It’s T-minus four days and counting until Christmas, and there’s a good chance your mailbox has already been inundated with holiday cards. Some families go for the classic summer or fall family portrait while others go for more, um, “stylistic” approaches. Here are seven of the funniest family Christmas cards to make even the biggest humbug crack a smile.
Merry Christmas!
Do you have a funny holiday card you’ve come across this winter? Share your photos in the comments!
—Keiko Zoll
photo: Rebel Girls Facebook page
Cinderella is great and all, but what if your little girl could be inspired by Malala Yousafzai, Amelia Earhart or Maya Angelou? What if instead of dreaming to marry a prince, she could dream about creating a vaccine, winning an Olympic medal or walking on Mars?
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls — a bestselling book that was entirely crowd-funded and which is already about to release its second volume — is the book you want every little girl to read. It tells the stories of 100 amazing women’s lives from the past and present, and there’s not a princess in the bunch (though there is a queen and a pharaoh).
Some of these women you probably know (Jane Goodall, Cleopatra, Amelia Earhart); some, you may not (Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, neuroscientist Rita Levi-Montalcini). They are painters, scientists, dancers, astronauts, politicians, pharaohs, writers, jazz singers — and they are all “rebels,” whose bold career or personal life choices changed history.
photo: Amazon
Each story is one page long (with an illustrated portrait on the other page) and written in an easy, fairy tale-esque style that gets across the women’s sheer awesomeness without bogging the story down with confusing concepts little kids won’t understand. The story of Malala, the Pakistani teenager who was shot because she wanted to go to school despite the Taliban’s will, starts off, “Once there was a girl who loved school.” Amelia Earhart’s story begins, “Once upon a time, a girl called Amelia saved enough money to buy a yellow airplane.”
photo: Amazon.com
Volume 2 is Coming Soon!
The first book was such a success — it was translated into 30 languages and sold more than half a million copies — that a second Rebel book was the next natural next step for creators Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo. The Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2 has already reached six times its initial Kickstarter funding goal of $100,000 and the books are slated to be ready for shipping by the holidays.
The second volume, which was compiled using suggestions from the first book’s worldwide fanbase, will include 100 more incredible women, including J.K. Rowling, Nefertiti, Mary Shelley, and the real-life “Hidden Figures” Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan.
Backers who pledge $35 or more will receive a copy of the book plus access to an exclusive episode of the Rebel Girls podcast (which isn’t yet up).
photo: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2 via Kickstarter
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls sells for $35 on the Rebel Girls website.
What woman in history would you most want your daughters to know about? Tell us in the comments below.
Most milestones throughout childhood are ones to be celebrated – first steps, first words, first day of school… but then there are those that you would rather have stayed away – like the day your child forgets how to smile like a normal, happy human and instead dons a strained, clenched grimace whenever a camera appears in front of them! Luckily, there are ways around a camera roll filled with strange, pained expressions – ways in which you can photograph your child authentically, capturing their sweet “now” exactly the way you see it.
The main culprit in photos with those strange expressions is that dreaded phrase, “Say Cheese!”. Forget about cheese! In fact, forget about even making your child aware of the camera. Photograph them as they are. Do not interrupt them. Capture the moment they are in without their awareness. The images you will create this way will be a much more honest and true representation of this stage of life with your kids.
Here are 10 ways you can photograph your child authentically today with any camera that you have, whether it be a cell phone or DSLR.
DETAILS. What are your favorite details about your child at this stage of their life? Is it the dimples on their chubby legs? The rosy cheeks? The marker-stained fingers? The grubby knees? The gap-toothed grin? Photograph those details. They are fleeting.
THEIR SPACE. Back up and photograph your child in their bedroom. In their playroom. What I wouldn’t give for a photograph of the bedroom I slept in as a baby! I will never know what was on the walls, what the mobile looked like, what color my quilt was – there is no record of it. Photograph those elements.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD. We go on family walks almost every day. My kids love running across the neighbor’s lawns, picking up sticks along the way, marveling at the seasonal decor. Photograph your children in the neighborhood. Document the way the houses looked. What kind of cars people were driving. What the trendy decor of the season is. All these elements will be such treasures to look back on twenty, fifty years from now.
FAVORITE TOYS. Is there a lovey your child cannot be without? A toy car that travels everywhere with you? A book wrinkled and torn from being read a thousand times? Photograph those. Photograph your child with his or her favorites. At some point the favorites evolve, and then what was once so important will become a distant memory.
