Commissioning a flower painting is not only about choosing something beautiful for a wall. The right piece can become part of the emotional atmosphere of your home - something that steadies you, comforts you, and quietly gives back to you every day.

If you are considering a custom floral painting, the most important thing to know is this: you do not need to come in with all the answers.

You do not need to know your exact flower, your exact size, or even the full story behind why you want one.

Sometimes a commission begins with memory.

​Sometimes it begins with meaning.

​And sometimes it begins with the simple experience of falling deeply in love with an image.

A flower painting can be more than decoration

Many people begin the commissioning process thinking they are purchasing a tangible item - a painting in a certain size, with certain colors, for a certain room. That is part of it, of course. But in my experience, a meaningful flower painting offers something much deeper.


These paintings can help ground an upset emotional state. 

They can nurture. They can stabilize. They can reconnect you with a truer, calmer part of yourself. That may sound difficult to explain in practical terms, but it is something I have seen again and again - both in my own process and in the way collectors respond to the finished work.

When I paint, there is a psychologically healing aspect to the process for me as the artist. I work from photographs I have personally taken of the flowers, so the relationship begins long before the brush touches the canvas. Beyond color and form, I believe floral art can touch something spiritual in us - something that is hard to put into words, but immediately felt.
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One client once told me, "If I had a super power it would be to find the words for how your work makes me feel." That says so much about what art can do when it moves beyond surface beauty.

You do not need to have a favorite flower

This is something I feel strongly about.

Some people come to a commission with a very personal flower in mind - a bloom from a grandmother's garden, a flower from a wedding bouquet, or something tied to a memory they have carried for years. Those stories are beautiful, and they can make for deeply meaningful paintings.

But you do not need a sentimental flower story in order to commission a piece that matters.
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Sometimes the right painting begins because you are captivated by the color, the scale, the softness of the petals, or the drama of a bloom opening fully into itself. Sometimes you see an image and know, instantly, that you want to live with it. That kind of recognition is enough. In fact, it can be the beginning of meaning all by itself.
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A flower painting does not have to illustrate a memory from your past. It can also express the life you are ready to claim now.

​The right commission should feel personal, even if it starts with beauty alone

The women I most often imagine when I write and paint are those who have given so much of themselves - to family, to work, to caregiving, to responsibility - and are finally ready to choose something extraordinary for themselves.

Not frivolous. Not impulsive. Meaningful.

A commissioned flower painting can be a way of saying:

• I want beauty in my daily life.
• I want my home to support me.
• I want to be surrounded by something that feels nurturing and alive.
• I am ready to own something that reflects depth, feeling, and presence.

That is why commissioning art is not just a design decision. It is often a personal threshold.

Trust the emotional pull as much as the practical details

There are practical questions that matter, of course. You will want to think about scale, timing, and investment.

If you are wondering how large your painting should be, this guide on what size your flower painting should be will help you think through the relationship between artwork and space.
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If you are curious about timing, you can read more about how long it takes to paint a custom floral artwork.
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And if cost is one of your biggest questions, this article on how much a custom floral painting costs will give you a clearer sense of the investment.

But alongside those practical considerations, I would encourage you to pay attention to something else: your emotional response.
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Do you feel drawn in by the image? Do you keep thinking about it? Does it feel like something in you softens, opens, or settles when you look at it?
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That matters.

​A commission should give back to you for years

One of the biggest misconceptions about original art is that people evaluate it only at the moment of purchase.

They look at the price and ask whether it is "worth it."

I think that question is too small for what original art can do.

A meaningful flower painting is not something you enjoy once. It becomes part of your daily life. You pass by it in the morning. You see it after a long day. You live with it through seasons of change. Over time, it can become one of the most constant and generous presences in a home.

That is why I see these paintings as heirloom pieces. Their value is not limited to the day they arrive. They keep giving over the course of years.

One commission showed me just how powerful this can be

I once worked with a client in New York State whom I had never met in person. She was going through an intensely painful marriage breakup. Her husband had been unfaithful with another employee in the business they had built together, and after the separation she still had to keep working in that same business. Her livelihood depended on it, but the emotional strain was enormous.

