Artsy Fartsy

I have to admit...I'm kind of an art snob. I really don't have any artwork in my home that isn't original. It's not so much that I'm all about spending a ton of money on art, it's just that I really don't care for reproductions. I'd much rather have original photographs of my kids on the wall than a reproduction of someone's work that I bought at Pier One.

That being said, the majority of really expensive artwork we have was done by my husband's cousin, Julie Oriet ...BEFORE she got so popular that we couldn't afford her anymore!!!

We also have a few things that we inherited and love very much. Our most cherished piece of art, however, is the portrait we have of our kids. I left a comment on Happy Housewife's blog about her portrait questions and I could not believe the number of emails I got from readers wanting to know about my China man!

Here's the deal: I have a friend in town whose husband is a VP at Uttermost. As part of his job he often travels to China to meet with artisans and visit factories, etc. During one of his trips he met a man in China who does portraits from photos. Now, there are many websites you can find that offer this same service. I'm here to tell you...this guy is the best. His portraits are amazing. He is truly talented. My friend, Susan, collects your photos. You tell her how you want the portrait done. For instance, I gave her this photo:



Along with a few others to emphasize hair style, color, etc. She sent the photo to her guy in China with the measurements of the painting I wanted and several months later I received this:



It's an unbelievably beautiful likeness. The details are incredible. I really wanted to capture their true selves, which was why I didn't send a picture of both of them smiling and "happy". They are happy children, but they are also inquisitive and observant and the LOVE the ocean. This picture was taken just as we reached the end of the beach path and they saw the water. They knew they were in their "picture taking clothes" and couldn't just run into the water. It's a moment I'll never forget and I'm so blessed that I'll always have this portrait to remind me.

Here are a few close ups:





BabyGirl was wearing the most adorable dress by Catimini. You can even see the detail of the appliqued flowers on the skirt...

I surprised Dr. Daddy with the portrait two Christmases ago. He didn't know what to think. At first, he thought it was just a photo that I had put on canvas. Then he took a closer look and realized it was a true oil painting. He was in tears, people.

The best part? The price. It literally cost me more to have the thing stretched and framed than it did to have it painted. This $10,000 for a portrait stuff is not even an option now that I've seen the work I can get for so much less. We're talking 90% less.

Sooooo, per your request my friend Susan has given me her info to pass on to you. The website is pretty rudimentary. Not tons of samples of her work. I'm sure if you want more she can send you some. We have a friend who has three kids. She had two of them painted by a very expensive local artist...in the thousands of dollars each. For the third child she did the Memories In Oil from China. NO LIE...the third child's portrait is as beautiful if not more so than the first two. He's that good.

So, if you're interested here's the website...it has Susan's contact info.
Memories In Oil. ***UPDATE*** I'm told the email on the website isn't working. Try this one: kdelp@cox.net

Whatever you do...don't Google "Memories in Oil". There's some joker in LA who has a site by the same name who also has a guy in China. Not nearly as good.

I hope that answers your questions!