Custom Art

Robyn Millar has a knack to create Custom Art to perfectly coordinate and fit proportionally to any space. Her versatile portfolio reflects her wide range of styles & techniques, which include: contemporary, realism, abstract, modern, aesthetic, botanical, textured, colourful or neutral palettes, scenery, detailed pet portraits, and more. If you have been searching for a specific style, particular size, or favourite colour scheme of art, then feel free to contact Robyn to chat about custom order possibilities!

Here are some examples of the different styles of past commissions:

AS CRIMSON LEAVES FALL

48” x 26” & 20”x26” (2” deep)
acrylic on canvas – asymmetrical triptych

This set was custom made for a beautiful home in Springbank just outside of Calgary.  This client lives on an acreage surrounded with old growth trees, and the living room this painting was made for has an entire wall of big open windows, overlooking the beautiful trees outside… this was the inspiration for this piece, almost like a snap shot of a dense forest with layers and layers of tree trunks as far as the eye can see, so much that you cannot see light out the other side… In addition to the tree trunk theme we also wanted to add colour to the space, going with this rich crimson red for the leaves. They appear to be fluttering in the wind and falling through the trees… breezy, dramatic, joyful, and uplifting… simply beautiful.

URBANE

22.75”x48”, 8.5”x48”, 18”x48” (2” deep)
acrylic on canvas – asymmetrical triptych

This set of three was custom made for a modern and monochromatic newly renovated kitchen. The style was based on my ‘Clarity’ abstract piece but slightly more simplistic, and in cooler colours to pull from their finishings. We made each canvas perfectly proportioned to each section of the wall, creating three customs sizes. The edges of the canvases are painted black, and in a gloss finish to tie in with the nearby high gloss cabinetry.

KATO

16” x 16”
acrylic on canvas

This Pet Portrait is a prime example to demonstrate how the success of a finished piece relies largely on the reference photo! Hats off to Allesheu for a beautiful shot of her dog Kato! I had a great time painting him for her to give her mom on mother’s day.

SORRENTO

60” x 8” each (2” deep)
acrylic on canvas – triptych

The sole inspiration for this custom set came from a picture taken on a trip to Italy of a panel piece propped up in a storefront window.  Using the memento photograph for reference I sketched a similar style to the original tree motif, adjusting areas to accommodate the breaks between the canvases as instead of doing one large painting we went with three long narrow pieces to make up a set. I made the tree go on the right because I preferred the focal point on that side for the specific room it was going into, and we decided to have the painting go around the edges as it would be seen from the side too when you walk into the room. Add in their favourite colour – orange, accent colours from their bedding, my signature tree texture… and we get ‘Sorrento’.

57 BUICK SPECIAL

14″ x 11″
acrylic on linen wrapped canvas board

Based on a photograph for reference, I painted this ‘57 Buick Special for my dad as a memento of a car he once had and still loves. I even colour matched the two tone paint of his particular car to make it more personalized.

WARHORSE

16” x 30″ & 44”x30” (1” deep)
acrylic on canvas – diptych

Hands down this has been the most liberating custom piece I’ve had to date! A friend approached me to paint a piece for their new home, and since they have travelled the world we thought what better subject matter than a memento from his travels… He gave me some pictures from a trip to Hungary and wanted the end result to be a surprise! I imagine this happens only once in a blue moon, so I was very excited to work on this project. I narrowed it down to this fantastic shot of a copper statue he saw in Budapest, applied my “artistic liberties” like he requested, and here we have Warhorse. He was definitely pleasantly surprised, and proudly displays this diptych on his dining room wall. Thanks for the fun commission Luke!

EQUANIMITY

24” x 18” each (3” deep)
acrylic on canvas – set of 5

This set of five was fully custom for a client out in Chestermere. She had searched the web for a particular style of art she had in mind with no luck. But after finding my website and custom artwork possibilities, we chatted, totally clicked, and were on our way to creating the artwork she’d been looking for! After sending me photos of her room, pictures of her toss cushion fabric, as well as the style that she liked, I sketched custom designs for her including Moroccan inspired patterns peppered throughout. She wanted the paintings to be bright and contemporary, incorporating the blue and green accent colours she already established in the room, as well as adding in orange, red, yellow, brown, and purple. Applying my signature texture and weathered ‘patina’ look, we have the ‘Equanimity’ set! For more detailed info please visit my ‘Equanimity’ blog post.

TRANQUIL & AS THE LEAVES FALL

18” x 18” (1.5” deep) & 18″x50″ diptych (2″ deep)
acrylic on canvas

These tree themed paintings were custom made for a wonderful client out in Chestermere, who was looking to add new custom pieces to her freshly made over master bedroom. We’ve worked together in the past and click well in terms of style/vision/etc, so I was super excited to work on these paintings for her. ‘As the Leaves Fall’ was created specifically for a spot on the wall next to new floor to ceiling sheer drape panels and adjacent to stunning metallic wallpaper and leather headboard. We opted for a diptych (vs one solid piece) to keep the look airy. Coordinating with the beautiful boutique hotel vibe of the room and dreamy linen Restoration Hardware bedding, we went with a subdued colour palette that blends in perfectly yet stands out beautifully due to the texture and highlights/shadows. Still craving that subtle pop of colour, we added in a soft army green for the leaves. ‘Tranquil’ was custom made for the the ensuite and added in a hint of blue to open up the door to more accent colours in terms of coordinating hand towels and accessories. Both paintings can be seen at the same time while standing in the ensuite itself so it was essential that they compliment each other. I love how they turned out, but more importantly my client does too.

ZALA

30” x 30” (1.5” deep)
mixed media on birch panel

This piece is a fully custom large-scale mixed media Pet Portrait on panel, created in a contemporary “expressive / minimalist” style. When this client first got in touch we talked about the style he had in mind, and he sent over photos of his dog Zala. I began to sketch her in various drawing mediums and techniques, and we honed in on the one that best represented the style he’d envisioned. From there we went over background colours, and he requested mainly white with some brown accents around the edges. This piece was specifically created for a new condo in the Shuswap, potentially for over the mantle, which is why we went with the large 30”x30” size. The end result is a truly unique ‘essence’ of Zala in a monochromatic and super contemporary style.

BLACK & WHITE PORTRAIT

11” x 14” (1.5” deep)
acrylic on canvas

This portrait was created for a client to give her friends as a wedding gift. She was actually the one to take their engagement photos, and wanted to do something unique with her favourite shot vs enlarging a print and having it framed. So she got in touch to have a custom painted version made just for them! Since the original photo was in black and white the painting was to be also of course, and I must say I really love the look! I often like to offer clients the possibility to name their paintings, and she chose “Daydreams of Life & Love”, which I think couldn’t be more fitting. Congrats to the newlyweds!

R+N

10” x 12” (1.5” deep) each
acrylic on canvas triptych

This custom set was ordered by a client in Germany, and is my first ever international order which is super exciting! It was ordered as a surprise gift for her boyfriend, featuring their initials ‘carved’ into a painted tree trunk inside of a heart shape. When she initially got in touch with me she let me know that she was particularly drawn to my ‘Lone Birch’ piece (which was 12″x60″), but wanted to apply my custom initial ‘carving’ style to it. We ended up going with a set of three canvases to make up one larger piece to help save money on shipping costs. In the end, I’m really glad we did, because I really love the effect of the long tree broken up into 3 pieces.