Have you ever considered asking a gallery artist to make a work of art for you? One to suit your interiors or fill a specific spot in your home?

We reveal how the process is much less daunting than you might think by talking with our clients, Stuart and Yvonne Goldberg, who did just that, working hand-in-hand with us and printmaker Paul Minott...

Why did you choose the artist Paul Minott? What in particular drew you to his work? 

We chose Paul Minott after seeing his work on display at the Modern ArtBuyer stand at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. We were drawn to his work because of its beautiful but striking simplicity, bold use of colours and blend of the minimal with the colourful.
 

Please can you talk us through the briefing process with Modern ArtBuyer?

Firstly, we took photos of the wall space we wanted to fill, along with the rest of the room (our kitchen/diner extension) and the dimensions, which we sent to Jessica at Modern ArtBuyer so that she could brief Paul.

As part of the briefing process, Jessica then sent us varied samples of the print compositions which Paul had previously created so we could have a think about the palette, composition and feel of the pieces we wanted him to create for us, as well as quantity and sizing. Jessica also created some visuals showing how Paul’s framed prints would look in proportion on our chosen wall – displaying groupings of two and three framed prints in landscape and portrait orientation.

After we’d decided to go for three portrait-orientation pieces, we chatted over the phone with Jessica about the wide range of composition styles and colour palettes we’d reviewed and agreed on a final approach, which enabled Jessica to fully brief Paul.

Paul then came back with a shortlist of three options to choose from. From there it was easy to decide which one we liked best and give the go-ahead!

Was the final set of prints how you had imagined they’d turn out or was it a different interpretation? 

They were exactly as expected!

But that’s also because Jessica and Paul were great at providing updates, even putting the commissioned design in situ in mock-up photos.

How did you find being part of the artistic process? Was it exciting, nerve-wracking, inspiring perhaps?

It was really exciting and definitely much easier than we expected.

We’re not very good at making bold decisions but Jessica really eased us through the process by always giving us lots of examples to work from and stimulating our imaginations.

Also, there was never any pressure, she and Paul were always so flexible, which meant we could really be relaxed about gradually working towards our final choice.

What has been the response to the new works?

Great – people love it. Especially the fact the pictures are unique and even have their own titles (“Goldberg Variations 1-3”)!

They’re so striking yet warm and welcoming. They are just what we were looking for. It’s also been great to feel that we have actually created our own works of art to own and treasure.
 

What advice would you give to anyone looking to commission an artist?

Don’t be scared.

It’s much easier than you expect and you’re guaranteed to have something that’s both beautifully personal and which you’ll absolutely love by the end of it.