A WEDDING PROPOSAL / TRAVEL WITH MY ART #31: CAPE PLANKA

Happy holidays everyone! How are you doing? Today I'll present a new painting of mine. This painting was a commission. I do accept commissions at times and I generally enjoy them. A commissioned painting is a painting ordered from an artist. There are many reasons why somebody might order a commissioned painting. It might be a present, for example a wedding present or even a present for a wedding anniversary. You might want to hire an artist to capture a place that means something to you or your significant other. Commissions are often associated with portrait art, but they can also be landscapes. You might want a landscape (or a seascape) of a place where you met your husband or wife. 

The story of this commissioned painting is a romantic one. When I was contacted by a young lady to paint Cape Planka, the most prominent point of land along Dalmatian coast, I didn't know the full story of why she wanted me to paint this particular place. However, I was immediately attracted to this place. When I did research about it, I found some fascinating things, but more about that some other time because today we'll focusing more on the personal aspect of Cape Planka commission. I said the 'why' behind this commission was a romantic one. Caple Planka is where the young lady who ordered this painting met her husband. The reason why I titled it a wedding proposal is because it was the start of their story. Painting something this romantic made me reflect on my special day and my wedding dress that I still occasionally put on just for fun. 






Before me get back to the topic of this post (that is the painting), let me reminiscent about my wedding dress for a second. If there is anything I learned from picking out my wedding dress it is that you shouldn't be focused on the trends or the rules. Wear whatever style makes you happy. It's your special day and you deserve to be happy. As soon as I saw my wedding dress, I knew that it was the one. My wedding dress proved to be wonderfully comfortable. I couldn't have asked for a better dress. Funny thing is that I haven't even tried any other wedding dresses. I saw this one in a shop by accident, it wasn't even labeled as a wedding dress, it was sold under the name of a special occasion dress but as soon as I saw it, I just knew that was the one. It wasn't even expensive! I'm still happy with it. Moreover, I can wear my wedding dresses whenever I want to remember my big day. I'm still getting questions about my wedding dress and it's been years since I got married. Many women have asked me about it, some offering to buy it, some asking me to borrow it. I feel like a lot of brides will just go and buy the dress everyone else is wearing. I get it because we are all creatures of habits, but sometimes (as for example on your special day) you really need to think about what will make you happy. Now, back to the subject of this post!

MEDIUM: ACRYLIC PAINTS ON A 80X80 CM CANVAS!
This is a big painting! The client originally wanted a meter in width and length for the canvas (that is 1mX 1m). I had already made the meter order in the local gallery Michelangelo when she called me and said she needs it to be 80/80 cm. I called the gallery and they made the canvas with exactly those measures. I typically order my canvases from Michelangelo gallery because they hand make them with quality cotton. I find quality canvases to be a good investment. Let me know about you.


The process of making this painting was as long and as challenging as you can imagine. I was provided with a reference photograph that was a bit blurry so that made things  a bit difficult. Still, it was a beautiful photographs (you can see it above). I had to adjust the proportions to make them fit.  A commissioned painting can take as a while to finish, because it might involve a lot of communication, dialogue and negotiating. In addition, in some cases adjustments must be made. In my case, commissions may take some time to finish as I work full time in the educational sector. In fact, I'm surprised that I manged to finish this one in only three months, considering my long work hours and a few hospitalizations I've had in the past three months. Sometimes I'm proud of my work ethics. Not that I never rest. In fact, I've been catching up on sleep time lately. Don't expect too much from me as  blogger. I was thinking of shutting down the blog because life, but I've decided to keep it going for now.



DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE ART? 

