Commissions - Postcard from Cyprus

This was a commission that I was reluctant to undertake, primarily because it was commissioned by the sitter’s wife (whom I had never met) as a Christmas present, but I can’t resist a challenge. It was quite a challenge that had me wondering if I could bring the whole thing to fruition……not to mention the anxiety that I had while waiting for it to reach its destination in Germany and be unveiled by the person who had commissioned it – and then waiting yet again to find out if the ‘sitter’ was happy with it too! Fortunately all were delighted.

I called it ‘Postcard from Cyprus’. The sitter enjoys many long biking trips, and particularly likes biking off road here in Cyprus. Sinti Monastery, depicted in the top left of the painting, is a favourite haunt. Once again, the bike had to be incorporated, of course and this time I was also required to include a cigarette – he makes many cigarette breaks when traveling. What made completing this commission particularly difficult was the fact that I only had incidental photographs – and not very good ones at that – to work from. The last time I met the sitter before really setting to work on the painting he was probably wondering what was wrong with me – I kept staring intently at his face when I thought he wasn’t looking, trying to burn its image onto my mind’s eye.