GET IN THE FRAME. Make sure your child has some photos with you in them, too! Every cell phone now has a timer or you can get a timer app – set that bad boy and then get in front of the camera. Make sure your children have evidence of your presence in their childhood, too.
ALL IN THE FRAME. See if you can get all the siblings in the frame at one time. Photograph the connection. Or photograph them all doing their own thing! Whatever the case, those images with all your children together will become treasures years from now when shared bedrooms and perhaps even living in the same town have long become things of the past.
STORY. This is a challenging one – but see if you can photograph a story unfolding in front of you. Is your child trying to master something for the first time? Is there some sort of negotiation or plan unfolding between siblings? Is your child baking cookies with their beloved grandmother? Photograph those stories!
EVERYDAY TRADITIONS. We have a few traditions around here that are completely ordinary, but have become routine. Walks around the block, ice cream cones after dinner, lunch at Panera Bread at least once a week, a story (or two or three!) before bedtime. Document those little everyday traditions that one day you will be wishing didn’t evolve and disappear so quickly.
ADVENTURES. My kids love to ask “are we going on an adventure today?!”. Adventures around here can be as grand as taking the train into the city, or as mundane as going to the library. Whatever the case, I love to document them. When on outings with your kids, be sure to back up and include the place you are visiting in your photographs. What do your kids think of the location? Are they amazed? Are they bored? Are they excited? All those stories are worth telling! The environment in your photographs can spark such visceral memories when you look back on them.
PORTRAITS. This is the one time when I think it is okay to make your child aware of the camera. Photojournalist Steve McCurry calls the portrait “the moment when the soul comes into view.” If you spot your child in a moment in which you would really love a portrait of them, get yourself situated with camera ready to fire, and then just say their name. When they look up, press the shutter button. Don’t worry about smiles. Just capture a real, authentic expression. Environmental portraits include the subject’s surroundings, which can tell us even more about the person being photographed.
I hope these tips help free you from the struggle of always trying to photograph the perfect smile, and instead give you some ideas for capturing authentic (and grimace-free!) moments of childhood.
Most of the great exhibits at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum would work just about anywhere: kids can learn about nature, other cultures, splash and run around in the Totally Tots area. But with its new exhibit “Our City”, the museum gets hyper-local and enlists the work of seven NYC area artists to help visiting families start a conversation about New York’s communities, the people who live in them, and how the city is changing — for better or for worse. We dropped in to check it out — here’s the scoop!
photo: Photo by Priscilla Stadler
Art You Can Touch
Unlike previous exhibits at the museum, “Our City” utilizes contemporary art as a catalyst for conversation; Each piece of art featured in the installation is paired with an interactive activity and leading questions. Of course, some kids who visit will simply enjoy the hands-on experiences and move on. But the museum hopes that parents will be able to use this exhibit as a way to encourage kids to think about what makes a community.
At the beginning of the exhibit, visitors encounter three long tables with layered board meant to resemble a river. Kids can use an eclectic mix of found objects to set up their own cityscapes. The tables are part of James Rojas’ interactive urban planning model, and are a fun way to be creative and get thinking about what makes a good city layout. Odds and ends like colorful feathers, wooden dowels, and other trinkets are a blast to set up however kids want (chances are, you’ll get sucked in too).
Nearby, Aisha Cousins’ road map pasted on the floor provides an opportunity to be even more active. The map is composed of Malcolm X Boulevards from around the world, and asks the question of how much the name of your neighborhood represents its culture.
The People in The Neighborhood
Moving along you’ll find a large construction board with traditional oil portraits of people from around the Crown Heights neighborhood, the home of the museum. Each portrait in Rusty Zimmerman’s Free Portrait Project also comes with an audio file (accessible by scanning a QR code) of the people in the portraits speaking about growing up in the area. Little artists can discuss who they would want to see on a portrait, then make the portrait a reality at a nearby art station.
The Fabric of a City
In another area, building shapes made from fragile-looking materials are hung up like drying laundry. Children are encouraged to interact with Priscilla Stadler’s Fragile City work, which is meant to get worn down and frayed over the course of the show, representing how a city grows and weathers with time. Kids will dig the bright colors and the feel of walking between the thin sheets.
Building Fences
Oasa Duverney and Mildred Beltre’s Hi-Art Machine mixes a familiar city sight — chain-link fences — with brightly colored ribbons; the result is patterns and messages woven into the metal structures. Nearby, kids will find a “blank slate” fence, with a basket full of ribbons of all different colors for them to create their own fence weaving.
