There are 3 important steps in creating a commission, or, developing a concept:

1. CONCEPT DEFINITION - We must define the concept, or purpose of the work by making a list or story that answers the who, what, where, how and why questions. After defining the concept in literal terms, we must proceed to the definition of the concept in visual terms.
2. COMPOSITION - We must take the literal definitions and turn them into pictures and symbols. Then we must arrange them in a balanced manner which is pleasing to the eye, otherwise known as "compositional harmony".
3. COLOR - The world of color can influence mood, emotion, and effect. The color scheme should enhance the concept definition.

CONCEPT DEFINITION
This painting's purpose was to honor a group of scientists who gave their expertise, financial support, and time to seek the truth amidst worldwide skepticism of the "monster" in Loch Ness, Scotland.

Being on the cutting edge of technology as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the inventor of high definition sonar, Mr. Robert Rines led the group (the Academy of Applied Science) and went to Inverness, Scotland to set-up their equipment in 1970. They went back every summer for 6 years. By setting up an underwater camera and strobe light (designed for National Geographic by inventor Harold Edgerton) triggered by sonar (invented by Rines), they would get 16mm film of anything of significant size.

In 1972, in 45 ft. of water, the still controversial "flipper photos" appeared, with sonar records to validate them. These diamond shaped flippers, calculated to be 4-6 ft. long, are characteristics of a type of dinosaur called a plesiosaur, whose other recognizable characteristic is a long neck. Then, in 1975, two other photographs appeared, resembling a head, and a body with a long neck.

When Mr. Rines approached me to do this commission, I realized the importance of the photos and decided that I must incorporate them into the painting. In my quest to honor Rines and his team's achievements, I took it upon myself to study up on as many articles and books that I could find. In addition, I went to Scotland and took many reference photos of the area where the exploration took place.

Of significance to the area in Loch Ness, Inverness was Urquhart Castle, where the deepest part of the Loch ness is (975 ft.), and where the cameras were set up. We agreed that this area would be the setting for the painting. I went out on a boat around the castle, taking many photographs from different perspectives. The time of year was August; summer in Scotland. The only time of the year the temperature is above 40 degrees and the weather was sunny and beautiful. The rest of the year the weather is cold, drizzly, and misty. The mist in front of the castle gave the opportunity to create a feeling of mystery.

COMPOSITION
When I got back to my studio, it was time to compose. I had gathered all the elements, now it was time to arrange them in an aesthetically pleasing manner that would help tell the story.

Composition is a patient process of trial and error; constant reflection, critiquing, and rearranging. Patience yields quality at this point, and the more time you spend, the more insurance that you won't look at the painting later with regret.

The first decision in a composition is what kind of shape and proportion to use. As a chef arranges food on a plate for display, the plate to use must be decided first. I suggested to Mr. Rines that the painting should be a vertical one, as its purpose was one of reverence, and should be looked up to, such as a portrait would.

Where a painting will be displayed should be taken into consideration for size, proportion and sometimes color. This painting was to be displayed at the USA National Inventor's Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, where Mr. Rines and Mr. Edgerton were inducted as two of 120 of the USA's greatest inventors, among such famous inventors such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, and Louis Pasteur.

We decided it should be as large as possible, standing over 6 ft. high. The painting was to be displayed across from an elevator door, meaning that you would see it all at once as the doors opened, as opposed to walking up to a painting that you would see from a distance.

The composition integrates the flipper and body photos into Nessie in the foreground. I changed the curve of the neck slightly into a more pleasing "hogarth curve" and added a map of Scotland on the pattern on the body. The photo of the head is in the clouds above Urquhart Castle. I put the visual "weight" of the clouds on the right, along with the castle wall to balance Nessie's body on the left. Nessie's position looking to the right also helps achieve this balance.

COLOR
After we finalized the composition, we were ready to add color. Color theory is a complex science, studied by some for a lifetime. Perhaps no one is known better for his contributions to the world of color than Herbert Munsell and the invention of the color wheel.

Mr. Rines wanted to portray "Nessie" as a kind and gentle real creature, not the monster that the media hypes made her out to be; therefore, the colors should be bright and alive. The title of the painting evolved; "Nessie Lives!" The light rays coming through the castle and the clouds above gave the color we wanted, while our main subject, Nessie, was a neutral color (Mr. Rines had actually seen the creature surface one evening for about 15 minutes. He said its color was "gray and blemished, like the back of an elephant").

Once approved, my job was to enlarge the colored sketch, with more detail. This is simply work. The creative process is completed at the finishing of the colored sketch. It is like making a building; the architect does the creative work, and the contractor does the construction of the creation. Only minor changes can be made at this point.

It is very important to the artist and the patron that the concept development process be followed in this order. The communication between the artist's vision and the patron's understanding is critical. As in any business, one is hired to satisfy the client. In this most exciting area of the world of art, I see it as my professional goal to exceed my client's expectations.