Commissioned Paintings for Holiday Gifts

Every holiday season I get a lot of requests for commissions, so this year we decided to cap the number of paintings to only 10.  Somehow that list filled up quickly, and as I finished them one by one, more orders came in.  In total I ended up painting 25 commissioned paintings.  Each one was approved and accepted by the patron (sometimes after minor changes), and arrived in time for the holidays.  We mailed paintings to many places around the country like Texas, Virginia, Oregon, and a couple were even mailed to Belgium.  They were commissioned as gifts for spouses, co-workers, significant others, parents, and close friends.  Each painting had a special story behind it, and I loved being in on the surprise.  My favorite painting was the portrait my brother commissioned of his wife.  I suggested a parody of the Mona Lisa with personal touches that symbolized important parts of my sister-in-law’s life.  Her reaction was priceless, and we got it on video (see below).  We take a picture of every painting that leaves the studio, so here is a slideshow of the paintings I made this holiday season (click on the pictures to view a slideshow).  They are all oil paint on wood panel, framed in a natural ash wood frame.  If you’d like to commission one, just let me know.

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Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #63, March 10, 2016, “We Can Brew It!”

This week’s Thirsty Thursday beer painting is a nod to International Women’s Day and the Pink Boots Society, so I invited my wife and Business Manager, Maria Benner, to write a guest blog post about her experience brewing a batch of Big Boots Brew at Midnight Sun Brewing Company last Saturday.  For the painting I sampled the 1942 war effort sign made by J. Howard Miller of Westinghouse Production Company, designed to increase morale for the all-female workforce at home.   

The Pink Boots Society is a membership organization for female brewers that has been empowering women beer professionals to advance their careers in the beer industry through education for 11 years.  Every year, around March 8th, many breweries across the country host “no boys allowed” brew days.  The last two years I have been invited to brew at one of my favorite breweries, Midnight Sun Brewing.  I think the idea is for everyone to brew the same beer, and we brewed a citrus saison.  Last year I also got to participate, and I distinctly remember adding about 10 pounds of Red Hots to the kettle.  About a dozen women got together to brew this year, and our fearless leader was Chelsea Hendricks, a brewer at MSBC.  She does a great job explaining the brewing process and putting us all to work.  Sampling beer was part of the job 🙂  I could only stay for 2.5 hours, but it was long enough to appreciate all the hard work that goes into producing one batch of beer.  The important lesson is that women “can brew it!”

Cheers to all the women pioneers in the brewing industry, and to the Pink Boots Society for making it possible!

The original oil painting sold, but you can purchase a limited-edition print, or order a custom beer painting at my Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #63 by Scott Clendaniel. March 10, 2016. “We Can Brew It!” 11″x14″, oil on panel.

 

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #58, February 4, 2016, Sloth Belgian-Style Imperial Stout by Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Originally part of the 7 Deadly Sins series of 2007, Sloth Belgian-Style Imperial Stout is one of the finest beers brewed by Midnight Sun Brewing here in Anchorage, Alaska.  There is a reason Midnight Sun claims this is one of Alaska’s Most Wanted beers on the label.  It is really good!  A sloth is a cute, but slow creature moving so slowly that algae grows in its fur.  I recommend drinking this beer as if you were a sloth, sipping it slowly like you have all the time in the world.  Sloths are tan and develop a green tinge as the algae grows in their fur.  The beer is as dark as night, and has a serious punch in its flavor.  It smells sweet from the extensive malt backbone, and Belgian yeast, and the booze is there, but for a 10% beer it tastes mild due to the Bourbon barrel aging.  I recommend buying a case of this amazing brew, as it is one that will hang out and cellar well.  Don’t delay, the last time it was brewed was 10 years ago!  Cheers to the Sloth in all of us.  Hey, it might be a deadly sin, but it is dreadfully delicious as a beer!

The original oil painting sold.  You can purchase a limited-edition print, or order a Custom Beer Painting at my Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #58 by Scott Clendaniel. February 4, 2016. Sloth Belgian-Style Imperial Stout by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. 11″x14″, oil on panel.