I've said it before and I'll say it again: every commission I create becomes truly one-of-a-kind. Commissioning artwork allows a collector to participate directly in the creative process. Many times these paintings are created for a new space or as a way to bring new energy to a beloved space, but in this case, this painting was intended to remember a special family member.
Earlier this summer, a former collector, Steve, reached out with a request that fell outside my usual subject matter—one he knew was unconventional, but felt compelled to ask.
Steve and his wife had just lost their beloved West Highland Terrier, Rocky, to cancer. The following morning, as Tracy crossed the bridge home to Tierra Verde just before dawn, she saw a cloud formation with an uncanny, unmistakable resemblance to Rocky. “There, in the clouds, was the unmistakable image of Rocky—our boy—looking down at her,” Steve said. “He had all four legs again. He had wings. And he looked like he was running across the sky.” Tracy took a photograph and Steve reached out to ask if I would consider painting it. He sent me the image shown below.
Steve said he thought of my work because it often lives in an ethereal, in-between space—sometimes abstracted, sometimes suggestive—more concerned with feeling than literal depiction. Although this wasn’t a direction I’d explored before, I understood immediately why he asked.
As we talked through the commission, I spent time not only with the photograph, but with Rocky’s story. I asked Steve how he wanted to feel when he looked at the painting.
One detail kept returning: Rocky loved chasing waves and they wanted to remember him that way—happy, free, and no longer in pain.
That became the center of the painting.
The finished piece, Chasing Waves, presents a form in the sky that is unmistakably Rocky—no longer limited by illness or gravity—held by light, motion, and atmosphere, angelic and comforting, fully himself.
This commission was deeply cathartic—for Steve and Tracy, and for me as the artist. It’s a reminder that paintings don’t just fill space. Sometimes, they hold memory. Sometimes, they give shape to moments that would otherwise slip quietly away.
If you’re considering a commission to honor a beloved pet, a meaningful place, or a moment that deserves to be remembered, these works are approached thoughtfully, collaboratively, and intentionally.
The goal isn't just a custom painting. It’s remembrance.
