Davis, Kyle :: Fine Art

"Arboreal Dreams" by Rodrigo Luff

Artists: Rodrigo Luff (All) , Rod Luff (All)

2 Comments - 1,080 Views - 1 Like

Arboreal Dreams by Rodrigo Luff Comic Art

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Prelim Drawing

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Artwork Details

Title:	"Arboreal Dreams" by Rodrigo Luff
Artist:	Rodrigo Luff (All)
Artist:	Rod Luff (All)
Media Type:	Paint - Oil
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	1,080
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Comments:	2
Added to Site:	3/28/2020
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Some pieces you know are going to be worth the wait no matter how long it takes. That�s the case with this piece I commissioned from Rod back in November 2017. I had shared Rod�s work with Sass Kia and they ended up planning to do a reference shoot. As soon as I found out I commissioned Rod to create a piece with that yet unshot reference which helped him pay for his shoot with her. Of course I was happy it worked that way since there is nothing like being able to support two amazing artists at once.

I�m sure you�re wondering why it took him so long to finish it. Well at the end of December he moved to California from Sydney and didn�t receive a work permit until July 2018 meaning he couldn�t work until it was approved. After it was, he had pieces to do for various shows that took his time. He found out in August his solo show at Thinkspace had been moved to June 2019 which was earlier than he had been told. That meant he had to start a new body of work for it sooner than expected. You know how it is. Priorities always come first and as Rod can tell you I�m always patient and happy to wait. I even happily helped by editing the reference he shot with Sass. Anything to save him time.

We began discussing the piece in detail shortly after his show in late June. For the piece Rod decided he was going to make it even more special since it had been a long time coming. He described what he had in mind and of course I immediately loved the idea. What really sold me was how excited he was to do the piece this way. Pieces that artists are truly excited about always end up being the most breathtaking. His idea was to fade out around the edges to just painterly brushstrokes allowing you to see the underpainting. From the start we had decided that we were going to include Sass� favorite birds including magpies, parrots, kookaburras, crimson rosellas and rainbow lorikeets all using photos that Rod had captured while he was living in Australia. It truly is a special piece.

When Rod sent the first quick sketch in mid July just laying out the composition I immediately fell in love. There were a few additions I wanted to add to the piece including some ivy and the flying lorikeets but other than that it was everything I imagined and so much more. When he sent the changes it was exactly how I thought they should be added. Rod than began working on the finished preliminary drawing and shared it at the beginning of August. When I saw it for the first time my mind was blown. Rod took so much care in choosing which photos to use for the birds and the personalities of each shines through beautifully. The amount of time and effort he put into choices like these just goes to show how important it was for him to make a piece he is proud of.
Rod didn�t share the first work in progress shot for the painting until early December but when he did it was a doozy. When the image loaded I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Everything about it was absolutely phenomenal and just made my wait completely worth it. I knew it was going to be from the start but that shot just concreted that the piece was in fact going to be coming home very soon. If there is one good thing about the wait it has been that during that time Rod�s work has risen to a completely other level. His work for the show was so astounding it just made me even more excited for him to complete my piece.

I unexpectedly received an email from Rod on New Years Day telling me the piece was pretty much finished and that it would soon be on its way after touch ups and varnishing. The end of this wonderful journey was nearing its end and my excitement was rising. Of course it takes time for an oil painting to dry but we were now coming to the finish line. By mid February the piece had finally dried and had been varnished. The realization was that the wait was finally over and I would soon be seeing my piece in all it�s beauty for the first time.

The piece is absolutely breathtaking. Rod didn't miss a detail from the gorgeous location he captured the reference in to the stunning birds it is just an amazing tribute to Australia. You can tell Rod put his heart and soul into this piece and I am so glad that he did.

I wouldn�t change a thing about the entire process. It has been such a pleasure getting to know Rod over the past few years and I like to think I made a friend during that time. We have shared a lot of conversations and I have enjoyed every one of them. That interaction is what makes me love supporting and commissioning artists like I do. You truly get to see them on a personal level as a human and not just some name on a wall. You don�t get that experience buying a piece from a gallery.

Size 20 x 24 on wood panel

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About the Owner

	Kyle Davis
Joined:	December 2007
Last Login:	September 2025
Website:	http://JoshHowardCollector.com
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Kyle's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Jeff Singh
Member Since 2004

Posted on 3/29/2020

Ethereal...I love Rod's work.

Kyle Davis
Member Since 2007

Posted on 3/29/2020

Jeff Singh wrote:

Ethereal...I love Rod's work.��

Isn't it? Rod's work is so stunning. I'd been wanting one of his oil paintings for a long time. I couldn't be any happier with what he came up with. The perfect example for my collection.

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