Always a Bridesmaid...Until Now! ;)

I've so enjoyed creating these custom wedding dress paintings the past few months! This is a dress by Galina for a bride in North Carolina. If you or someone you know would like their wedding dress immortalized in oil, feel free to contact me and/or visit my store on etsy!

Shhh! It's a Secret!. . .Summer with Matthew Mead

I can't reveal what it is I will be doing, but Matthew Mead has asked me to do something special for the upcoming issue of SUMMER with Matthew Mead & of course I jumped with joy at the opportunity to be a part of one of his creations again! Stay tuned & in the meantime, hop, skip, & jump on over to Matthew's blog!

A Vintage Vibe...Portrait in OIL by LARA

 ("Betty," 22"x 28", oil on canvas, 

private commission)

 I am finally finished with this piece, although I still wish I could get a better photo as I think it looks much better in person! My client wanted for me to create a vintage style portrait incorporating her late mother-in-law's love of jazz. She didn't want the piece to be just black and white, so I added a bit of silverish purple to her dress, the tablescape, and the jazz players in the background. I added just a hint of blue in the background, and there is a bit of light yellow enhancing the lights in the background as well as the small candle on the table. My client will be giving this to her husband for Father's Day and said it would be ok to share it with you here on my blog. This was what she wrote to me:

        "I cant wait to see my daughter's first heirloom and my husband's face when he sees this..she loved jazz and he once told me, she always had music playing in the house. I wish she or her husband could see it!"      

It has been a true honor to create such a special piece for their family! If you are interested in having a portrait done feel free to contact me....my pricing can be found here.   

Show & Tell Friday...My Late Grandfather's Carvings

 

(my sister Heather, 'Bupa' Hammerstrom, and me)

Over at My Romantic Home, Cindy is hosting a Show & Tell Friday and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share the wood carvings my late grandfather made...they are something I will always treasure. My grandfather passed away at the end of June...(you can read more about him here.) He is greatly missed by my Grandma, his children, and many, many grandchildren...Thanksgiving & Christmas will surely be bittersweet this year, but I am thankful that he is in Heaven now and no longer suffering.