Tree Court, Cambridge - Commission for a Couple

This is a very recent commission for a couple that both went to college in Cambridge. In fact their halls was in Tree Court where this piece is based. I am very ashamed to say I hadn't heard of Tree Court, or ever visited it, so when I went for my recce trip to see I have to say I fell in love. What beautiful trees!!!! They have such slender end elegant lines and were just the loveliest thing to draw.

Tree Court commission drawing © Vanessa Stone

Tree Court commission drawing © Vanessa Stone 2015

Tree Court Commission © Vanessa Stone 2015

A commission always starts in the same way - someone contacts me about an idea they have and then I prep up some drawings from which they choose their favourite composition. These drawings above and the ones I sent off and you can see which one was chosen. I have to say this was one of my favourite commissions. Its slipped off the knife so easily.  found it hard to deliver and let go. Pieces aren't always like that. Sometimes they are a pig to make and I am happy to finish them!!

Tree Court commission ©Vanessa Stone 2015

And here is the finished piece. Its approximately 25 cm x 25 cm and framed in a solid birch wood deep frame. Its mounted in Arches watercolour paper and window mounted to show off the texture of the watercolour paper.

Tree Court Commission ©Vanessa Stone 2015

A Nativity commission......

I had the challenge recently of making a nativity piece. This was wanted as an heirloom piece so I knew it was to be enjoyed for a long, long time! I had a specific idea in my head quite quickly and sketched out a rough plan in my A3 sketchbook.  I wanted to make one that was rectangular rather than square or portrait, and I knew the size (A3) wouldn’t allow for all the figures of the nativity to be clearly detailed. I wanted the richness of the king’s clothes to really shine out, and to get across the closeness of Mary and Joseph and the bond of the baby that made them this little family. I did this by the positioning of their hands and the fact that they both envelop the baby Jesus. I wanted to get some of the animals in too... I really wanted to get a bunny in as well but decided that Nazareth probably didn’t feature those!

rough sketch - page 1

rough sketch - page 2

It’s a hard challenge... what should Mary and Joseph look like? What colour skin? What clothes should the kings were? Should I stick with echoes of the nativity scenes I grew up with? I have very much come away from the Catholic upbringing I had, but still have a strong sense of God. So this commission piece made me think and ponder, and that is a lovely thing to happen in a commission as it makes it a deeper experience.

So here is the piece and the client was very pleased. There is always a nervous wait in between sending a piece off and hearing back. In the photo below you can get a sense of the layers I cut with this one. In some places it was very thick, about six layers deep. It very hard to cut that away so I had to concentrate very hard to not cut myself with the scalpel.

The surface of the piece showing the cut away layers....

Close up detail of the Holy Family.....

The finished commission

70's day at Mill Green Museum.....

70's Day at Mill Green Museum was a fun day! I ran a drop in event for children - and adults too - from 12 til 5pm  to come and have a go at working with sticky backed plastic and here are a few of what was made.... camels/ flowers and cars! Mill Green Museum in between Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City is a lovely place to visit!