Have you ever walked into a restaurant, leafed through the menu and thought: ‘Everything looks very good, but it’s not exactly what I want’? That feeling of being faced with well-prepared dishes, but which do not speak to your palate, to your cravings of the moment, to your personal history with flavours?
Well, the art world often experiences the same dynamic. Galleries often full of beautiful, technically perfect works, but created for a general public. Like dishes on a menu.
When art becomes ‘off the menu
Imagine instead sitting at the table of a chef who asks you: ‘What flavours are you looking for today? What reminds you of home? Which ingredient excites you the most?’ And then masterfully creates for you a unique, unrepeatable dish that speaks directly to your heart.
A painting on commission is exactly that: art ‘off the menu’. You do not choose from what already exists, but work with the artist to create something that perfectly matches your aesthetic appetite, the size of your space, the colours that make you feel at home.
The difference between choosing and deciding:
In the standard gallery menu you will find:
‘Seascape, oil on canvas, 50×70’.
‘Still Life with Fruit, mixed media’
‘Female portrait, Impressionist style’.
Among the possible ‘off-menu’ commissions you can decide between:
‘That sunset you saw in Tuscany, in the right size for your stay’.
‘The flowers in your garden immortalised when they were at their most beautiful’.
‘The portrait of your daughter capturing that smile that only you know how to recognise’.
The art of dialogue
Like a starred chef asking about your tastes, allergies and preferences, I start each commission with questions I try to understand what excites you What colours do you prefer and what atmospheres do you want from the painting that will take shape according to your wishes? What story do you want that work to tell 20 years from now?
In my workshops in Sirmione and Modena, each blank canvas is like a kitchen ready to welcome your ‘recipe’ cooked according to your tastes. The ingredients are the colours, the techniques, the emotions. The end result is an artistic dish that no one will ever be able to replicate, because it is born from your unique taste .
The luxury of customisation
There is a subtle luxury in walking into a restaurant and saying, ‘Can the chef prepare something special for me?’ It is the same feeling you get when you say, ‘I had this painting made especially for this space, following my wishes.’
It is not ostentation, it is the deep satisfaction of one who has turned a vision into reality. Of one who did not settle for the ‘already seen’ but dared to ask for the ‘never done before’.
When the standard menu is not enough.
How many times have you seen a work in a gallery and thought: ‘It’s beautiful, but if it were a bit bigger…. if it was a bit more blue… if it represented that particular moment…’? It’s like looking at a dish at the next table and thinking it would be perfect with a different sauce.
The commission eliminates all these ‘ifs’. The work is already perfect for you because you are the author of the ‘menu’.
An investment in uniqueness.
An ‘off-menu’ dish costs different from a standard one, it is true. But what greater satisfaction: to eat something good or something perfect to your taste? A commissioned painting has a value that goes beyond cost: it is the only one designed and made just for you following what excites and satisfies you the most.
And just as that special dish that the chef created just for you remains etched in your memory, a commissioned work becomes an indelible part of your personal and family history.
The invitation is served.
If the usual pre-packaged ‘art menus’ do not satisfy you, if you want something that really speaks of you and for you, my kitchen is open. Bring me your tastes, your dreams, your space: together we will create a painting as unique as you.
Why settle for what is there, when you can have exactly what you want?
Why settle for what is there, when you can have exactly what you want?
In my workshops in Sirmione and Modena, each commission is a personalised tasting menu. Contact me to discover what artistic flavours we can create together.
I don’t know about you … but I got hungry 😋 !