She needed something to help her through that transition - something that could hold beauty, strength, and emotional resonance in her space. To give her a sense of hope for the future she was going to design for herself. 

She chose an Itoh peony, with thin, translucent petals in coral and peach tones. I created the painting and shipped it to her in New York State. When she opened it, she cried because of how beautiful it was. She was deeply grateful, and the piece became part of what supported her in that chapter of her life.

That same painting later reached far beyond the original commission. When I shared it online, it received more than 7,500 reactions, shares, and comments.

What moves me about that is not only the number. It is the reminder that beauty has impact. One painting supported one woman in a deeply personal way, and at the same time it moved thousands of people around the world.

Cost can feel like a barrier, but it does not have to be

For many people, the desire for a commissioned painting is immediate, but the financial decision takes longer. That is normal.

There is no shame in needing time to pay for something meaningful.

If a piece is right for you, a payment plan can make it possible to bring that work into your life without unnecessary pressure. For example, a $2,000 painting spread over 12 months is about $166 per month. That can make a custom piece far more accessible than many people first assume.

The point is not to minimize the investment. The point is to recognize that value and timing are not always the same thing. Sometimes the artwork you truly want is within reach with the right structure.

​Before you commission, ask yourself these questions

Before moving forward, it can help to reflect on a few things:

• What do I want this painting to make me feel? Calm, strength, joy, softness, hope, groundedness?
• Am I choosing from memory, symbolism, or pure attraction to the image? All are valid starting points.
• Where do I want this work to live? A bedroom, hallway, living room, or personal retreat space can each call for something different.
• Do I want a piece that blends quietly into the room, or one that creates a powerful emotional focal point?
• Am I ready to live with something that carries real presence? The best commissions are not background objects. They ask to be felt.

You are allowed to choose beauty for yourself

If you have spent years caring for others, working hard, compromising, or postponing your own desires, commissioning a painting can feel surprisingly vulnerable. It asks you to admit that beauty matters to you. That your environment matters. That how you feel in your home matters.

I believe that is not indulgent. It is important.

Whether you come with a beloved flower full of personal history or simply fall in love with an image that feels magnificent and unforgettable, that impulse is worth honoring.

If you are not ready to commission yet but want to stay close to the work, join my list here:
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And if you already feel the pull toward creating a piece together, you can book a commission call here:

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The right flower painting does not just fill a space. It can change the feeling of living inside it.

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Bigger walls ask for bigger thinking

If you have a large wall - say 13 feet long with 12-foot ceilings - a tiny painting hung by itself is almost never going to feel satisfying.

That doesn’t mean small work isn’t beautiful. It simply means that scale matters.

Large spaces need art that can stand up to them.

Sometimes that means one dramatic statement piece. Sometimes it means a carefully composed grouping. But either way, the art needs to feel like it belongs there. It needs to have enough presence to hold its own.

I think people often underestimate scale. They fall in love with a painting, then get it home and realize it simply doesn’t do what they hoped it would do in the room.

A painting can be beautiful and still be too small for the job.

How long does it take to create a custom painting? - click here

The wall is never just a wall
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This is something I talk about often with clients.

When you’re choosing the size of a painting, you’re not looking at an empty rectangle in isolation. You’re looking at a living room, a hallway, an entry, a bedroom - a space with furniture, lamps, shelves, architecture, and real life happening inside it.

If you’re hanging a painting over a sofa, for example, you want enough breathing room between the sofa and the artwork. You don’t want the piece crowded. You don’t want furniture pushed right up into it. And you certainly don’t want the painting hanging in a way that feels awkward or vulnerable to being bumped.

I also pay attention to what else is happening at eye level. That band of space on the wall is valuable real estate. If lamps, shelving, or other objects are already pushing into that zone, the art has to be arranged with care so everything feels balanced rather than crowded.
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A well-placed painting doesn’t fight with the room. It completes it.

One large piece is wonderful - but so is a grouping

People sometimes think the answer has to be one large showstopper, and sometimes that is exactly right.

A large floral painting can be incredibly immersive. It can make you feel as if you could almost reach out and touch the petals, smell them even. That kind of presence is powerful. It changes a room.