Finally, throughout the exhibit black silhouettes of the city’s 61 housing developments adorn the walls; it’s an installation by Elizabeth Hamby titled Alphabet City. The artist and the museum are working on potentially creating 3D printouts of the shapes, which kids will be able to use to create their own cities.
A Changing Exhibit
The theme of Our City is how we interact with our space, and it’s reflected even in the way it’s set up: since this is new for the museum, the exhibit is meant to grow and change according to how people interact with it. Throughout the run, the museum will also be hosting programs and workshops conducted by the artists of the installations. Keep an eye on the Brooklyn Children’s Museum website for a lineup of upcoming public programs.
Our City
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Mar. 10 – Sept. 4
Free with museum admission
145 Brooklyn Ave.
Crown Heights
718-735-4400
Online: brooklynkids.org
Are you excited for this new kind of exhibit at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
—Yuliya Geikhman
Whether you’re a rabid Portland basketball fan who can recite all of the lyrics to “Bust a Bucket,” or a newbie looking for entertaining ways to acclimate to the Rose City, a Blazers game at the Moda Center is an experience you won’t want to miss. Playing in Kid City, getting a first game souvenir and cheering on Damian and the rest of our boys is the perfect way to spend an evening with the family. Read on to get our inside scoop on how to navigate a Portland Trail Blazer game with kids in tow.
photo: Sheena Portrait
Before you even step foot in the Moda Center there is plenty to explore around the facility. First, make sure to hit up the main entrance to see the fountains and Rip City sign. The sign is the perfect photo opp for your little one—the “i” in city is missing to encourage fans to stand in its place to complete the iconic Trail Blazer slogan. After you get that perfect picture, walk about ten feet to Dr. Jack’s, named after our beloved coach, Jack Ramsay, who lead the Blazers to their 1977 NBA title. Dr. Jack’s offers easy picnic table seating and a classic kids’ menu with flatbreads, hot dogs and pasta. For the grownups, we recommend an order (or 3!) of the famous smoked wings along with a local craft beer or a selection from the specialty cocktail list.
photo: Sheena Portrait
Once entering the Moda Center, head straight to Kid City on the 300 level. This is our favorite new addition to the Blazer game experience. Here you will find plenty of free activities for young fans to enjoy. The Rose City Tattoo Parlor for fake tatts, sign-making station and arcade basketball hoop games are just a few of the must-see booths that will get your squad in the rip city spirit. There is also an old-school candy cart and a children’s merchandise shop. Kids will be ecstatic when the spy Blaze, the Blazers mascot, who you can often find roaming around the 300 level with his silly moves and high energy.
For those with younger children in tow, Kid City is a perfect way to break up the game and get wiggles out. The area is lined with TVs so if they need a movement break from sitting in seats, you won’t miss any game action. Bringing binoculars adds that extra little something to keep kids engaged during the game!
photo: Sheena Portrait
As Portlanders, we take pride in our food scene and don’t have to sacrifice our love for flavorful local eats when at a game. Sizzle Pie, Bunk Bar, Killer Burger, Salt and Straw, and Cha Cha Cha are just a few on the long list of vendors who now call the Moda Center home. Concessions offer vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, to boot, so no matter what your dietary preferences are, having ample delicious options in one location is a true Portland treat.
Before leaving the stadium, make sure to swing by the “My 1st Game” booth with your kids where they will receive a button along with a certificate which highlights their name, game details and with whom they attended the game. It’s free and a special keepsake that is sure to land a prized spot at home.
photo: Sheena Portrait
Ticket prices vary depending on location in the stadium and the opposing team being played. With a little less than three months left in the season, now is the time to get tickets and start planning your proper Portland outing with a Blazer game. For tickets and pricing visit online: www.ticketmaster.com
Fred Meyer offers a Family Game Night package, which includes 4 game tickets, 10% off food, beverage (non-alcoholic) and select merchandise at the Fan Shop when you show your Fred Meyer rewards card. For more details visit online: nba.com/blazers/tickets/fred-meyer-family-games
Most home games have a 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. start time. Plan on game lasting about 2.5-3 hrs. There is only one early game left in the season, with a 6 p.m. start time, on February 21st against the Utah Jazz.
1 N Center Ct.
Tickets: 800-745-3000
Online: rosequarter.com
Do you have a memorable experience from a Blazer game? Share the highlights with us in the comment section below!
