When Libby got in touch to commission a personalised 40th birthday present for her husband, she wanted to create something that brought together some of their most meaningful places and memories.
The painting was to capture the view across St Mawes towards the Tresanton Hotel in Cornwall - the place where they were married and spent their honeymoon, while weaving in the colours of the most spectacular sunset they had shared together on a trip to Scotland.
Rather than recreating one exact moment, this commission became a way of bringing several cherished memories together in one painting including their honeymoon and a favourite Scottish holiday sunset.
A personalised birthday present inspired by a lifetime of memories
It's common that people come to me with a starting point for their commission, usually with a strong feeling or story attached to the place, but they're not yet sure on the exact view point, what to include or exclude.
Libby already had a few of my paintings in her home when she got in touch, but wasn't quite sure yet what the view itself should be. In her words:
"We got married at the Tresanton Hotel in St Mawes and have such happy memories there and of the scenery from there. It's hard to know what would be best to include - the hotel/ St Mawes itself /the view out to the lighthouse from the hotel."
Working through that together is part of the process. As we ran through a few composition ideas, it became clearer for Libby that the detail that mattered most was the beach just below the hotel, where she and husband had their wedding-day photos. And her husband loves a dramatic sunset, so the direction shifted toward "a moody sunset sky with a warm dramatic feel".
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Cornwall meets Scotland: Bringing together St Mawes, the Tresanton Hotel and a favourite Scottish sunset
Once I knew her husband loved a dramatic sunset, Libby sent me photos of a sunset they'd shared together on a trip to Scotland, and that became the second half of the painting.
The palette that emerged from those photos was rich and jewel-toned - purple-blues shifting into rose-orange pinks, with a hint of turquoise in the sea and pale surf breaking against it for contrast. Two meaningful places, brought together into one view.
Bringing the seascape painting to life
It was possible for me to visit St Mawes in person and take fresh reference photos of the beach and the view toward the Tresanton Hotel myself, so I had my own accurate reference to work from alongside her photos.
My reference photos from St Mawes were taken in ordinary daylight, so the first step was reimagining that same view under an entirely different sky - translating a blue sky afternoon into the warm, dramatic sunset, without losing the honesty of the location itself.
While the full painting was underway, I offered Libby a set of signed mini sunset prints to give her husband on his 40th birthday, with a note to let him know the full piece was on its way - a nice way to mark the birthday without the surprise having to wait until the painting was finished.
A 40th birthday present that celebrates more than one moment
Rather than choosing a single photo this commission became a way of holding two memories at once, a wedding day in Cornwall and a sunset shared in Scotland, in one painting. As Libby wrote once it arrived:
"Just wanted to say a massive thank you for the amazing painting. We both absolutely love it, can't stop looking at it. It's exactly what I imagined."
Behind the Commissioned Painting
- Location: St.Mawes, The Tresanton Hotel & Scotland
- Medium: Oil on board
- Size: 80 × 43 cm
- Commissioned as: Personalised 40th Birthday Present for a Husband
- Created from: Multiple reference photographs
Every commission I create tells a story - a memory, a feeling, a moment in time. I love helping collectors turn those moments into something tangible that lasts a lifetime. If you’d like to explore a painting commission of your own, do get in touch by simply filling out the form below and we can start discussing and planning something truly special.
