Bill do you ever do a commission for someone?

 It's a question that I often get and the answer is - yes!

For more than forty years I have made my way to my Studio most days eager to create and expand on a myriad of topics and subjects.  Truth is, I typically am working more than a year in advance towards certain exhibitions and commitments.  So you may ask, "when in the world would you have time to do a commission for someone?"  Answer is: more often than you think.  On average I do about six to ten commissions annually.  They range from both my traditional style to my more contemporary work.

Often times collectors have been looking for a particular subject, size or palette to compliment the decor of a particular room.  And as often as one may search sometimes it's easier and more satisfying to have an artist create a piece specifically for you.  That is where my talent comes alongside your vision.  You may have a picture that relates to you, maybe its a space over the sofa that's large or you have a extraordinarily Persian rug that you want the art to compliment.  Well, I love the challenge and forethought of what it takes to pull off such a specific painting.

Recently I was asked by Julia Wittenberg to create a painting for their mountain retreat at Hound Ears near Grandfather mountain.  She wanted to surprise her husband Bill for Christmas with a beautiful painting of the mountain vista they get to admire each evening.  With just her handful of her photos I put together my thoughts and captured it in this small video, music by the great James Taylor.

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words and several give you the insight in what turned out to be a stellar Christmas surprise!

Watch the creation of this "Grandfather Mountain" commission