Some commissions begin with a very clear brief, while others begin with a moment. This one began with a chance visit to The Artizen at Heart of the Shires, when a collector happened to step into the gallery one evening and discovered something that felt instantly right.
Sometimes it is simply fate.
The clients had fallen in love with Eros by Joe Galindo, drawn to its extraordinary colour palette and energy. There was, however, a very particular space above the staircase where they imagined an artwork taking pride of place, and the scale required was far greater than the original piece could offer. It needed to be almost twice the size, substantial enough to hold that architectural space and create the impact they were looking for.
At the same time, they were equally captivated by the composition of another Joe Galindo piece that had already sold, particularly the imagery of a mother snow leopard with her cub. That subject carried real significance for them, making the idea even more personal.
Rather than trying to compromise between two works they loved, Andreea saw an opportunity to create something entirely bespoke.
”We fell in love with two different pieces and somehow ended up with something even more special than either of them.
Jane and NigelLutterworth
The beauty of commission is that it allows those inspirations to come together rather than forcing a choice between them. In this case, the colours and spirit of Eros became the palette, while the symbolic composition of the snow leopard and cub brought narrative and emotional meaning. The result was not a version of one piece or the other, but a completely new artwork shaped by both.
Joe Galindo brought that vision to life beautifully, creating a work that carried the vibrancy and movement the clients had first fallen for, while introducing the deeply personal symbolism of the snow leopard that made the commission uniquely theirs.
That is often where commissioned art becomes most powerful. It can hold several stories at once. It can reference memories, passions and spaces within one singular piece.
Designed specifically for its setting, the artwork now anchors the staircase exactly as intended, bringing scale, colour and presence to a part of the home that had long called for something extraordinary.
What began with two separate artworks admired in a gallery became one piece that could never have existed off the shelf.
And perhaps that is the magic of commission.
Sometimes the best artworks are not found.
They are created.
