Synaesthesia Painting Commissions - 30 x 80cm Canvas

Here are my 2024 synaesthesia painting commission slots for either a voice portrait, taste portrait or scent portrait. 

The senses are such an integral part of our life experience and sound, taste and smell weave themselves into our consciousness without us realising their importance, and it’s often our memory; the recall, which makes us see how significant someone’s voice, someone’s favourite drink, someone’s daily perfume is to us…I like to think my paintings are a nudge to meditate on something or someone you love or have loved...

The process starts with letting me know what you would like me to paint my syneasthesia response to. If it is a very specific drink or food or scent, ( I have painted club whiskies, gins, small batch coffees and perfumes for example ) you will have to send the item to me or let me know how and where I can get hold of it. If it's a voice portrait of someone you know personally you will need to send me some voice recordings and if there is something specific you would like me to paint or listen to; something like a familiar laugh or a phrase, I can do that. I usually ask for everyday sort of conversations such as those you might have over breakfast, or car journey conversations can also be brilliant, but if you wanted to send me a recording of someone reading a favourite poem ( I can still hear my Granny reading 'The Lion and Albert' which she read every Christmas for example! ) I'm happy to go with that too. 

I then make notes and sketch a lot, mostly in pencil and paint, working on lots of different elements of the voice. I use these sketches to hone a composition which incorporates the pitch, textures, colours and shapes.

The painting will take me approx one month to complete and although I may go a bit quiet on you whilst I am working on your piece, I will be in touch as soon as I am happy with the piece I have created. I will then send you images of the painting, close ups and landscapes, along with photographs of my working sketches. I also like to write a page about the painting itself for you which includes any specific sounds or taste and scent notes that I decided to incorporate.

As a bit of a side note, it's important to bear in mind that the paintings are an artistic impression of what is going on inside my head, rather than being scientific data, and I always like to be clear at the start of the process that the painting is, and can only be, my interpretation of the thing you choose...I cannot paint the colours you 'want' ( or to match the sofa as I was once asked to! ) and I also won't take notes about changing anything on the piece...the work is not a collaboration, it is a piece of art, and I have to have the freedom to paint in my own way. I know this might sound a bit heavy handed but I have learned that I always need this clarity right at the beginning of any commission.

If you have any other questions please feel free to email me at: 5ftinf@gmail.com