Tis the season... commissioned artwork

I am in the midst of busy season when it comes to commissioned work. Lots of people are wanting to give home sketches for Christmas gifts this year... which is a huge blessing. Since I haven't posted artwork in a while, I thought I would share a different sort of commission done very recently. This client wanted to have the sketch done for her daughter, who was married in this church. I thought that was so sweet.

The Basilica of St. Lawrence
graphite, 5" x 7"

This was a fun commission because I have never done a Basilica before. It was also a challenge because of the small size requested (5" x 7"), as there is a tremendous amount of detail. This is the Basilica of St. Lawrence, located in Asheville, North Carolina. It is a very beautiful church and has an interesting history. According to the church's website, "St Lawrence, with its unique dome, is the only church designed and built by the renowned Rafael Guastavino --and is considered the mother church of western North Carolina." At the time when it was designated by the Roman Catholic Church as a Basilica (in 1993) there were only 33 other Basilicas in the United States. The website states about the designation of Basilica that it "is a special designation given by the Holy Father to certain churches because of their antiquity, dignity, historical importance or significance as a place of worship."

And now, back to the drawing board!