—Sheena Portrait
The tots might not entirely understand the meaning behind Passover Seder yet, but they can still get involved on the special night. For wriggly ones sans prolonged attention spans, a kid-centric Seder plate might be exactly the colorful and creative supplement they need. Check out these imaginative Seder plates, filled with delightful drawings and special details to help engage and educate kids. We’ll leave the storytelling to you.
Homemade Seder Plate
Your kids will be beaming to see their handiwork on the table, and they’ll definitely be eager to answer any questions about the Exodus story. Instructions on how to make this homemade Seder plate by Brenda Ponnay can be found over at TheShiksa.com.
Photo: Brenda Ponnay
Melamine Passover Seder Plate
For any little one that may be learning Hebrew on the side, this artistic Passover plate features subtitled indentations. The plate itself is also sturdy and easy to maintain, so moms and dads don’t have to worry about it breaking or nicking.
Cost: $19.99
Online: amazon.com
Photo: Amazon
Children’s Seder Plate
If you’re having a large family get together with lots of little ones, this inexpensive Seder plate is the perfect option. We love how it’s got all the children of the world, promoting a message of peace and unity.
Cost: $9.95
Online: moderntribe.com
Photo: ModernTribe
Hand Painted Original Ceramic Seder Plate
This gorgeous Seder plate is one that will suit any Passover attendee from meemaw to the littlest ones. We love the abstract tree design that wraps around the whole plate, along with the hand-written inscriptions that give it a personal touch.
Cost: $84
Online: Beth Goldstein Designs via Etsy
Photo: Beth Goldstein Designs
Houses Seder Plate
Hand painted so that no two are alike, this unique Seder plate is ringed with brightly colored houses of Jerusalem to bring joy to the Passover celebrations. It’s also inscribed with Hebrew lettering and subtitles to ensure proper placement of the foods.
Cost: $150
Online: tamarabaskin.com
Photo: Tamara Baskin
Children of Israel Seder Plate
This brightly painted Seder plate is a perfect addition to the youth table as the portrait of the kids will remind fidgety tots that Passover isn’t just for grownups.
Cost: $44.95
Online: traditionsjewishgifts.com
Photo: Traditions Jewish Gifts
Colorful Plastic Seder Plate
Kids will love reading the question and answers that wrap around the edges of this plate. It’s plastic (read: unbreakable!) and makes for a great first plate for tots.
Cost: $3.95
Online: traditionsjewishgifts.com
Photo: Traditions Jewish Gifts
Disposable Seder Plate
Keep the cleanup to a minimum (especially if you’re feeding a crowd) by buying a set of disposable Seder plates. This understated blue and white set with cute sketches will look perfect on your Passover table.
Cost: $18.05
Online: amazon.com
Photo: Amazon
Hand-Painted Seder Plate
This colorful plate is sure to become a special family heirloom in the years to come. It can be customized with your favorite colors (though we love the bright color scheme pictured) and you can add a special message to be written on the back as well.
Cost: $90
Online: Platterpus Designs via Etsy
Photo: Platterpus Designs
Which one would your kids love to use? Share your pick in the comments below!
— Christal Yuen and Susie Foresman
When it comes to capturing your kiddo’s utter cuteness, it is no time to cut corners. You might have a hard drive full of images—but for something truly wall-worthy or good enough to gift the “Grands”—consider an old-fashioned silhouette. Read on to learn about three area artists that can snip your sweetie’s likeness into something you will truly treasure.
Trendy Cuts Shop
Atlantan Sara Bier custom crafts all silhouettes by hand using thick cardstock mounted on high quality art paper. She works from your own photo and can customize the color silhouette that you would like to match any decor. We love her fun color choice options (neon! mettalic!) for a modern spin on this traditional technique.
Price Range: $24 for a custom portrait
Online: www.etsy.com/shop/TrendyCutsShop
I Cut You Out
With twenty years experience, Keith Donaldson’s list of credentials include a tenure at Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom, meaning he boasts an exceptional talent for “wiggly kids.” Keith now prefers to take it on the road and cut silhouettes at art festivals, fairs and children’s specialty boutiques.
Price Range: $30 for an individual silhouette
Online: www.silhouettesinasnap.com
Silhouette Portraits by Edward
Georgia artist Edward Casey sharpened his scissors as a top selling portrait artist at Walt Disney World from 1989-1991. Now, he regularly works with Atlanta schools and parents, whipping up custom cuts both in person and from photographs.
Price Range: $25 for the first silhouette. $10 for each additional copy.
