Commissions at Osner Gallery
Commission a Painting in Cape Town
Martin Osner and Samantha Lee Osner create commissioned paintings, mixed media and photography, at any scale, from a single portrait to a four metre triptych. Every commission starts with a conversation about your space and the story you want the work to tell.
How to commission a painting
How a commission works, step by step
You do not need to know exactly what you want. A commission can begin with a place, a memory, a sold work you loved, or simply a wall that needs the right piece.
We guide you from the first conversation to the day the work is hanging on your wall.
- A conversationWe talk about the space, the story and the size, in the gallery, at your home in Cape Town or on Zoom.
- A preview on your wallWe show the proposed work at its real size on a photo of your wall, so you can judge the scale before anything is made. It is the same free art preview we offer for every work.
- Your approvalYou approve the idea, the size and the medium, and we agree the price and the timescale before work begins.
- The work is createdMartin Osner or Samantha Lee Osner creates the work in the studio.
- FramingThe finished work is framed in our own framing workshop in the gallery building.
- Delivery and hangingIn Cape Town our team delivers the work and hangs it. Further afield, we ship it door to door, anywhere in the world.
Commissions by Martin Osner
Commissioned work, from triptychs to portraits
A few of the commissions Martin Osner has created for collectors, each one made for a particular wall and a particular client.
Valley of Solitude
A panoramic triptych of a solitary tree on a hillside above the open veld, commissioned for a modern dining room.
More on martinosner.com
Emerald Serenity
An abstract commission on aluminium, inspired by Jackson Pollock’s expressive approach to mark making.
More on martinosner.com
Jackie & Jimmy
A double portrait in mixed media, painted in colour against a black and white figure.
More on martinosner.com
Apostle of Democracy
Thomas Jefferson in paint, with his own words lettered across the brick wall beside him.
More on martinosner.com
Rothschild
A portrait in bold colour, with a quotation lettered across the city behind him.
More on martinosner.com
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin on her famous painted Porsche, set against a night sky.
More on martinosner.comThe Sisters of Eight grew the same way. Six of the African Queen portraits are sold, the seventh is being painted for a collector now, and the eighth is open for commission. Meet the Sisters of Eight.
Price
How much does it cost to commission a painting?
The price of a commission depends on the size, the medium, how detailed the work is, and how it is framed. A small portrait on canvas and a four metre triptych on aluminium are very different pieces of work.
Once we know the size, the medium and the idea, we give you a price, and you approve it before any work begins.
How long does a commission take?
That depends on the size and the medium. Heidelberg Harvest, a 400 × 240cm triptych on canvas, took just over two months to paint. We agree the timescale with you before work begins.
Commissions from anywhere in the world
You do not need to be in Cape Town. We talk the commission through on Zoom, show you the preview on a photo of your wall, and ship the finished work door to door.
Two artists, three disciplines
Commissions by Samantha Lee Osner, and for designers
Samantha Lee Osner
Samantha Lee Osner accepts commissions too, in painting, mixed media and photography. Her mixed media works, like Symphony, combine multiple exposures made in camera with acrylic paint and touches of gold leaf.
Interior designers, businesses and developments
We work to your brief and your budget, from creating the art to printing, framing and installing it, for homes, offices, hotels and developments. See all our art services.
Before you ask
Questions about commissioning art
Osner Gallery is at 14 Luisa Way, Hout Bay, twenty minutes from Cape Town. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm. Sunday by appointment, booked the day before. Plan your visit.
What can I commission?
Paintings on canvas or aluminium, mixed media and fine art photography, at any scale, by Martin Osner or Samantha Lee Osner.
How big can a commission be?
As big as the space needs. Heidelberg Harvest is 400 × 240cm, painted as a triptych of three panels.
Can I see the work on my wall before it is made?
Yes. We show the proposed work at its real size on a photo of your wall, so you can judge the scale before anything is made.
Can I commission something similar to a sold work?
Yes. Tell us which work you loved, and we talk about the size, the medium and the space it is for.
Do you take commissions from outside Cape Town?
Yes. We talk commissions through on Zoom with clients anywhere in the world, and ship the finished work door to door.
Can I commission the last of the Sisters of Eight?
Yes. The eighth portrait in Martin Osner’s African Queen collection is open for commission. Meet the Sisters of Eight.