How to Commission an Abstract Painting for Your Home
The most common thing I hear from people who have been thinking about commissioning a painting is some version of this: “I did not know I was allowed to do that.”
They have admired original art for years. They have a wall that has been waiting for the right piece. They know exactly how they want a room to feel. But somewhere along the way they got the idea that commissions were for corporations, or for people with unlimited budgets, or for collectors who already knew the art world from the inside.
None of that is true. And I want to tell you what commissioning a painting actually looks like — at least the way I do it — so that if you have been sitting on the idea, you can stop sitting on it.
Detail for New York Client Commissioned Artwork. Photo by Glenyse Thompson
What a commission actually is
A commission is simply a piece of original art made specifically for you — your space, your scale, your palette, your vision. Instead of choosing from what already exists, you are part of the process of bringing something new into being.
That is it. There is no secret handshake. You do not need to speak any particular art world language. You need a wall, a feeling you want the room to carry, and a willingness to have a conversation.
How the process works — from first email to finished piece
Here is exactly what happens when you commission a painting from my studio.
Step one: The conversation.
It starts with an email or a phone call. You tell me about the space — the room, the wall, the light, how the space is used and who uses it. You tell me what you are drawn to in my existing work. You tell me what feeling you want when you walk into that room.
You do not need to know the technical terms. You do not need to bring a color wheel. You can say things like *I want it to feel like a deep breath* or *I want something that makes the room feel like a celebration* and I will know exactly what to do with that.
If you have a mood board, bring it. If you have pulled images from my Instagram or my website that speak to what you are after, share them. The more you can tell me about how you live and what moves you, the better the work will be.
Step two: The proposal.
After our conversation, I come back to you with a written proposal. It includes the dimensions, the medium, the estimated timeline, and the price. Everything is clear before any work begins. No surprises, no scope creep, no awkward conversations later.
If something in the proposal needs to be adjusted — the size, the price point, the timeline — we talk about it. This is a collaboration. We figure it out together.
Step three: The deposit.
Once you approve the proposal, a 50% deposit confirms the commission and work begins. The deposit holds your place in my schedule and covers materials.
Step four: Progress updates.
I share studio images at key stages of the work. You are never in the dark about where the piece is or how it is developing. If something needs to shift — a color is reading differently than anticipated, a scale feels off — we catch it early and address it before the piece is finished.
Step five: Delivery.
The finished piece is professionally packed and insured for shipping, or available for pickup at my studio at the ArtsXchange in St. Petersburg. It arrives with a certificate of authenticity and full documentation — useful if you ever sell, loan, or donate the work. The remaining 50% is due on delivery.
What makes a commissioned piece different from buying off the wall
When you buy an existing piece — from my website, from my Artsy page, from open studio — you are choosing something that already exists and responding to it. That is a real and meaningful experience.
When you commission a piece, something different happens. The work carries the specific weight of your life in it — your rooms, your colors, your conversations with me about what you are after. Collectors who have commissioned work from me often tell me that the piece feels different from everything else they own. Not better necessarily — just different in kind. More personal. More rooted in the specific circumstances of their lives at the moment it was made.
I think that is true. And I think it is one of the reasons commissioned pieces tend to stay in families for generations.
What commissions cost — and how to think about budget
My commissions start at different price points depending on scale and medium. A small to mid-size work on panel begins around the same price range as my available originals — starting in the low thousands. Large-scale statement pieces that require more time and materials are priced accordingly.
The most useful thing I can tell you about budget is this: have the conversation before you decide you cannot afford it. Many people assume commissions cost significantly more than existing work and are surprised to find the difference is smaller than they expected, particularly for work in the mid-range scale.
If you have a specific number in mind, tell me. I will tell you honestly what is possible at that price point and what is not. I would rather have that conversation at the beginning than have you feel like you wasted my time or yours.
Questions people ask me before commissioning
How long does a commission take?
It depends on scale and where I am in my schedule. A small to mid-size work typically takes four to eight weeks from deposit to delivery. A large-scale piece may take longer. I will give you a specific timeline in the proposal and I keep to it.
Can I commission a piece in a specific series?
Yes. If you love the Conversations series, the Big Shoulders series, or any other body of work, I can make a piece that lives within that visual language while being made specifically for your space.
What if I do not love the finished piece?
This has not happened, and I do not think it will happen if we do the work up front in the conversation and proposal stage. The more clearly you communicate what you are after and the more honest I am about what I can deliver, the better the outcome. But if there is something in the finished piece that feels wrong, we talk about it before you take delivery.
Do you ship nationally?
Yes. Work ships professionally packed and insured via FedEx or UPS to anywhere in the country. Shipping costs are determined by dimensions and destination and are added to the final invoice.
Can interior designers commission on behalf of clients?
Absolutely! Email hello@glenyse.com for details.
The wall that has been waiting
If you have a wall that has been waiting — if you have been thinking *someday* for longer than feels comfortable — this is me telling you that someday can be now.
The conversation costs nothing. The proposal commits you to nothing. And the piece, when it is finished and on your wall, will be something that exists nowhere else in the world.
That is worth starting.
Browse available art, giclée's at glenyse.com/original-art. Open studio takes place every second Saturday of the month at the ArtsXchange, 515 22nd Street South, Studio 109, St. Petersburg, FL. To get on the advance new-work list, subscribe at glenyse.com. or contact hello@glenyse.com to discuss a commission made specifically for your space. For direct inquiries, 312-725-6066.
Glenyse Thompson is a Florida-based contemporary abstract artist whose work has been featured in Designer Today, Aspire Home and Design, Architectural Digest, Southern Living, Town and Country, Design Milk, and Martha Stewart and placed in private collections and commercial spaces nationally and worldwide. She enjoys commissioning art for collectors, exhibiting art, working with brands and interior designers, and collaborating with companies on licensing opportunities.