But I also love the flexibility of smaller works.

If the wall is large and the budget doesn’t allow for one major piece yet, several smaller originals can be grouped together in a really interesting and beautiful way. Over time, those works can be moved, separated, regrouped, and enjoyed in other areas of the home.

That is one of the things I love most about original art. It grows with you.
It is not fixed. It is not one-and-done. It can move with the seasons of your life, the changing needs of your home, and the way your eye evolves over time.

Budget matters - but expectations matter too

I wish more buyers understood this: for your budget, there is a perfect painting. It just may not be for the wall you first had in mind.

Big dramatic walls usually require big dramatic art, and if you're wondering what that kind of investment typically looks like, you can read more about how much a custom floral painting costs

That’s okay.

It doesn’t mean you should buy something too small and hope it somehow works. It may mean choosing a different wall for now. It may mean investing in several smaller pieces that together create beauty and impact. And later, when the budget allows, you may choose a larger piece for that statement wall.
The wonderful thing is that original artwork never goes to waste.
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Those smaller paintings can later be moved into a hallway, an entry, a bedroom, or grouped in new combinations throughout the home. Original art has longevity. It keeps giving. It keeps finding new ways to belong.

I don’t think art should be chosen to "match"

This may be a slightly unpopular opinion, but I think too many people try to make original art match what they already own.

I don't believe art is only about decorating. I believe art should be an experience. That difference is part of what separates simple floral decor from fine art floral paintings.

They try to coordinate it with the sofa, or keep it visually in line with older decorative pieces, or make sure it doesn’t stand out too much.

But when you bring an original painting into your home, especially a beautiful one, it elevates the whole space.

It deserves to be celebrated.

It deserves pride of place.

That doesn’t always mean the biggest wall in the house. Sometimes the perfect place is the entry wall that greets you when you come home. Sometimes it’s a quiet hallway that needs light. Sometimes it’s a smaller corner that becomes transformed because of one exquisite piece.

Original artwork doesn’t always need to be the showstopper. Sometimes it is the quiet beauty that changes everything.

Art should move you

This is the part that matters most to me.

I don’t believe art is only about decorating. I believe art should be an experience.

It should make you feel something.

It should bring beauty into your home in a way that supports your life. It should remind you of something meaningful. It should soften your nervous system. It should create moments where you exhale a little more deeply and feel a little more present in your own space.

I have seen this happen in such moving ways.

One of my clients was caring for her husband, who has dementia. She purchased one of my white peony paintings, and later told me that he would sit in front of it with a smile on his face, simply taking in the beauty. She thanked me for the moments they were able to share there - moments of connection, love, and peace.

Another client bought a painting sight unseen from a source photo on my website because it reminded her so strongly of her grandmother’s garden. She was building an addition onto her house and knew that painting had to be part of the new space.

If you're creating a new space and thinking about commissioning something meaningful for it, you may also want to read about how long it takes to paint a custom floral artwork.
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This is why choosing the right size matters. Because when a painting truly speaks to you, you want it to have the presence it deserves in your home.

For the women creating spaces that hold them

I especially think about women when I write about this.

Women who are carrying a lot. Women caring for children, elders, partners, households, health concerns, responsibilities, transitions, and all the invisible emotional labour that so often goes unspoken.

I want women to have spaces that support them.

Spaces that restore them. Spaces that remind them that beauty is not frivolous - it is necessary.

There is something powerful about living with nature-inspired beauty. Flowers, in particular, bring a softness and vitality that can shift how a room feels and how we feel within it. Our heart rate slows. We breathe differently. We feel more grounded, more joyful, more at ease.

That matters.

A flower painting is never just something to hang on the wall. It can become part of the emotional atmosphere of a home.

So, what size should your flower painting be?

Choose a size that allows the painting to truly belong in the space.

If your wall is asking for presence, give it presence. Buy the largest piece your budget will allow. And if that isn’t the right option right now, break that budget into several smaller pieces and create something beautiful with them.
Let the painting relate to the room. Let it have breathing room. Let it be seen. Let it be felt.

And most of all, choose the piece that moves you.