IF YOU DO, YOU MAY CHECK OUT MORE 'TRAVEL WITH MY ART' POSTS

LINKS LEADING TO OTHER POSTS IN ' TRAVEL WITH MY ART' SERIES PROVIDED BELOW


#1 PALERMO ISLAND SICILY (ITALY)
#2 BAY MALA STINIVA, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#3 IRKUTSK, SIBERIA (RUSSIA)
#4  MATEJUŠKA, SPLIT CITY (CROATIA)
#5 HVAR CITY, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#6 ZENTA MARINE, SPLIT CITY (CROATIA)
#7 ZAVALA, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#8 SUCURAJ, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#9 MALA STINIVA, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#10 HVAR TOWN, ISLAND HVAR ( CROATIA)
#11 JELSA TOWN, DANCE O THE SAILS (CROATIA)
#12 ZAVALA, ISLAND HVAR, (CROATIA)
#13: SUCURAJ, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#14: BAY BRIZENICA, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA) 
#15 BAY LOZNA, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#16 BAY VEPRINOVA, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#17 BOL, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#18 PLANINICA, (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)
#19 SUCURAJ, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#20 BEACH SOLINE,VRBOSKA,  ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#21 STARI GRAD, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#22 MAKARSKA (CROATIA)
#23 ZAVALA  PANORAMA (CROATIA)
#24 ŽNJAN BEACH, SPLIT CITY (CROATIA)
#25 JELSA, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#26 ZAVALA BAY, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#27 MALA STINIVA IN SUMMER, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
 #28 TRAVEL WITH MY ART, BASINA BAY, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#29 TRAVEL WITH MY ART, BAY TORAC, ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)
#30 TRAVEL WITH MY ART, VALETTA, ISLAND MALTA (MALTA)

The dress I'm wearing is my own creation. You might remember it from a post I did on it a while back, explaining how I did it as a 'graduation' work for the fashion sewing course I took. It's a dark grey midi dress that looks great with everything. The heels I've had for a long time. I wore this outfit on Christmas day (but I changed my shoes). These heels are not intended for wear, not the most comfortable pair if you know what I mean. I usually only wear them for short periods of time. For the Christmas dinner at my in-laws, I also wore  a striped sweater. My parents actually got married on Christmas and this year it was their fortieth wedding anniversary. 


Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all the best in 2023!

Comments

  1. ellie30 December 2022 at 15:00

    Such an exciting post! It's as if it's gone full circle..some how. Beautiful dress you have made too. So great to see your work. Such a lovely sunset! Great to see a revisit to your wedding dress too. All the best to the holidays and a great 2023!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joni James30 December 2022 at 16:08

    For some reason I couldn't access your blog for some time. Glad I'm here again. Love the commissioned piece and you look proud! I think commissioned pieces are scary and I tend to be more critical of my work if someone is paying for a custom piece. You did a great job here. Happy New Year!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ivana Split30 December 2022 at 23:44

      I get what you mean. Commissioned pieces can be stressful and crazy because you are never quite sure are the two of you on the same page.

      Delete
  3. J.P. Alexander30 December 2022 at 16:33

    Que hermosa pintura. Pasaba a desearte un feliz año lleno de prosperidad para ti y para tu familia. Te mando un beso.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mica30 December 2022 at 19:12

    That is a lovely painting, what a great commission you did! I like your dress as well, it looks perfect for Christmas :)

    Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and you have a happy new year!

    www.awayfromtheblue.blogspot.com.au

    ReplyDelete
  5. Polyester Princess31 December 2022 at 10:53

    How exciting to get a commission, Ivana, and the painting is absolutely stunning.As is your wedding dress. How lovely that you still occasionally wear it for fun!
    The dress you wore on Christmas Day is a stunner too. You do look amazing! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. H A S S A N1 January 2023 at 09:41

    Beautiful photos and great paintings as always

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sheila3 January 2023 at 18:23

    Happy Christmas and New Year, Ivana! You look incredible in your wedding dress! Love the new painting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kezzie7 January 2023 at 12:03

    I am so excited you got this wonderful commission! To be part of something so romantic is wonderful!!! Your painting is really beautiful.
    I remember you said you had a Grecian wedding dress as we both like that style- I think it is gorgeous- One of my four wedding dresses was Grecian - I know, I am bad! I never went to a Bridal bouttique but bought one second hand on EBay, then I ended one buying one in a Monsoon that was closing down AND then I found the dream wedding dress I had really wanted, second hand on eBay AND then my one for doing folkdance in second hand. But I never wore that first one as it needed to have these horrendous sleeves that were added taken off (I didn't see them in the post on eBay has they were sheer) to wear it. Nasty sleeves aside, it is really similar to yours!
    Sorry to hear you had a few hospitalizations this term- are you ok?x

    ReplyDelete

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All your comments mean a lot to me, even the criticism. Naravno da mi puno znači što ste uzeli vrijeme da nešto napišete, pa makar to bila i kritika. Per me le vostre parole sono sempre preziose anche quando si tratta di critiche.

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