About Commissions
When you commission a piece of original artwork you initiate a unique collaboration between artist and collector that has existed for thousands of years. The process of capturing and representing a person, a place, or a subject that you love, in a way that represents how you feel about it is a priceless and unique experience. Together we will bring new beauty into your space with personally meaningful original artwork that will only be enhanced as time goes by.
An Outline of The Process
The first step in commissioning a painting is to discuss and explore the subject matter. Typically I work from life and will encourage this as a core aspect of the process. Whether I am painting a place or a person, the energy and character of my subject finds it way into every brushstroke when I am painting from life. For this reason we will discuss the possibility of me being on-site for the creation of a landscape painting, or coordinate modeling sessions for portraits done from life.
After we have decided on a subject I will create a sketch in charcoal or oil paint to give you an impression of what the final painting will look like. Once the composition is agreed upon, I will create the painting at the scale we have chosen.
Typically I like my patrons to think about where in their home they will hang the painting. This can help to facilitate decisions about the size of the work, and we can envision the painting hanging in that particular location in your home throughout the creative process.
Payment: After I have crafted the initial sketch, and we have agreed upon the general design of the painting I will begin work on the full scale canvas. At this point a non-refundable downpayment of 50% of the total price of the commissioned work is due. The remaining 50% is due upon completion and delivery of the final work.
How To Commission a Painting
You may contact me directly to discuss the possibility of a commissioned work. Please contact me via email: dustin@dustinneece.com or by phone: 508-561-9620.
Featured Private Commissions
Ericka & River: A Christmas Surprise
For years it was my sister Ericka's vision to be a mother and begin raising her family. After taking some big risks and changing her entire life to realize her dream she finally found herself right where she wanted to be and pregnant with her daughter: River Ruth. So, to celebrate this incredible life change and new experience I decided to surprise her for christmas.
Click on the painting for a hi-res image. And make sure to watch the video I made that captured the whole process of creation and the unveiling.
Watch the making of: Ericka & River
Austin Awakening: A Patron's Heaven on Earth
For Mary McDonald, the blooming wildflowers of Texas Hill Country are a heaven on earth that happens once every spring. The lush arrangement of rich colors blooming all along the highways and byways of Austin are like a breath of fresh air and peacefulness that she looks forward to with anticipation during the cooler months of winter.
When she commissioned me to do this piece for her she wanted it done right... so she had me come to Texas to do it from life. View photos and a timelapse video of the process below.
Watch the making of "Austin Awakening"
Featured Public Commissions
Honoring The Spirit: Remembering Iwo Jima
Permanent Collection of The National Museum of The Marine Corps.
In 2010, I was commissioned to create a memorial for survivors of The Battle of Iwo Jima. Seven veterans from my hometown all fought in this infamous World War II battle, and all seven survived and lived out their lives right where I grew up.
I met with the veterans, listened to their stories of war and did my best to transform their emotions, their memories, and their nearly untold stories on to canvas. I wanted to create an icon, an image that embodies and communicates the hope these men felt in their hearts and the fears they faced in a foreign land.
They told me stories they had hardly ever spoken before... stories of the night, and of surviving a living hell. What these men lived through was nearly unimaginable. I asked one of the veteran's "when did you actually think that you might make it off the island?" He replied, "when I was on the boat on the way home..."
For me a painting is a medium to create a vision into another time and place. Whether that is a memorial of the past, or a passionate desire for the future, both are incredibly strong feelings, both incredibly strong emotions: Gratitude, Love, Longing, Hope, Desire, Nostalgia... these are the real material that a painting is made from. I am simply there to solidify those feelings into a material and visual form.
This painting is now in the permanent collection of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico VA where I delivered an in depth Artist Talk on the piece, and was featured in the Boston Globe.
The Hoyts: A Father's Love For His Son
Commissioned by The Easter Seals of Massachusetts
In 2013 Dick and Rick Hoyt celebrated their 30th running of the Boston Marathon. It was a landmark event for them and also was the occasion of Rick Hoyt's 50th Birthday. To commemorate the event The Easter Seals of Massachusetts commissioned me to create a memorial work for them that represented, not just their striving and inspirational spirit, but also their love... that connection that drives them on mile after mile.
The painting was completed in the winter months when Dick and Rick had time to sit for me. It's true that they don't stay put for very long... but for me they made an exception. They modeled countless hours together and individually so we could get every detail just right.
Rick and Dick, I found, are made of inspiration and integrity right down to the bone. Part of the pleasure for me in doing a commissioned portrait like this is the time that I spend with my subject. Getting to know someone is always a joy.
When you create something together it forms quite a special bond... a bond that lives on in the painting and in your heart. These two gentlemen are the real deal and I am proud to know them.
