This commission started with a theme, billiards and a location, a burnt-orange fabric covered wall set in an alcove above a billiards table in the roof top lounge of 930 Pike and Rose The client was struggling to find artwork that referenced the game of billiards in a way that not only challenged and intrigued viewers, but also used a color palette that integrated with the location.

Working on artwork commissioned by Pike and Rose brought me to the realization that I enjoy the challenge of working with a client seeking artwork that meets some basic parameters, while allowing for artistic interpretation within the give constraints. The tight timeline of two weeks was admittedly anxiety provoking. However, knowing the deadline upfront informed the scope of my pitch, ensuring I proposed an idea I could complete on time.

I started to think about how I could make a painting about billiards to capture the essential abstract elements of the game- skill, speed, and geometry. I pitched an idea that captured these dynamic elements using the tools of billiards, the ball and stick, as my paintbrush. I quite literally played billiards with paint.

After researching billiards playbooks, I selected patterns of play that created interesting positive and negative spaces when layered on top of one another. The layered lines of play represented shots taken by a skilled player throughout a game of billiards.  I drew each play on a piece of tracing paper and then layered them on top of one another in varying degrees of complexity and settled on an iteration later approved by the client.

My painting was played on a deep blue/grey linen matte board. The material of the canvas was critical to reflect both the surface of a billiards table as well as integrate with the fabric walls of the alcove. The material of the canvas presented an interesting challenge. I only had one shot to get each play recorded. No erasing and no second chances. To prepare, I practiced playing billiards across similar surfaces with different types of paint. The degree of the paint splatter reflected the speed the ball travels, so selecting the correct viscosity of paint mattered. Dense paint like oil did not splatter enough and fluid paint such as fluid acrylics splattered too much, making it difficult to follow different lines of play when layered.

I explored adding simple circles and netting to integrate the balls and pockets of a billiards table. Ultimately those elements were used to highlight major points of impact on the matte board. I elevated some circular shapes to represent the nine ball, the three ball, and the cue ball, a nod to the address of 930 Pike and Rose. Finally, I layered more structured lines of billiards play to give the work greater depth.