Online: edwardsart.net
Have you had a silhouette made of your child? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
—Phebe Wahl
Photos courtesy of Trendy Cuts, Silhouette Portraits by Edward and I Cut You Out via Facebook
You already know kids are curious by nature. But did you know there is a new exhibit in town that not only embraces their curiosity, but also encourages it? Get ready to enter the world of strange, exciting, and never before seen as the largest and most astonishing exhibit, based on Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, embarks on the Pacific Science Center. From a life-size model of a prehistoric snake to a portrait of Einstein made of toast, explore the real science behind the extraordinary at this mind-boggling exhibit.
Photo: Pacific Science Center
All About Robert Ripley
Ripley was an American cartoonist, entrepreneur, and anthropologist who loved oddities, different cultures, and studying the world. He traveled the globe searching for the rare, unexplained, and exotic. He spent his life collecting artifacts gathered from all over and created a place where they could be displayed in all their glory, enter the sideshow Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. What once started out as a comic strip, a radio show, then a TV show has now been transformed into the most popular exhibit the world has ever seen. In the words of Ripley, “I have traveled in 201 countries and the strangest thing I saw was man.”
Photo: Pacific Science Center
Explore The Unexpected
If your littles think science is boring, prove them wrong by exploring all the cool, and we’ll admit it, sometimes gross, items displayed in the show. Where else can you see portraits made out of toast, keyboard keys, candy, and postage stamps? How about a place where you can stand next to the world’s tallest man? Here you’ll not only see shrunken heads, but learn how they are made, something we hope our little scientists don’t try to recreate. Also located throughout the exhibit are computer screens which let your science enthusiasts get a behind-the-scenes look at how things work. They’ll get up close and personal, an awesome thing, because we all know the best way to learn is through hands-on play and exploration. Find all this and so much more at this extraordinary exhibit where you’ll learn the physics behind some of the world’s greatest phenomenons.
Photo: Pacific Science Center
Oddities Not To Miss
While the entire exhibit is not to be missed, there are definitely parts that are must-sees. Take a seat in the world’s largest chair, touch a cow hairball (disgusting or not, we can’t help but be intrigued), take a selfie in the mouth of a snake, look for your kiddos’ favorite play things in the camel statue made completely out of discarded toys, examine tiny sculptures that are no bigger than a grain of sand, see a two-headed cow, and a four-legged chicken. Examine the Benjamin Franklin portrait made completely out of keyboard keys. Psst….look closely to see his famous findings spelled out in the keys. And definitely do not miss the Robert Wadlow exhibit! The life-like statue is not only fun to watch, but a perfect way to see how you measure up to the world’s tallest man who was 8 feet, 11 inches.
Another surefire hit with the littles will be turning themselves into a work of art. Here, they can bust a move, run, jump, twirl, and watch the vibrant colors on the screen take shape. If your adventurists have a thing for dinosaurs, don’t miss the dino exhibits where you can see (and touch) dino dung and view full-scale models, bones, fossils and everything prehistoric. With two levels of exploration waiting, there is no limit to what your little explorers will see and learn.
Photo: Pacific Science Center
The Details
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not is open to the public at the awesome Pacific Science Center and runs through Jan. 4, 2015. Admission to the exhibit is included in the general admission and is free for members. Make a day of it by exploring the grounds, the exhibits at Pacific Science Center, and now the wonderful, magical world of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. With so much learning to do, the best time to start is now!
Photo: Pacific Science Center
Pacific Science Center
200 Second Ave. N.
Seattle, Wa 98109
206-443-2001
Online: pacificsciencecenter.org/Exhibits/ripleys-believe-it-or-not
Exhibit dates: Now through Jan. 4, 2015
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m-6 p.m.
Cost: $19.50/adult; $14.50/youth (6-15); $11.50/child (3-5); Free for members
Does your kiddo love the extraordinary? Will you be exploring the new Ripley’s Believe It Or Not exhibit? Let us know in a comment below.
–Allison Rasmussen
Could your mantle use a new family photo? Are you itching to send out pictures of the kids to faraway family? Maybe you just want to capture the kiddos before the next growth spurt? Never fear–the answer is simple, and just a shutter-click away. One lucky winner will get the pro-treatment when it comes to family portraits. Niall David Photography is offering a $240 gift voucher, redeemable for a family photo session ($190 value), plus a $50 credit to use towards purchasing prints, artwork and digital images from the session.
What’s the scoop on Niall David Photography?
