One of the most meaningful gifts I ever received was from a complete stranger. I’d just gotten done interviewing someone at a live event (remember those?). Afterward, an attendee approached with a portrait she’d drawn of me during my time on stage. It was the coolest experience, especially since her drawing reflected something beautiful I’d never seen in myself before — and this was only after an hour of observing me from afar! Portraits are magical like that.
Another anecdote that gives me the warm-and-fuzzies: Earlier this year, my friend’s husband commissioned her favorite local artist to create a custom portrait of her late mother, who passed away several years ago. It is a gift beyond cherished. I can only imagine the feeling she gets when she looks at that portrait in her home throughout the day (and all day, in these unsettling quarantine times). It must cause her heart to swell with peace and contentment to see her mother’s essence memorialized by the hand of her favorite artist.
Now It’s Your Turn
In the Artists Weekly newsletter, we recently asked if you, dear reader, are planning to make art as gifts this holiday season — and more than 76 percent of respondents said yes. If you’re considering making a custom portrait for a loved one in 2020, it’s time to get moving.
Here are our most helpful articles, followed by a list of resources, dedicated to bringing that special person’s essence to the canvas or sketchpad. We’re rooting for you!
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