Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
Pablo Picasso
Not long while visiting a good friend of mine she pulled out her phone and told me to look at a photo in her email. It was a portrait she had commissioned of her dog. At first I laughed. If you knew my friend you would know that her dog is one of the most photographed dogs I know.I certainly can’t blame her, Ollie is one cute Pug.
Immediately I was intrigued. So I asked her how she found the artist, what made her want to do this, etc. You know all the typical questions. “Etsy,” she said matter-o-fact. Huh? Etsy, ok sounds good. (Etsy is the world’s most vibrant online handmade marketplace. It is a place where you can buy and sell handmade or vintage items, art and supplies).
I asked her to send me the information and I went on the woman’s site, MandasArtStudio: Custom Pet Portraits and Art and to my surprise her site was filled with awesome paintings of animals. I was immediately interested in having a portrait done of my own dog, Skyler.
I sent Manda a note, explained that my friend was Ollie’s owner and what great things she had to say about working with her. Next thing I knew we were off and running. She asked for a few photos of my dog. I sent my favorite picture of her; she was much younger then she is now and in quite better health so I wanted to capture Skyler as a middle-aged free spirited pup. Manda agreed.
I immediately chose Gouache style which is a technique of painting with opaque watercolors prepared with gum. After I chose the style she then sent a few sketches too choose from as well as the background color.
I picked my favorite sketch and within a week or so, she emailed me the end result and the final product is sent in the mail.
I have many reasons for spending money on art, but for once in my life I actually spent money on a piece of art that will bring me happiness for years to come. Skyler recently turned twelve and for a Vizsla that is pretty good. But her health is failing and I wanted to do this now, because to be honest I think I’d be too sad to do it later. Our animals are a part of our family and what better way to say ‘thank you’ for all the times you greeted me when I came in the door or just a ‘thank you’ in general. Sure, she’ll never know I had this done but it makes me happy just knowing that I got a really cool picture hanging on my wall of my Skyler Bean.
Don’t have any pets? Well Paint My Photo Now is a great source for having your ‘human photos’ turned into beautiful, painted art. This site was also featured in Country Living magazine as seen below. Instead of using monogramed wood cut outs of our children’s names, this family chose to have pictures of their children painted to hang over their beds. Although this certainly costs more, I can guarantee these pictures will follow them from place to place, home to home for the rest of their life, which is well worth it the extra money.
Have any budding or accomplished artists in your family? Even if their art doesn’t quite fit your décor there is no bigger compliment than adding it in despite how it may appear. I was lucky enough to have a grandmother who was an artist. When she passed years ago we discover hundreds of oil paintings scattered throughout her house. Some we knew about, others we did not. I was blessed enough to be given a few of her paintings and I proudly display them in my home.
This one hangs in my dining room. I love this painting and the frame is gorgeous. It fits perfectly with the rest of the room and the gold really pops off the dark blackberry walls. I not only love to tell people that my grandmother painted it but I love seeing their reaction to this beautiful piece that is displayed on my wall. Not a day goes by that I don’t walk past it and think of her.
Lastly, as the beginning of the Saratoga race season begins I often think about my family and their connection to the NYRA. My father had this picture hung in his office and it has been so graciously passed on to me. It now hangs in my office at home and it is a constant reminder of my roots and days gone by. It always makes me smile.
I know this submission is a bit different than the those I’ve done in the past but I got to thinking the other day about all the things we run to the store to buy to fill up our homes that don’t hold any real meaning for us. I am fortunate enough to have art in my home that reminds me of the people and animals I love. So if nothing else I hope this has encouraged you to maybe start thinking of art as not something we can just buy at the store to fill a space but as something a bit more personal. It’s out there we just have to find it.
Until Next time, Happy Designing
