Behind the Scenes: How I Make Custom Art with Family Photos
In this post I’m going behind the scenes to share how I created a custom art commission for my client, Amanda, using her family photos and mementos. I feel honored to work on commissions using treasured family photos and scraps of paper that have been saved. Projects like this truly feel like collaborative creative endeavors.
The Project Begins
For this commission I completed two companion mixed media canvases, one about Amanda’s maternal family history and one about her paternal family history. Here are the materials that Amanda gave me to use on the project.
Photos and mementos from her mother’s side of the family. 
Photos and mementos from her father’s side of the family.
In this project, Amanda was generous with her time, telling me stories of her family and giving me original notes, a used passport, and other odds and ends to include. It felt like we were both invested in this process and in the artwork. Thank you, Amanda, for trusting me with your family story in this way.
We agreed on the size and a color palette and I got to work with the painting. I purchased two maps of significant places to her family on Ebay to round out the collage materials she gave me.
I found a map that would add to the story of her family. 
The colors for each piece were thoughtfully selected.
The Midpoint Check In
As per the typical agreement, I sent her photos when the project was about 50% completed for her feedback. Amanda asked for more color, as it was going in her mostly white house, and a greater emphasis on her parents in each painting.
I sent her another update photo after implementing her edits. They are 80% done here. 
I collaged some photos and I drew in others, like this mother and child image.
We scheduled another process check in because I had more edits to make after our check in than usual. It is important that my clients are happy with their commission and have peace of mind that our visions for the artwork are the same. So, I sent her the above photo at around 80% finished and she was thrilled with the progress.
The Reveal
That done, we scheduled a time for delivery and installation and I finished the paintings, including a varnish spray with UV protectant. She elected to keep the sides unfinished and unframed.
If my client is local, I prefer to do the reveal in person, and for large paintings, I’m more than happy to deliver them and help install them. It brings me joy to see my happy collectors when I reveal their artwork.
The finished commission in Amanda’s open concept dining room.
Amanda loved the finished paintings. Together we placed and hung them in her open-concept dining room. As a bonus, they were done in time for Thanksgiving, which she was hosting for the first time and now able to show off her new family-centered art pieces.
Imagine, what might you include in your commission?
If you are interested in a custom commission using your family memories, you can read more about requesting a commission here. I love to incorporate unique, meaningful items. From treasured family photos to ticket stubs from a trip, the sky’s the limit. So, let’s do this! I’d love to talk to you about creating a custom art commission using your family photos and mementos.