Because when you choose artwork that stirs something in you - something tender, joyful, calming, or alive - you are not just decorating.

You are creating a home that nourishes you.

And you will never regret that.
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If you want this even closer to your natural voice, the next step is to make it sound more like how you speak in person - a little less polished, a little more intimate, and a little more distinctly you.

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People ask this question often, and the truth is, it is not as simple as naming a number of hours or days.

There is a process, of course. But the time it takes to create a custom floral painting depends on something deeper than size alone. It depends on the complexity of the bloom, the strength of the image, the surface I am working on, and something even harder to explain - the moment when the painting begins to truly come alive on the canvas.

Most people assume a larger painting will always take longer. Sometimes that is true. But often, it is the flower itselfthat determines the timeline far more than the dimensions of the canvas.

I can paint a large flower with generous, open petals much more quickly than I can paint a smaller or same-sized piece featuring a complex peony. A peony, with all of its folds, layered petals, subtle shifts, and internal movement, can take me three to four times longer than a simpler bloom. That is because I am not just painting a flower. I am trying to translate its presence, its energy, its softness, its drama - and that takes time.

It Always Begins With the Image

Every painting begins long before I ever touch a brush to canvas.

I work from photographs that I have taken myself, or sometimes from a client's personal photo collection. I am extremely selective about what I choose to paint. The lighting has to be beautiful and interesting. If the light in the source image is flat, the painting will be too. I also will not paint just any flower. Some varieties simply do not speak to me in a way that makes me want to live with them for the many hours a painting requires.

When I find an image that has something special in it, I bring it into Photoshop, but only to crop it. I do not manipulate the colour or enhance the photograph. I don't want a computer-improved version of nature. I want the original moment - the one that first caught my eye - because that is where the truth is.
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Cropping is a very important part of my process. I am not simply trimming an image to fit a canvas. I am searching for tension, for drama, for movement. I am looking for the lines that pull your eye inward, the shapes that create contrast and feeling, the shadows that make the whole image more powerful. I want to remove anything that doesn't serve the painting. I want to find the main point - the pulse of the image, really - and make sure the viewer feels it.
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Then the Real Work Begins

Once I have chosen the final crop, I calculate the ratio of the image and decide on the canvas size that best honours it. If the composition calls for an unusual format, I make it. I custom cut stretcher bars in my woodshed and build the canvas to suit the image rather than forcing the image into a standard size.

Then I stretch a thick canvas over the frame and begin preparing the surface. First I apply a sizing medium to seal the canvas. Once that is dry, I apply three coats of gesso, sanding between each one. This creates the kind of surface I want to paint on and also protects the canvas from the acidity of the oil paint.

After that, I transfer the image to the surface, either by using a hand-drawn grid or, for larger pieces, a projector. A grid is beautiful and exacting, but on a large painting it simply becomes inefficient. The projector allows me to spend my time where it matters most - in the painting itself.

Only then do I begin to paint.
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Sometimes I start at the top left and work my way across. Sometimes, especially with complicated peony paintings, I begin with the entire background first. I need to understand the world the bloom is living in before I can fully understand the bloom itself.
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A Painting Is Built One Decision at a Time

I think this is the part many people do not realize.

A painting is not made in broad, dramatic gestures alone. It is made through a myriad of decisions, one after another, one brushstroke at a time.

I do not use a palette knife to quickly cover large areas. I use brushes ranging from 3/4 of an inch wide down to brushes with only a few strands of hair. Every edge, every nuance in colour, every soft blur in the background, every turn of a petal, every shift from light into shadow is created deliberately.

That takes time.

It takes focus. It takes patience. It takes skill. And it takes a willingness to stay with the painting long enough for it to become what it wants to be.

Even though I work in oils, drying time is usually not the thing that slows me down. I paint in thin layers and move slowly across the entire surface, so by the time I return to an earlier section, it is often dry enough to continue. What takes the time is not waiting. What takes the time is seeing, deciding, adjusting, and bringing something believable and moving into a two-dimensional surface.

