Commission Portrait Paintings by Gail Guirreri-Maslyk

Grey Horse Composition studies

Virginia sporting, portrait and landscape artist Gail Guirreri-Maslyk is available for commission painting portraits. Her palette of glowing color and unique drawing style is somewhere between impressionism and modern representational. Equestrian portraits of field hunters, show riders, huntsman and other human figures as well as her horse and pet portraits are often on a larger scale. References are checked for permission if required but often Gail takes her own photos. Gail seeks for her paintings to bring a feeling of a moment rather than the perfect replication of a photo. Her paintings will change the feel of a room when you walk in often reflecting unexpected light.

"In equestrian performance situations often the camera will lie. Perspective can be distorted by the lens and becomes more noticeable as a composition is drawn on large canvas. I am a long time breeder of Holsteiner sport horses with a trained eye for slight flaws and movement type. Therefor, I see these mistakes easily and fix them to more natural visual balance. The drawing stage is very important to the process of a commission but not everyone can see where a painting is going in this rough stage. I tell my students often, it's not done until it's done! My paintings are built in calculated pigment layers overlapping one another rather than a paint by number process. Fixing after a mid point stage is not going to produce the same surface and light quality as it should. There are plenty of examples available of this drawing stage. Sometimes I am so taken by a drawing that I leave it be and start a new canvas."

"I prefer to take my own reference photos but can work from good quality composition photos with written permission from the photographer. There is a palette builder page on my web site to help you choose and match my pigment colors to your decor. I have many color boards available showing pure and mixed pigments helping a customer make pigment choices. Depending on the size and needs I can purchase quality canvas or I stretch my own. Canvas stretched on board (cotton or linen) with supports for a stable surface are great for situations where one might be concerned about the safety of a canvas. Premium French or Belgian linen are also available on expandable bars made of bass wood allowing larger sizes (above 60"). Should a painting need to be shipped, package and shipping may be estimated ahead of time (no guarantees on rates) as larger pieces can be harder to ship. Crating and shipping on horse trailers has been one method for larger canvases! Dr. Willliam Ley builds my boards and is available for framing. "

Gail has one of the largest unique pigment collections of any artist. During the covid years she began to study a few new pigments that lead to a database in order to compare and shop them more easily (artoilcolor.com). Since then she has continued to find and purchase hundreds of unique pigment tubes. One can easily read a tube of paint to know the difference between a mixed verses pure pigment. If a painting needs say a particular green, Gail will look at the entire composition requirements and pick 2 or 3 pure pigments to make that green. Sometimes the green can be made with purple and yellow. The purple and yellow, add an orange or red, provides a limited palette and the entire work is more cohesive. Choosing the perfect white is also specific to the outcome. Many pigments are reasonably affordable but of course Gail is findning the most expensive, rare glorious pigments! Most artists don't think it makes a difference. Au contraire, s'il voux plait!

A modest size canvas for the horse and rider is 30"x40", seated portraits are 34"x48", smaller pet portraits may be 18"x24" and the living room mantel pieces are 48" or more wide as the space suggests. Prices start at $450 for sketch studies (doodles) in oil on canvas depending on the subject. Each commission is individually priced based upon how complicated the composition is. Please contact Gail for a quote. Square inch prices are available per material types and compostition by request. Gail is also available to travel and paint on site for those interested being part of the process or when size causes shipping concerns.