I accept commissions for original oil portraits, creating paintings that reflect not only the likeness of the sitter but also their character and individuality.
Each portrait is individually created, with careful attention to composition, light and colour. The paintings below are examples of my previous commissioned work.
If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, please contact me to discuss your ideas, preferred size and other details.
A Portrait to Treasure
Oli on linen, 60 x 90 cm, 2026
“A Portrait to Treasure
Commissioned by a husband as a special tribute to his beloved wife.
I spent around six weeks working on the painting, paying particular attention to her gentle smile and slightly shy expression. Capturing a likeness is not simply about reproducing facial features. For me, it is about finding those small details that make a person recognisable to someone who loves them.
When the portrait was finished, the husband’s response made all that careful work worthwhile. He told me that his wife absolutely loved it, and that their son had already claimed it for himself in future.
His words meant a great deal to me: “This will stay in our family forever.”
A Lifetime of Stories
Oli on Canvas, 45 x 60 cm, 2020
“This portrait tells the story of a man who held a very special place in his grandson’s heart.
After his father died in a mining accident at just 36, my friend was raised with the love and guidance of his grandfather, who became a father figure to him.
They lived in a small village surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Croatia, where life was simple and closely connected to the land. The family raised animals, grew their own food, spun yarn and made some of their own clothing.
His grandfather was a hardworking man who was rarely seen without his pipe. His axe was one of his most important tools, part of his everyday working life.
My friend fondly remembers his grandfather’s old, patched clothes. He refused to replace them, as they held so many years of memories.
As my friend shared these memories with me, both before and after I painted the portrait, I came to understand just how much his grandfather meant to him.
This painting is not only a portrait of a man, but also a tribute to a lifetime of hard work, love, and the memories that remain with us long after someone is gone.”
A Legacy of Love
Oli on Canvas, 45 x 55, 2024
“This portrait was commissioned by the son and granddaughter of a general who had passed away several years earlier. The family, now living in Australia, wished to remember him as he looked in his fifties, wearing his military uniform.
The challenge was that the only photograph from that period was an old, heavily retouched black-and-white image of poor quality. Other photographs showed him at different stages of his life, including a colour photograph taken when he was in his seventies.
Working from all the available photographs, I reconstructed his appearance at around fifty years of age. His granddaughter also helped by researching historical references for the details of his military uniform.
My task was to bring these different references together into a natural, full-colour oil portrait, preserving both his likeness and the dignity of his position.
It was a challenging and rewarding commission, and I was especially pleased that his family was happy with the finished portrait.”
A Place to Call Home
Oli on Canvas, 45 x 60 cm, 2021
“This portrait was commissioned as a gift for a farmer by one of his employees.
The original photograph showed him standing near a cattle yard, but the animals were barely visible, and the fencing did not make an attractive background.
We decided instead to use a landscape from his own farm. Working from separate photographs, I brought together his likeness and the familiar scenery of his property into one composition.
The result is a personal portrait that reflects not only the man himself, but also his connection to the land where he lives and works.”
Yellow Dandelions
Oil on Canvas, 45 x 60 cm, 2020
“I painted this portrait of a young woman who was soon to become part of my dear friend’s family.
I was drawn to the warmth of the sunlight, the freshness of her yellow dress and the quiet moment as she holds a candle.
The soft blues, gentle pinks and golden yellows create a light, airy atmosphere, with a small bouquet of yellow flowers adding a cheerful touch.
I painted this work simply because I wanted to capture that feeling of warmth and light. Later, my friend, who is very fond of his future daughter-in-law, fell in love with the painting and wanted to keep it for himself.”
Dr Graham Crosbie – a Portrait of Achievement
Oil on Canvas, 45 x 60 cm, 2021
“This portrait of Dr Graham Crosbie was commissioned by the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia in 2021 for its Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Dr Crosbie is recognised as a pioneer of Western Australia’s noodle wheat industry. His work as a cereal chemist helped develop specialised wheat varieties for high-quality Japanese udon noodles and made a significant contribution to the state’s agricultural industry.
I found Dr Crosbie to be a very modest and unassuming man. His only request was that I portray him as a slightly younger version of himself, which I was happy to do.
It was a privilege to paint the portrait of someone whose knowledge, dedication and achievements have left a lasting mark on Western Australian agriculture.
The portrait is displayed in the Agricultural Hall of Fame in Perth.”
Raymond Brian Harrington OAM – A Life of Innovation
Oil on Canvas, 45 x 60 cm, 2019
“This portrait of Raymond Brian Harrington OAM was commissioned by the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia in 2019 for its Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Ray Harrington is an Australian farmer and inventor whose innovations have made a significant contribution to the grain and sheep industries.
I had the opportunity to meet Ray in person when he came for a photographic session. I used a combination of my own reference photographs to capture his likeness and natural character.
The background was my own composition, inspired by Ray’s stories about his work and inventions. I included agricultural machinery and golden wheat fields to reflect his lifelong connection to farming and the practical achievements for which he is recognised.
It was a pleasure to create a portrait that tells something of his life and work, rather than simply recording his appearance.
The portrait is part of the Agricultural Hall of Fame collection in Western Australia.”
A Portrait Across Generations
Oil on Canvas, 50 x 75 cm, 2019
“This portrait was commissioned by a man who wanted to preserve the memory of his great-grandfather or earlier ancestor. He brought me the only photograph he had of him — a faded black-and-white studio photograph dating back to the late 19th century.
The photograph showed a young man in military uniform, but very little was known about his life or service.
To create the painting, I had to research historical portraits and military uniforms of that period. I was particularly interested in how artists of the time portrayed people against landscaped backgrounds.
Using the original photograph as my reference for the figure, I developed my own composition, introducing colour, architecture, a garden and a distant landscape. I wanted the finished painting to feel like a portrait that could have been created during his lifetime.
It was a challenging and rewarding commission, transforming a single old photograph into a colourful oil painting that could be treasured by his family for generations to come.”
