The Making of an Heirloom
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I often think about the fact that in the days before affordable cameras, people preserved likenesses by way of portrait paintings. Now they seem an almost stately indulgence set aside for the wealthy, the famous, or maybe just those fortunate enough to have an artistic relative or friend.
I love walking through portrait galleries in art museums. I enjoy portraiture as an art on the whole and now that I ponder it, it surprises me that it never really mattered to me in the past that I didn’t have a portrait of myself or other family members. It didn’t matter, that is, until I had Gigi. Of course I am a typically proud and indulgent mother and I enjoy taking her picture. I’ve often contemplated having an oil painting done of her, but I don’t know anyone who paints at that level.
I’m looking at the Paint Your Life website right now with my daughter and we are both pretty impressed with a lot of the portraits they’ve done. It looks simple. You upload or send in a photograph you like. You only pay 20% of the total price up font and then the photo is given to a commissioned artist who will work with you to make modifications to the piece before you pay the final fee and the painting is carefully shipped to you.
Depending on the medium you choose (oil, charcoal, pencil, etc.) you completed painting takes anywhere from 12 days to just under a month to be ready to be shipped to you, though there is an option to choose an express turnaround.
Here, just watch this little commercial put out by Paint Your Life. Maybe it’s just an emotional day for me, but I actually started crying and my daughter was smiling ear to ear. There is just something about taking a treasured photo and turning it into an actual heirloom that cuts right to the heart.
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