Christina Studio

​I've always made it clear how much I love a charity shop rummage, buying vintage, and finding new ways to reuse old furniture and interior accessories. I'm always on a budget. Even if I won the lottery I'd still be desperate for the buzz and satisfaction of finding a new charity shop gem, or making something mediocre that I bought for cheap look amazing with a few tweaks. 

I've been living with an ikea sideboard which I bought for an amazing £215 (it belongs to the ikea hemnes range - link here). I do love how traditional and bright it looks, I love the freshness of the white. However I've been feeling it does look a little mundane.. so thought I'd do a quick search on etsy for drawer knobs which I could replace the current ones with. 

I bought these amazing brass T bar knobs from PlankHardware - they have an amazing selection and the knobs were only £4.95 each! These ones were the WATT T-BAR Handle. 

Its amazing what a tiny change like this can make. I love how my sideboard looks now I've given it this tiny revamp and it instantly ties in with my coffee table and lamp which are also brass! And it took approx 10 mins to do. Win win all round. 

My latest commission was designed for a contemporary barn conversion in Derby, England. The conversion has a large open plan kitchen and living area, with exposed brick and cashmere grey modern kitchen units.

There is a blank stretch of wall between the kitchen and the living room and I was asked to design a piece which would merge the two spaces together and give some life to the blank wall. We agreed a size prior to starting and that a square 100cm x 100cm would look good and big enough that it would create a big statement. We then looked at the interior decor and which aspects from this we would like to bring out in the piece, including colour and style. My client also had examples of work she liked and could envision in the space so this was very helpful for me to understand the style she wanted.

For this project I also worked with Claire from I am Nomad who provided lighting fittings, furniture and accessories for this client so it was important to work together and make sure our thoughts were aligned. 

The products provided included a midcentury shelving unit and sideboard, smoke grey glass pendants and a marble and brass side table. Below are some of the products from I Am Nomad's shop. 

The moodboard shown includes pictures of the existing furnishings, colour palette (good ole' farrow and ball colours by the way) and examples of work my client likes. ​The brief was to create a light neutral background with some steel colours and accents of pinks and yellows. Included in the mood board is the colour palette Claire suggested and something I used as a reference when developing the piece.

I really wanted to get a good balance of steel colours contrasting with warm pinks, and as you'll notice a lot of the furnishings were a grey/charcoal colour as well as the kitchen units so it was important to tie in with this but also provide some warmth in the colour elsewhere which would compliment the mid century cabinets. 

I also noticed in the examples of art my client had shown me, there were big blocks of darker colour so this was something I incorporated into the piece.

Below is the finished piece, which creates a gorgeous statement. I've named this 'Silent Smoke' as it feels peaceful and has a smokey/grey vibe. I'm packaging and sending this off to England this week and I can't wait to see how it sits in the space it was made for.

The finished piece created a lovely fresh statement for my clients living room, whilst complimenting her feminine style. I think it is very important for me to be able to change my colour palette to suit different interior styles and this is a perfect example. Her living room oozed contemporary feminine and I'd like to feel like this piece captures that!

I've talked a lot about individual pieces of art I have done on my blog, but never about the actual process. Its dawned on me that many people might find the thought of commissioning a piece of art for their home quite daunting. I've had people say they don't know what to ask for, or they don't know if they can afford a piece. I thought I'd write this just to make the whole process (if you are considering one) clearer.

Every artwork I do is different, because it is designed around the individual client and their home, style and budget. 

1. Price List

Upon any enquiry, you can ask me for a price list which I will send to you. 
These prices are based on readily available canvas sizes. If you would like to commission a certain size that isn't on the price list, I can send quotes for that specific size.
Each canvas price varies on size, framing, and if postage is required.

2. Initial Consultation 

The process of the initial consultation is completely free. Every piece, and every client is different. I've had clients who have a very clear idea of what they want, and others who need more of a design lead from me as to what will look good in their chosen room. I can provide ideas or colours and styles, and suggestions on sizing if you aren't sure what will work. I've also had clients who want me to view the space beforehand and give my initial thoughts, which can be useful.

3.Design Lead & Colour Palette

I ask clients to send a palette through of their desired colour scheme and the room which the art will be going into. If you aren't sure of what you want, I can work up a moodboard for us to agree on. I focus very much on the 'art for interiors' theme, and think its so important to take inspiration from the interior furnishings, decor and style to influence a piece. Every client style is different, from minimal and scandi to super eclectic, I'll make sure it fits into your space and style.

If there is any subject matter you'd like me to incorporate, I can do that too. I've had people ask if I can incorporate abstract versions of particular towns or cities, or qualities from their gardens or specific flowers. Anything goes - be creative! This can add another nice bit of personalisation to the piece. 

4.Payment

We can then agree on a size, price and design for the piece plus postage costs. You can also request to get it framed through myself (I get an artist discount at the framers so its a cheaper option if you are thinking the piece might need it!)

