Hand painted canvas
Diana at Nectar Inc. asked me about doing a couple of photos for Bank of the James. The comp featured a backdrop that she loved and wondered if it was something that we could purchase. I could tell from the image that the backdrop was hand painted on canvas with brushstrokes in all directions. Oliphant Studios in New York makes similar canvases but they are expensive and outside of the budget, so I told Diana I could make one for the shoot. With advice from my mom (she is an artist and has done very large canvases), the help of my girlfriend Amy, and one failed attempt, here is the final product. 7' x 9.5' stretched canvas with white primer rubbed in smooth and black gesso applied with a 4" brush. Click on the image to see it larger.