The Art of Commission: Stories from the Studio
- Karena de Pont
- Sep 18, 2025
- 6 min read
Commissioning an artwork is more than just acquiring something beautiful — it’s a collaboration, a meeting of imagination, trust, and creativity. For artists, each commission brings a new challenge and an opportunity to connect more deeply with clients. For clients, it offers a chance to co-create something personal and lasting.
We asked several artists in our network to share their experiences and reflections on commissions, and their stories reveal just how unique — and rewarding — the process can be.
Philippa Stichbury – Listening, Adapting, Connecting
For Philippa Stichbury, the starting point is always conversation: “Receiving a commission is a compliment! The client likes your work and the commission is an affirmation. I like to spend time talking with my clients about what they like about the work they have seen and how it can be adapted to fulfil their wishes. This sometimes involves a site visit to look at views or colours, and I listen to what they think they would like depicted. I then try to give the client a clear idea of what I would like to do and often revisit with sketches or plans for further discussion.”
Those conversations can completely transform a project. Philippa admits that a current commission didn’t spark her interest at first, but listening closely to her clients’ vision shifted her perspective:
“It has given me the opportunity to extend my thinking and incorporate new ideas that bring more personal meaning and connection for the client. Now I am excited to get started on this piece and having talked through the ideas with the clients I know they are excited about it too.”
Her commissioned works are often deeply personal. Still Life With Jigsaw came from a request by an American collector who had seen one of her earlier works and wanted a variation with her own twist. Another, Spanish Landscape, was created for a friend who simply asked for “yellow” and “landscape” — memories of their shared travels in Spain brought the work to life.
Pauline Gough – Symbolism and Storytelling
Commissions often carry strong symbolism, as Pauline Gough’s recent work shows. She was asked by a South Otago farmer to create a 40th wedding anniversary gift for his wife. “They have three adult children, so my brief was to paint a bull (dad), cow (mum) and their three children. The numbers on the ear tags indicate the day they married (1989) and the year each child was born.”
The result was a piece rich with meaning, capturing not just likeness but also the history and identity of a family.
Sonia Fraser – The Biggest Painting Yet
For Sonia Fraser, commissions can be both thrilling and nerve-wracking. “It can be very rewarding doing a commission for a client, but at the same time very nerve wracking. There is always in the back of your mind, you hope the client loves the end product and you have interpreted their needs successfully. Normally when you create, there is no pressure apart from your own expectation.”
Preparation of this commission for Sonia Fraser included getting approval of the initial coloured sketch before proceeding to paint the work.
One particular commission pushed her into new territory: the largest canvas she had ever tackled. “The process began by determining what elements she wanted in the painting, what scene attracted her, the colouring and the size. It was to be the biggest painting that I had done to date. I went on a road trip up North to get some photo reference material and sent her a preliminary coloured sketch for her approval. Unfortunately we then went into lockdown so starting the commission was put on hold until I could get the canvas. Eventually I was able to start and complete the work. Luckily she loved the painting so I was very relieved.”
Sonia always reminds clients that paintings evolve in unexpected ways: “At some stage it takes on a life of its own… there is always artistic license and generally people are happy with that.”
Anne Marie Basquin – The Pressure and the Payoff
Anne Marie Basquin approaches commissions with honesty about their challenges. “Apart from the years I painted at high school, when my easel stood in a room with ten to twenty others, I’m used to painting in a room alone. If a painting isn’t any good, it doesn’t matter. I can paint over it and try again. Commissions make me accountable. They involve a timeline, pricing, and a creative expectation, no matter how loose. They force me to confront the stubborn and disbelieving parts of myself.”
Over the years, she has learned to trust the process: “When I think I can’t do it, I remind myself: You haven’t made anything great without feeling this way. Just keep going. You’ll figure it out.”
Anne Marie describes her commissions as a merging of visions — sometimes messy, but often profound. A long-delayed commission from an old friend, now a filmmaker, eventually became both an artwork and a renewal of friendship: “The work becomes a collaboration. Two visions merge in a swirl of hope, doubt, and risk. Communication and trust are imperative.” Other commissions, like The Outer Reaches (2020), gave her the freedom of an open brief — an experience she describes as liberating and deeply rewarding.
Andrea Ventling – Commercial Commissions and Collaboration
Not all commissions are private; some are large-scale and highly collaborative. Andrea Ventling recalls a project for a luxury retirement residence in Parnell, where she was asked to design chinoiserie-style paintings for acoustic wall panels. “The brief was to match my style to the expensive hand-painted de Gournay wallpapers used in other areas. I was told to interpret my theme in a more New Zealand way but was given free rein. I came up with the idea to use plants and birds that we find in our own gardens. I had a wonderful time designing and painting pear, lemon and feijoa trees with bellbirds, fantails and silvereyes flitting about.”
The project pushed her skills in new directions and also became a collaboration with her partner Derek, who digitised her painted elements for high-resolution printing. “The result was vibrant and joyful, it was a full success to complement the opulent, colourful Neo Georgian interior style of the building.” That success led to a second commission — this time, leading a team of ceramic and metalworking artists to create sculptural wall art.
Alysn Midgelow-Marsden – Realising Dreams
For Alysn Midgelow-Marsden, commissions are at the heart of her practice. "Creating a commissioned artwork is one of the most rewarding parts of my practice. Every commission brings its own challenges, discoveries and delights, resulting in a piece that is uniquely personal. Commissions can be any size or budget, but all offer a lasting, meaningful connection between artist and client".
"Many commissions begin when someone loves a piece of mine but needs a different size, colour balance or format. These straightforward adjustments let me create something similar but tailored to their space or palette. More bespoke projects involve working closely together to translate ideas into a new design, with time for consultation, sketches and planning to ensure the finished work truly fits your vision".
"The process usually starts with a free conversation about what you’re looking for, sometimes followed by a site visit to check scale, light and installation requirements. From there I develop a proposal with cost and timeframe for approval before creating the piece".
"Commissions have taken many forms — from embroidered stage costumes and wedding garments to textile artworks incorporating personal items or quotes. Each project stretches my techniques, sparks new ideas and builds deeper connections with the people who live with my work. One of the most precious aspects is helping to realise someone’s dream — creating something they’ve imagined but could not make themselves. These collaborations bring mutual satisfaction: a truly personal artwork for you and new creative horizons for me".
A Shared Journey
What unites all these stories is the way commissions create bridges. They challenge artists to adapt, grow and experiment, while offering clients a chance to see their own stories and spaces reflected in original, personal works of art.
From the intimacy of a family portrait hidden in the symbols of farm animals, to the grandeur of large-scale collaborative projects, to the delicate humour of gilded sugar cubes — commissions prove that art is not only about what an artist creates, but also about what can be created together.
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