I normally ask for 50% deposit upon initial commission, and 50% upon completion of the painting. I'll then send it out to you. 

4. The Painting Process / Finalising 

I'll notify you when I am starting the piece, and will work it up to a point I feel happy with. I just do my thing really, and this can take from as long as a few days to a few weeks. As I said, every piece is different so if you are looking for a painting as a present or for a specific time I'd suggest you ask me at least a month before it is due. 

I'll send you pictures, talk you through what I've done, and then ask for your feedback. I can tweak colours, add more and take away to suit your requests. This means I can tweak the painting until you are happy with it and we can work together to get something you really love.  

5. Postage

When the painting has been finalised and you are sure you love it, I'll then ask for final payment and will send it out. Most postage I use is tracked and insured to make sure your piece gets to you safely. You will get updates of the item arrival and the delivery driver will have your details if there are any problems. Postage within the UK is included in the final price. Postage outside the UK will be an additional charge.

6. Ta-da!  You have yourself a lovely, unique painting for your home that has your personal stamp on it. Contact me via my email or on instagram. 

 

This month I was approached to do a two piece commission for a hall space and stairway. The client had a few forest green walls, two very light grey walls and an assortment of frames and dark oak furniture with black accents. 

The clients wanted to incorporate their love  for travel to south east Asia. I asked the client to work up a moodboard so I could get a feel for the piece. She captured a lot of deep forest greens/teals. They also asked if I could incorporate some pops of colour which are seen in these countries (e.g. mustard African marigolds, koi carp, etc.) 

I'd never painted a two piece work before so this was a new challenge, but one I really enjoyed. They both look great separate but seeing them together creates a huge statement. 

These have been named The Barong and The Rangda which are two creatures that appear in balinese folklore / mythology. One is good, the other is bad. One cannot be without the other, which creates balance. Name chosen by client - and I think it fits nicely as these two complement each other so well! 

I was approached to work up a commission for a hall space with a huge blank wall in need of some colour. The piece was to be influenced / designed around the colours used in the interiors of the whole house as well as interior furnishings and fittings.

The wall where the canvas was designed to go (to the right of the window) and the ceiling is painted in Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster which I used as a base for the painting. The wall down the staircase is Farrow & Ball Dead Salmon and these colours are also used downstairs together with brown leather, teak and bamboo so warmer, earthy tones were key in creating contrast in the painting.  Accents of moss/muddy green were introduced too - Dark green (Jewel Beetle by Little Greene) was used in the bathroom which is close by. The light fitting in the hall (I think you can just see it in the second photo) is black and brass. 

All of these elements were considered when starting the piece. Before starting I also created a moodboard & palette to give myself a reference to work from, and to inspire some of the shades and colours.
​

This is a 60cm x 90cm canvas. As always, a mix of collage and acrylic. I stuck very closely to the palette we chose, worked into shapes and created form through layers of paint.

I started off by developing lots of texture with collage, and then went in with a really colourful minty green base. I started building up from there and blocking in where I wanted to put the bigger shapes, making sure the composition was right. From there it was about adding detail - I always go in with a white gesso to create more contrast against dark colours. This piece was designed to go landscape, but I also think it looks great as a portrait piece - its amazing how different it looks from one setting to another!

I had someone ask me last week if I plan out pieces. My answer is very rarely - only the colour palette I'll really consider beforehand. I think the most interesting part about painting is that you don't quite know how a piece will end up, its so unpredictable and that is the beauty of it. If someone asked me to recreate any of the pieces I've done, I'd struggle, and that's what makes unique pieces of art so valuable and special. Here are some close up shots showing the texture and pattern:

I always style up paintings if I have time, just to show what it looks like in a room and to give a real idea of scale and colour - I love this used as a centre piece here! 

​This week I decided to treat myself to a lil' something to take photos with. Adding little things like a vase / candle can help add scale to your painting. 

I decided to go for this matt vase from I Am Nomad's accessory collection and a tobacco and black pepper scented candle which smells AMAZING. (Unfortunately you can't blog smells, but if you could, this would be a 10/10).

​Link to the vase is here and the candle here. 

This month, despite isolation and acclimatising to the 'new normal', I was lucky enough to have numerous commissions to keep me busy. I'm so appreciative and thankful to have a creative outlet when things are up in the air. When life seems a bit uncertain, painting can be very cathartic and keeps me going.

​The lovely Glasgow based Claire who runs I Am Nomad contacted me and asked for a commission. She has a background in retail and buying in the interior world, and created her business I am Nomad as a curated shop in her own (beautiful, period style) home. She sells anything from mid-century furniture pieces, small decorative accessories, one of a kind dining sets and beautiful curated artworks. Each product in her house/shop is chosen by her and almost all have a story behind them. I was more than excited to be part of this! 

I started off by asking her to decide which room she wanted the piece in, and what her desired colour palette was. She decided on the front guest bedroom (pictured to the left). The idea of merging a piece with the gorgeous products &  furnishings in her house made me feel so inspired.