Commissioning A Portrait
- jakemerin
- Jan 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 11
A Journey Through Paint and Texture
There is a moment in the studio when a portrait stops being a collection of colours and begins to pulse with the rhythm of a human life. In my work, I don’t seek to replicate the surface details that a camera can easily catch. Instead, I look for the energy, the unspoken tension, and the quiet triumphs that exist beneath the skin. My goal is to paint not just how you look, but how you feel to the world.
A portrait commission is basically a collaboration between us. It begins long before I pick up a palette knife. We spend time uncovering the "abstract" version of your story. I listen for the colours of your experiences - the deep, resonant blues of your reflective moments or the vibrant tempo of your ambitions. This conversation is the blueprint. It allows me to see the invisible lines of your character, which will eventually become the physical marks on the canvas.
When I finally stand before the canvas, the process is one of controlled exploration. Using the concept of abstract expressionism, I lay down the atmosphere. I work with the weight of the paint, letting it flow and collide in ways that mirror the beautiful unpredictability of life. There is a freedom here, I am chasing a gesture, a mood, a sudden flash of light that represents a memory we discussed. At this stage, the portrait is a landscape of emotion - raw, fluid, and deeply personal. I am building a world that only you inhabit, using colour as a language where words cannot express.
The Defining Mark: The Textural Line
Then comes the defining moment, the introduction of my patented textural lines. These are not merely decorative, they are the architectural skeleton of my work. It begins to weave through the abstract fields of colour, carving out the form and features that make you who you are. These lines represent the paths we’ve walked and the boundaries we’ve broken. They bring a sculptural, three-dimensional energy to the piece, catching the light as you move past the painting, making the portrait feel alive and ever-changing.
These signature ridges and grooves are the "fingerprint" of the work. They provide the structure that holds the emotion of the abstraction together, creating a bridge between the ethereal world of feeling and the physical world of the viewer.
The Transformation
To commission a portrait in this style is to invite a transformation. It is an act of courage to see yourself through the canvas of abstract expressionism - to see your life rendered in bold textures and sweeping gestures.
The final piece is more than a painting, it is a physical manifestation of your essence. It is not a piece that just hang on a wall, but speaks to everyone who enters the room. It tells them that you are a person of depth, layers, and textured strength.
Your story is far too vibrant to be told in a flat, static way. It deserves the movement of paint and the gravity of texture. If you are ready to see your inner world brought to the surface through this unique, patented process, I invite you to reach out. Let’s sit down, find your rhythm, and begin the first strokes of your legacy.
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