There are few gifts as personal and meaningful as a beautifully done, custom portrait that really captures the person’s spirit and personality.
A custom portrait can be something that crystalizes a particular moment of someone’s life and holds it there for you to remember and enjoy, or in the case of a loved one who has passed on to the next realms, it can become something that can actually make it feel as if that person is present with you again.
Contact Michael today to start the process of creating something truly priceless for yourself or for a loved one.
This is a multi-figured portrait commissioned by the gentleman sitting and looking at the Master who is reading his letter. Not all portraits are such monumental undertakings such as this one, but if your vision is grand, I am here to help you fulfill it.
This was an example of a posthumous portrait, or one done after the death of the individual. It is one of my most sensitive and cherished tasks - to capture the spirit of the beloved individual who has gone on, so that the loved ones who are left behind can remember them in their best light, so to speak.
Another posthumous portrait. This one, I did of a dear buddy for his wife and kids. I approach each portrait in a unique way and with techniques that seem to fit the person I am capturing. Here, Rick was a hearty, fun-loving man and a Chicago Cubs fan to the core, so I chose a way of handling the paint and a color palette that seemed to fit him the best.
This is a drawing done in Conté Crayon on toned paper. This is a less involved, and therefor, less expensive option for commissioning a portrait, yet it still creates the freezing of a beautiful moment in time that can be enjoyed and remembered for generations to come.
Here is a portrait of a father and his two little girls, commissioned by his wife for his birthday present. She told me that the girls are much more grown up now, and this is a way to keep those beautiful years and memories always fresh for the family.
A wedding is one of the most special occasions that we have, as humans. And what more beautiful way of celebrating this occasion could there be than to commission a gorgeous painting that brings the feelings of the day back. This was commissioned as a very special Christmas present for the husband, by the wife. There is no photograph that was taken that shows this moment. It is an artistic creation that was built by the artist using various photos, some color, some black and white, to create a painting that expresses the memory of the magic, the love and the warmth of the special occasion. This is a very special type of painting.
Only a custom painting that is created by the artist communicating with and understanding the client’s vision and wishes can do this.
This is another posthumous portrait commissioned by a brother who lost his twin sister years back. Even though it is always heartbreaking, there is also a great sweetness in the process of building a posthumous portrait. It allows the person who is commissioning the portrait to remember all of the best times and aspects of the departed loved one. In this portrait, the brother envisioned many ages and expressions of his sister being portrayed in the beauty of the psychedelic clouds in the background. This was to express the freedom, joy and depth that his sister had throughout her, too short, life.
This is not a portrait that was commissioned. It is a personal portrait that I did of our son when he was about 5 years old. He is 13 years old now and is growing into a wonderful young man. But this portrait has become a very sweet reminder. There is just something about the openness of his gaze, the little smears of chocolate chips on his nose and cheek and the playfully curious position of his little fingers that keeps THAT little boy always alive in our home. Even as our 13 year old boy is raging on Fortnite, calling out “FULL BOX 200!!” :D