The YouTube video embedded above demonstrates the process of creating a painting of a client’s childhood home.
Commissions are welcomed! To create a commissioned painting, I work with a client to tell a story in watercolor. We start with their photos and talk about their memories and ideas and how the subject is meaningful to them. For the examples below, the client had in mind some iconic views of South Beach, populated with their family members.
Arranging the scene for the sketch
A value study to check my composition
By the time a painting is finished I’ve created the scene three times. I start with a sketch, experimenting by moving and overlapping shapes using tracing paper. Beginning with the sketch, value studies along the way help establish a strong composition and make sure there is a path for the eye to travel.
A family photo (at center top)
helps me populate the scenes
Watercolor study with 7 grandchildren and grandparents hanging out on the dock
Emailing photos of the work at each stage gives the client an idea of what I’m thinking, and a chance for me to see if the work is headed in the right direction. After the sketch I paint a watercolor study, getting closer the final version. Moving to the larger size of the final painting opens things up quite a bit. The sketch, watercolor study, value studies, and feedback from my client give me confidence that I can tell their story.
Send me an email if you’re interested in commissioning a painting, or if you’d like more information (jomyerswalker@gmail.com)!
Completed paintings — the street scene at right has
15 family members interacting, telling a story.
Jo Myers-Walker's Blog 
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