Niall David is a family, children, portrait, music and business marketing photographer based in San Francisco, whose artistic style captures creative images of everyday people, families, exciting individuals and their places of business in beautiful natural moments while creating timeless memories and photographs of heirloom proportion. Known for his artistic lifestyle family photography and compelling portraits created through an organic & candid creative-editorial vision, Niall David’s talents genuinely help individuals, families and business owners celebrate their lives through showing the world their own unique authentic beauty. He’s warm, upbeat and caring to the core; his clients praise and rave that they adore their photos and can’t wait for the opportunity to work with him again. At home in San Francisco, around the SF Bay Area, and around the globe, he’s an avid traveler and adventurer who would love to capture the moments that mean the most to you; wherever your vision and goals take you.
How to enter:
1. Head over to the Giveaway Entry page and choose “One Family Photo Session with Niall David Photography + $50 Credit ” in the dropdown menu.
2. Fill out rest of the form, click on the “enter” button and you are all set!
Want to double, triple, and even quadruple your chances to win?
Think a billion images on a hard drive are enough to memorialize your kiddo’s precious baby face or unruly cowlick before it’s gone? Then you’ve never taken a gander at a beautifully rendered oil, pastel, or charcoal portrait. Not only does a commissioned work of art demand to be framed and hung in a place of prominence in your home (unlike those iPhone snapshots that are content to hang out on your computer), but a professionally done artist’s portrait can capture the exact thing you remember most about your little, before it disappears into the haze of adolescence. Like your own little precious one, these original portraits don’t come cheap, so read on to make sure you’re fully prepared for the process before your baby is all grown up.
What
Portraits are most often created using oil, pastels, watercolors, or charcoal, though a various assortment of mixed media may also be used. Oil paintings are not framed with glass, but all other mediums require it for protection. Additionally, portraits most often portray head and shoulders, three-quarter length, or full length images, though some artists offer a half-figure composition. Naturally, the price increases more of the figure on the canvas, and if you’re thinking of one portrait with all three kids in it (let them battle it out over who gets to keep it when you’re gone!), you’ll be paying for the figures, not just the canvas.
How
Choosing an artist is a very personal endeavor, and for the price, you want to be certain you’ve selected the right artist. Two routes exist for commissioning an artist, and the good news is that they cost exactly the same. You can do your research and find your artist by word of mouth or Google. Or, you have the option of working with a broker, who is paid by the artist to bring in work that he or she otherwise wouldn’t find. Again, pricing is the same; however, you get the benefit of a more comprehensive catalogue of artist’s work to review in addition to the industry experience of someone who has worked with the artists before and know a little about their consistency and prior client satisfaction. Additionally, brokers assist clients with deciding on medium, composition, timing, the portrait sitting, delivery, and framing, and they also act as an advocate for clients during the process. Don’t love the way your baby girl’s nose is turning out but not sure how to tell Michelangelo? Let the broker handle that conversation!
When
The most common age for children to have their portrait painted is between the ages of four and six, with the idea being that you want them to still have their childlike “sweetness” (ha, ha) but still resemble their future selves. Already missed your window of opportunity? No worries. Many artists can work from photographs.
Process
Once an artist is commissioned (either by you directly or through a broker), the artist comes to your home or the location of the portrait and puts your photo mania to shame (think rolls and rolls of film, when we used rolls). Since most work with a digital camera, you can select the reference photo on the same day as the photo shoot. After that, it’s off to the studio for the artist and back to being a non-celebrity for your kiddo. The time from sitting to delivery varies by artist, but the average delivery time is between six months and one year. Thinking of gifting a portrait to yourself or a loved one this holiday season? Most brokers offer gift certificates, and are just the right size for a stocking!
Pricing
Prices can vary drastically from artist to artist, but if you opt to work with a broker you have the ability to select your favorite artists from their directory and then compare prices. If none are in your price range, the broker might be able to recommend another artist with similar style that is closer to your price point. On average, portraits can range from $1,000 to well over $10,000, and since oil is the most difficult medium for an artist to work with, it is the most expensive. Charcoal is generally the least expensive, but one artist’s charcoal might be more expensive than another’s oil.
People
Like everything else in Atlanta, there are an abundance of talented portrait artists to be found by word-of-mouth or good ol’ Google. However, for a guided tour through the process of selecting an artist, commissioning a work, and reviewing the delivered portrait, look to the following artist brokers for help:
Ann Richards at Portraits, Inc., 404-352-3267, arich6181@gmail.com
Elizabeth Pitts or Elizabeth Dixon at Portrait Associates, 919-696-6440, info@portraitassociates.com
Have you had a portrait made of your child? Tell us about it below!
—Shelley Massey
All images courtesy of Portraits, Inc.
