It's always exciting the moment a painting takes on a life of its own.  When I complete my house portrait,  I have not only created a beautiful work of art but captured the character and personality of the home.   I realize the reason many people want a portrait of their home is that so many of our  life’s memories  are tied to it. I want those memories to come flooding back when you look at my painting on your wall. I also want to reach a common emotion with the viewer so it doesn’t matter if it is their home or a friends home it touches a nerve within. Great house portraits should touch the mind, heart and soul of the viewer.  I think the composition is the first and most important decision. I like to find an angle on the house where I can create a dynamic composition and still see the front door. The front door  really talks about home, it is great when you can lead the viewers eye through the painting using dappled sunlight and shadow having it culminating at the front door.  I want the eye to rest on the blooms and flowers along the way.  I am not always fortunate enough to have the blooms or flowers at there peak of bloom or even captured on film.  This is not a problem if you can direct me on the colors and types of flowers you have in your garden.  

    The commission process usually begins with us agreeing on one or two views that will make the best painting and capture your memories.  I start  my paintings on an unstretched canvas.  This technique allows me to adjust the composition along the way.  Initially, I draw the house and surrounding gardens in pencil focussing on the perspective and surrounding detail.  My goal is to highlight the home’s best features. I really enjoy interacting with my clients during the artistic process. As I sit at my french easel  many of my  clients  like to periodically look over my shoulder to  watch there paintings come to life.  I always love the moment when they look at the painting on my easel in silence.  I know then I have achieved the desired effect.  The silence is then followed with them often talking about how the painting has captured the light or a detail so beautifully.

    I have painted  hundreds of house portraits and I always ensure my clients are 100% satisfied.  All my house paintings remain in private collections.   My prices allow me the time to capture the details that are important.   I realize the hard work it took my clients to acquire these great homes.   Often fine examples of a particular style of architecture, some of these prestigious homes have been showcased in Architectural Digest.  I like to paint from life when possible.  The plein air experience helps me feel the landscape and experience the living home.  I can then incorporate more subtle nuances of form and color into the painting.  I understand it is not always possible to work from life so I have honed my photographic skills to ensure I have the best reference material. I can also discuss how you can take the pictures for me. It's exciting to consider the possibility that one day my commissioned house painting may become a cherished heirloom for many generations of a family.

     I have been able to make my living from my paintings before graduating from art school.  I attribute my painting success to being raised in my father’s studio Ken Dallison a famous illustrator and my training at the Ontario College of Art and Design.  Most of my clients learned about me by seeing my paintings hanging in other peoples homes. I built this website in 2009 at the urging of my clients.  I felt it would allow greater access to my paintings to be also represented on the web.  Until recently all my commissions were received by word of mouth. Please contact Peter today to arrange for a free quote. The process is very easy once we decide on the angle you leave the rest up to me.

                                           

                 Peter Dallison * New Jersey * USA *    email peter@peterdallison.com