25/10/2026
This is a custom painting that I made for a client a few years ago. I always ask if there are details that I should be sure to include in custom paintings, so this particular client gave me a list of things that were important, including the couch.
As I work on the painting, I share in-progress images. This gives clients a chance to weigh in, ask for edits and adjustments, etc. As the painting progressed, an optical illusion began to appear, where the absence of the couch in the bottom right corner looked an awful lot like shadows from the furniture that I had already painted.
Now, my job as the artist is to make a painting that my clients are excited to see every day. I don't have to live with it - my clients do. But my job is *ALSO* to point out the spontaneous moments of magic that occur.
I was really excited about the NON couch, and suggested that we keep it. Ultimately, my client agreed we should leave it out, but I was able to add some of the colors of the couch cushions in the shadow, which was a nice compromise between couch / no couch.
When you order a custom painting, you don't just send off your money and have a painting automatically appear a few months later. I'm in regular contact with clients, explaining how the painting evolves step by step, inviting input and final approval before I ship it to your door.
If you're interested in learning more about how the process works, start here: https://www.erikastearly.com/commissions
