Commission Information

Current commission turnover time is 2-4 weeks

I love to work with art/nature lovers on personal, business or educational projects!

To get started, tell me a little bit about your project with the Contact form. I will email you back with additional questions, information and quotes. I look forward to working with you!

What I do - See images below for samples

-I specialize in painting Florida native plants and animals: I find it easier than painting non-native species, plus I love them, and think it is important to have more art about local native species. I prefer to find or observe the plants or animals in person, because it often helps me to depict them most accurately. I actively explore my local natural areas, learn about local species, and keep a bank of photographs of various plants and animals to help me do this. If a project includes a plant or animal I haven't seen or photographed before, I will often work with others to locate it. This is not always necessary if reference photos and descriptions are provided to me or can be accurately located elsewhere. Knowing and loving the place where I live is also one of my values, so painting native species aligns with that.

-Representing scientifically accurate behaviors and relationships between species: A high level of faithfulness is important to me because many native species are identifiable through small details. I also often create narrative compositions, with species interacting with each other, but am happy to depict single species as well. I'm also happy to depict plants, animals or landscapes in a looser, more painterly style (see the painting titled Community below for an example of this style).

-Realism and beauty in watercolor: The medium lends itself to scientific accuracy and detail, while also beautifully connecting to fine art. My hypothesis is that depicting native species in a beautiful way will help others to love and protect them better. Kind of like advertising for nature.

-Collaboration: I love and prioritize working with others on projects that have educational, personal, business, or conservation goals. Collaboration has helped me to learn more about local species than I think I would have been able to do on my own, and my past collaborative projects have been some of the most meaningful to me. I also simply love working with others and crafting projects together. 50% of all the projects I've created over the past 8 years were done in collaboration with others.

-I don't do: With some exceptions, I don't do non-realistic, or other art styles/mediums. While my work has been used in logos, marketing, and to educate/raise awareness for local species, my specialty is in art and collaboration, not particularly in advertising or graphic design.

-Past collaborations and commissions: include original artwork for use on websites, trail signs, videos, guides, magazines, products, logos, murals, research presentations and personal collections. See below for examples of past projects.

-Others things I do: concept sketches, finished graphite drawings, and graphic design depending on the project.

For images of single butterflies, birds and other animals suitable for most uses except for products and branding, visit my digital downloads shop.

I also offer image licensing of my past works, shows, workshops, presentations, and wholesale prints and cards.

Visit the Shop section of my website for limited or open edition archival ink prints, and framed or unframed original paintings.

Process and cost

A single painting or illustration takes an average of 2 to 6 weeks to complete, and varies with complexity. We begin by discussing the project and then I send some initial ideas and sketches. After I receive input about the ideas/sketches, I usually edit and send an updated sketch (or sketches). On average, there are around 2-3 rounds of edits. Half of the total cost of the project is due after the sketch (or sketches) are approved, and is non-refundable. Then I begin creating the final piece. An original painting and a digital image is created out of this process. For projects that utilize the digital image, an image license is also created. The last half of the cost of the project is due after delivery.

The cost normally ranges between $75 - $2000 for most projects. I'm happy to provide a quote, or a range of quotes. I'm also happy to accept a number of reduced-rate projects per year, especially for those working in non-profits, conservation or education. Please contact me here with some initial ideas for your project, and your budget (if you have one).

Past commission examples (Click to enlarge + get info):

Tillandsia and other Florida native plants in Miami.

Tillandsia and Miami Native Plants

Watercolor, 15x15"

A commission for the Dade Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.

Community

Watercolor, 8x10"

A commission for 1000 Friends Of Florida

Miami Pine Rocklands

Watercolor, 12x12"

A commission for Tropical Audubon Society, for their Save Our Rocklands initiative.

It depicts endemic and endangered species of the Miami Pine Rocklands, a globally imperiled habitat.

Suarez-Cabal Nearly Native Garden

A commission of a Miami native plant garden

Birds at Play mural

Birds at Play is a wallpaper mural and temporary public work commissioned by the City of West Palm Beach’s ArtLife Public Art program: 8 Artists 8 Spaces. It consists of 15 illustrations digitally combined, with the original framed paintings on display on the 4th floor through the summer of 2024.

Everglades coloring book
American alligator
coloring page
pages

Coloring Book - Who Lives In The Everglades?

Commissioned by The Everglades Foundation, this 20 page resource is free to download and share! It's meant to assist teachers in their environmental curriculum, and can be found in the Kindergarten section of the Teacher Toolkit, here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11g-dh2ZG0j4PhT5UIZQLZiMNslEDxD7Z

Native wild plants of Florida and the butterflies they host

17 illustrations of common Florida native plants that host butterflies commissioned by Bound By Beauty.

They were used to create three posters that are available as a free download on their website. Graphic Design is by Melanie Olivia.

Field Guide to Wild Plants

17 illustrations of common Florida native plants that host butterflies commissioned by Bound By Beauty.

They were used to create this Field Guide to Wild Plants that is available as a free download on their website. Graphic Design is by Melanie Olivia.

Purple Thistle

Watercolor, 10x10"

One of 17 illustrations of common native plants that host butterflies, commissioned by Bound By Beauty. They were used to create free resources that are available on their website.

Create Your Own Wildlife Sanctuary

3 Illustrations of Miami gardens featuring native plant pairings, commissioned by Bound by Beauty.

They were used to create this Wildlife Sanctuary Guide, available as a free download on their website.

Graphic Design my Melanie Olivia

Miami native plant garden with purple and yellow plants

Miami Garden, Purple and Yellow Flowers

Watercolor, 12x12"

A commission for Bound By Beauty. One of 3 illustrations of Miami gardens meant to help viewers imagine and plan their own native plant gardens, with visually complementary plants.

Pro Native Consulting logo

Miami Chapter of NABA logo

Green Spirit Gardens logo

Bartram's Hairstreak Life Cycle

Bartram's Hairstreak Lifecycle 2020 was made to be used in the presentations by scientist Erika Henry who is studying this endangered Pine Rockland species.

Historical Florida Map

One of 3 maps of the Florida peninsula, past present and future. Commissioned by Into Nature Films and the South Florida Natural Resources Center at Everglades National Park. It was used in their film Dreaming of the Everglades.

Graphic design by Into Nature Films

Tampa Bay Map

Watercolor 14x24"

Map of Tampa Bay, commissioned by Into Nature Films and Friends of The Tampa Bay NWR. It was used in their film Where Birds Can Be Birds

Graphic Design by Into Nature Films

Florida Native Bees

Watercolor 12x12"

Used as a Trail sign illustration for Pinecrest Gardens Upper Garden.

Graphic design by Douglas Thompson

Florida Native Owls

Watercolor 12x12"

Used as a Trail sign illustration for Pinecrest Gardens Upper Garden

Graphic design by Douglas Thompson

Florida Bonneted Bat

Watercolor 12x12"

Used as a Trail sign illustration for Pinecrest Gardens Upper Garden

Graphic design by Douglas Thompson

Coloring Book - Get to Know Florida's Pine Rockland Critters

Get To Know South Florida's Pine Rockland Critters 2018 is a coloring book made in collaboration with the Miami Pine Rocklands Coalition

It is available for download in English and Spanish in the Resources section of my website.

Monarch and Twinevine

One of 4 illustrations commissioned by Florida Native Plants Nursery And Landscaping for use on their website