The journal / Commissions
A painting made
for a place.
You have a wall that matters, and nothing seems to fit it. Perhaps it is the first thing you see when you come through the front door, or a long wall in the living room that has stayed bare for months. You have looked at a great many paintings. One is too small for the space, another has the right energy but the wrong colours, and the one you loved most has already sold.
This is usually the point at which a commission makes sense. Rather than hoping to find a painting that happens to suit the room, you start with the room itself, and Paresh creates a unique painting for it, in the size, colours and mood you are looking for.
By Rasika Nrshinga, with notes from Paresh Nrshinga FRSA. Here is how a commission works, using a North London home as an example.
01 / In brief
How does commissioning a painting work?
- How it starts: a conversation about the paintings in the collection you connect with, the size you need, and an image of your wall.
- If you are unsure: we place a few paintings from the collection into images of your own space, or Paresh can visit your home or workplace.
- How long it takes: usually two to six weeks once the brief is agreed. The North London commission took around four weeks.
- Before work begins: dimensions, materials, price and timing are confirmed in writing, and a 50% deposit is taken.
- What you receive: a unique original painting, often with alternatives to choose from.
02 / Where it begins
Where does a commission begin?
A commission usually begins with a conversation. Clients often point us to paintings in the existing collection that they connect with, which tells us a great deal about the mood, style and colours they are looking for. We also talk about size, and how large the painting needs to be to hold its own in the space.
An image of the wall where the painting will hang helps immensely. It shows the interior around it, from the furniture and finishes to the way light falls into the room, so we can see how everything will work together. A straight on view is the most useful, although it is not needed for that first conversation.
Some clients also like to send colour swatches, particularly if there are fabrics they have used in the room. An image of those fabrics works just as well. It is entirely optional, but it can be a helpful guide when the palette is being shaped.
03 / The brief
What does Paresh look for in a brief?
We asked Paresh what matters most to him when a commission brief first arrives.
“First of all, I look at the paintings in my original collection that the client connects with. I have quite a range of different styles and types of painting, so their choices show me the mood and direction the client is looking for, from the composition to the brushwork. Then come the colours, and then the size. With a bespoke piece, it is often a particular size they need for their wall.”
What a brief should not try to fix is every brushstroke. A commission is a conversation between the space and the way Paresh works with colour, layers and movement. If a sold painting is the starting point, it helps to communicate the energy or palette a client loves. Sometimes a client gives a few guidelines, such as what they like, and is then happy to leave the rest to Paresh.
Most clients already know what they connect with, and the brief comes naturally from them. Others are less sure, particularly when they are facing a large wall and have no clear picture of what should go on it. That is where we can help.
If you are not quite sure, simply send us a few images of the space. We will pick out some paintings from the collection that suit the size, colours and mood you have in mind, and place them into your own images so you can see how each one might look on your wall. If you would rather talk it through in person, Paresh is very happy to visit, whether it is a home or a workplace, to see the space and have a chat. Once you can picture a painting in place, the decision usually becomes much easier.
That is how our work with London Executive Offices began. The team was not sure at first, so we showed them a few options on their own walls, and they chose from those.
A mock-up is a guide to scale and direction rather than a preview of the finished painting.
04 / Scale, palette and surface
Which decisions matter most?
Scale. Size is decided before anything else, and it is decided against the room rather than in isolation. A canvas that looks generous in the studio can feel modest on a long wall with a high ceiling. Our guide to choosing the right size painting for a large wall sets out proportions by furniture width and hanging height.
Palette. Swatches help to guide colour without turning the painting into a paint chart. Paresh works in layers, so a colour chosen to sit with a sofa or a stone floor may appear in the finished work as one tone among several, or as a passage that only shows itself up close.
Surface. Acrylic on canvas is central to the practice. Built up passages, and details such as metallic leaf, can be discussed where they suit the work and the setting. Materials and finish are confirmed in writing before painting begins.
Once these decisions are made, we confirm the dimensions, materials, price and an indicative timescale in a written proposal. A 50% deposit is taken before work starts.
05 / In the studio
How long does a commission take?
The painting itself is made in the studio. As a guide, a commission takes around two to six weeks once the brief is agreed, depending on scale, complexity and current commitments.
The commission shown here took around four weeks. Paresh offered the client three variations of the painting to choose from.
When the painting is finished, we share images of it before the next steps are agreed. Any review stages or refinements are part of the original brief, so expectations are clear on both sides.
It is also quite usual for Paresh to paint more than one version. He works on a commission rather like a small collection, keeping to the brief while exploring alternatives alongside it. Sometimes a client chooses a painting that has moved a little away from where they started.
“I’ll stick to the original brief, but I’ll also do alternatives as well when I work on a collection.”
06 / Living with it
Living with a painting made for you
A commission is personal by nature. It was made with one room in mind. Yet the best commissioned works keep their independence. They answer the space without being tied to it, and they continue to hold attention if the room changes around them.
A final thought
Begin with the space.
If you have a wall, a room or simply an idea in mind, the Bespoke Commissions page sets out the practical steps. If you are still deciding between an available original and a new work, a personal art consultation is a good place to start.
You can see more of Paresh's paintings in private homes and workplaces in Selected Projects.
Discuss a commission →View selected projects
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How to Choose the Right Size Painting for a Large Wall