For Commissioned Work, the Decisions Begin Early

To inquire about a commission  - message me

When I create a commissioned painting, there is a thoughtful conversation at the beginning where we decide on the important details. That part matters deeply, because once the painting has begun, it is very difficult to make anything other than subtle changes.

I do share progress images with clients, but not as an invitation to rework the structure or colour of the piece. By then, those decisions have already been made. I share the images so the client can feel connected to the creation of the work, and so they can witness their painting coming into being.

That, too, is part of what makes a custom piece special.

How much does a commissioned piece typically cost?
​Check out this blog post. 

So, How Long Does It Take?

My most honest answer is this: it takes as long as it takes for the painting to arrive.

There is a technical process, yes. But beyond that, the timing depends on when the energy and emotion begin to fully live on the two-dimensional surface - when you can feel the three-dimensional presence of the flower, and when the painting begins to breathe in its own way.

Some paintings come more quickly. Others ask much more of me.
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But none of that time is wasted. Every hour is part of building something that feels alive.
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These Paintings Are Not Decor

This is something I feel very strongly about: the paintings I create are not decor.

They are life-enhancing experiences.

They change the way people live in their homes. They change the feeling of a room. They bring beauty, grace, love, hope, and energy into a space in a way that is hard to explain until you have lived with one.

You cannot walk into a room with one of my paintings and not be changed by it.

I have seen this happen. One woman purchased one of my paintings at a floral fine art show because, out of nearly 150 paintings in the room, it was the only one that made her feel better. She was facing a cancer diagnosis and knew that painting needed to be part of her healing journey.

I have never forgotten that.

That is why I do not think of these works as simply decorative objects. They carry something deeper than that. And that is also why I cannot measure the making of them only in hours.

A custom floral painting takes time because it is made with care, with discernment, with technique, and with heart. It takes time because I am not interested in simply copying a flower. I am interested in creating a painting that holds presence. A painting that moves someone. A painting that changes a space, and perhaps even the person living in it.

If someone asks me how long it takes, that is the truest answer I can give.
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What Makes a Floral Painting Powerful?

For me, a compelling floral painting is not about including more. It is about knowing what to leave out and what to emphasize.

Every painting contains details that do not serve the emotional truth of the piece. Those details need to be removed. Other elements need to be amplified so that the painting can truly sing.
That often means paying close attention to:

• the direction and quality of light
• the relationship between highlights and shadow
• the emotional effect of color
• the placement of the focal point
• the gesture of the bloom itself
• the removal of visual distractions
• the balance between realism and emotional intensity

Drama is often created by pushing the dark tones, or by photographing blooms in the deep shadows of early morning or late in the day. Those shadows can create a richness and mystery that brighter, flatter lighting cannot. They invite the viewer closer. They ask for attention. They make the bloom feel more dimensional, more intimate, and more emotionally alive.

A Case Study: "You Win, Promise"

One painting that exemplifies this beautifully is You Win, Promise.

It is a single fuchsia peony bloom draping toward the bottom right corner of a 24 x 36 inch canvas. Directly behind the bloom are leaves cast into shadow by the main flower, creating a beautiful contrast behind the focal point. In the top left of the painting, more leaves appear, but they are touched by brighter light. The lower portion of the composition contains the glass vase holding the bouquet and the dark table beneath it.

What the viewer notices first is unmistakable: the main bloom.

There is no confusion about where the eye should go. The center of the peony is turned down and to the right, revealing itself without confronting the viewer head-on. That posture matters. A flower facing directly forward can sometimes feel almost too assertive. This bloom does not do that. Instead, it carries a kind of humility-- Grace. 

It says, in its own quiet way, I know I am magnificent, but I do not need to shout.

That emotional quality is part of the painting's power.

I removed all the information that was not necessary for the main bloom to shine. There are no extra details on the table. Only enough foliage remains to give the flower context. Only enough light is present to let the viewer feel the warmth of sun coming through the window and resting on the bloom.

That warmth matters. I want the viewer to feel it, not merely see it.

The emotional aim of this painting is not small. I want the viewer to cry. I want them to be moved to tears by the beauty of it. By the volume of the bloom. By the delicious pink color. By the deep shadows in the petals. By the quiet dignity of the flower's presence.

