I absolutely love every aspect of selecting artwork for my home. I enjoy searching for eclectic pieces and beautiful treasures and then finding the perfect spot for them. I recently told you about an incredibly talented and inspirational artist, Jessica O’Neill. When I was searching for a painting to hang above my fireplace, I knew I wanted to commission her for this project. We love the gorgeous piece she painted for my master bath, and I always receive compliments on it! Artwork above the fireplace is a main focal point, so you want to make sure you find the right fit. I began by looking through all of her paintings to see what kind of piece I wanted her to create. I loved the color palette of a painting I found online that she designed for her parents, so this was the inspiration for my piece. She also tied in the oak trees and unbeatable marsh views that are prevalent in this part of the south. I absolutely LOVE the masterpiece she created! So today I thought it would be helpful to outline tips for commissioning art for your home.

One. Send Images of the Space for Direction. Before she began working on the painting, she asked me to send her pictures of the space where we would ultimately place the painting. I also provided her with close up images of the fabrics that covered our pillows and furniture, as well as other textures like our faux cow-hide rug. This is an easy way to help the artist decide on the overall direction of the painting. Jessica also asked to see the other paintings in our home. This guided her on the style, frame color and color palette we wanted for the painting.

Two. Use Painters Tape to Outline Size. We were looking for a specific painting to go above our fireplace — which presented a lot of options when it came to the size. We were choosing among a large painting that mirrored the size of the fireplace, two smaller paintings, or another large painting that extended to the ends of the fireplace mantel. Jessica’s recommendation was to use painters tape to outline each style and then live with each one for a few days. We ultimately ended up going with a painting that was the same size as the opening of the fireplace. Now that the painting is finished, it really is the perfect size for our large and open living room. I would definitely recommend this step before you commit to the size.

Now that is has arrived, we absolutely love it! We ended up ordering a gold frame, so it matched the other frames in the room. The painting compliments the other pieces in the room and it looks incredible. We feel she did such an exceptional job and consider ourselves lucky to have one of her originals in our home.

Kelli Boyd Photography exclusively for Lavin Label