That is what fine art floral painting can do when it is working at its fullest level. It does not just depict a flower. It creates an emotional encounter.

Why This Difference Matters to the Woman Who Needs Joy Again.

For the woman I imagine reading this, this conversation is not only about art categories. It is about what beauty can do in a life that has become heavy.

She may be carrying health challenges. She may be caring for someone else while quietly exhausting herself. She may be living through endings she never asked for. She may simply be longing for relief, softness, ease, and some return of hope.

In that season, beauty is not trivial.

It can be medicine of a certain kind. Not a cure, but a comfort. Not a solution, but a reminder that tenderness still exists. That joy is still possible. That the soul can still respond to light.

Fresh flowers can absolutely offer that. They can brighten a kitchen counter, a bedside table, an entryway, or a dining room for a few precious days. But a floral painting offers something different. It remains. It keeps giving. It continues to meet the viewer in the ordinary moments of life.
It can become part of the emotional atmosphere of a home.

It can remind a woman, on an otherwise difficult day, that beauty has not left her life.

Interested in commissioning something special? I've published a blog post about how commissions work. Check it out

 If you'd like to speak with me about creating something special for you, you can do that here.

Floral Design and Floral Paintings Are Not in Competition

I do not see floral design and fine art floral painting as rivals. They each honour flowers in their own language.

Floral design gives us the living presence of the bloom in time and space. It celebrates immediacy, event, atmosphere, and seasonality. Fine art floral painting takes that same source of beauty and carries it into permanence. It allows the feeling of the flower to remain available long after the living arrangement has passed.

Both have value.

But if you are someone who wants more than a passing moment of beauty, if you want to live with beauty in a way that continues to restore you, then a fine art floral painting offers something uniquely enduring.

Final Thoughts on the Difference
The difference between floral design and fine art floral paintings is not simply that one uses real flowers and the other uses paint. The deeper difference is this: floral design creates beauty for a moment, while fine art floral painting preserves beauty so it can keep speaking to us over time.

That is why I do what I do.

I am not only interested in painting flowers. I am interested in capturing the light, shape, drama, tenderness, and emotional truth of a bloom so that someone can live with that experience for years. I want the painting to draw them in, awaken something in them, and offer them a sense of hope, joy, and relief.

Because sometimes a flower is not just a flower.

Sometimes it is a way back to beauty.

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What was once the most expensive flower? Click here

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Who commissions custom floral paintings?
The people who are most drawn to my work are often strong, sensitive women who deeply value family, home, and health. Many are caring for children or parents, working full-time, and carrying a great deal for others.

What they are often craving is not just something pretty for the wall. They want an environment that restores them. They want beauty that lifts their spirits, recharges them, and reminds them of possibility.

A custom floral painting can become part of that daily emotional landscape - something that brightens a room, softens the atmosphere, and reconnects them with beauty every single day.

Are custom floral paintings worth it?
In my view, absolutely - if what you want is more than decoration.
An original piece of art carries the hands and soul of the artist. It creates an experience for the viewer that cannot be replicated by a print or mass-produced wall art. One of my clients once said:

"If I had a super power it would be to find the words for how I feel when I'm in front of one of your paintings."
That is the difference.
Original artwork can touch someone on a soul level. It can shift the feeling of a space and the feeling within the person living in it. It can also become a legacy piece - something that remains meaningful and relevant over years and decades, rather than fading, deteriorating, or falling out of style.
When you invest in original art, the return is not only visual. It is emotional, personal, and lasting. Over a lifetime, the cost becomes negligible compared with what the piece gives back every day.

Here are some typical commissioned artwork sizes and prices.                           
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Final thoughts
If you are wondering how much a custom floral painting costs, the practical answer is: it depends on size, framing, and the level of customization. In my studio, that means anywhere from under $1,000 to over $10,000.
But the deeper answer is that you are not only paying for canvas and paint. You are investing in years of artistic training, highly developed technical skill, emotional sensitivity, and a piece of beauty created specifically for your life and home.
A truly custom floral painting is not just something you buy. It is something you live with, grow with, and treasure.​

To explore a commission piece : Click here