Lost & Found Portraits
Oil portraits on quilting fabric, painted from family photographs.
Lost and Found began with anonymous photographs I found in antique stores. It became personal when my mom lent me my great-grandmother’s tin of family photos.
Since then, I have used this series to bring the past into the present, not as distant history but as presence.
If you want to honor a loved one or preserve a sense of ancestry through painting, I offer memorial portrait commissions in the Lost and Found style.
About the portraits
I begin each portrait with a family photograph and build from there.
First, I spend time with the photo and choose the fabric that fits the person. For my ancestor paintings, I often build the background from a fabric collage inspired by quilting patterns. Quilts are part of my Appalachian heritage, so quilting fabric does more than support the painting. It brings in home, lineage, and family life.
Then I digitally colorize the photograph with vivid color and paint the portrait in oil on panel. I do not copy the source image exactly. I use color, cloth, and paint to bring the person forward through time.
The finished portrait feels present. Viewers often tell me the subject feels like a whole person in the room.
For collectors
If you want more than a likeness from a portrait, I make these paintings to hold more than appearance alone: the warmth, presence, and felt life of someone who still belongs in your home.
These heirloom portraits begin with family photographs, often old photos with real history in them, and become paintings you can live with every day.
Collectors place them on the wall, on a shelf, or in an altar space, depending on how they want the work to live in the home.
Commission process
1. Inquiry
Send your photo along with any thoughts about size, placement, and timing via this form.
2. Fabric and color
I review the photograph and develop the fabric and color direction for the piece. I welcome input on color preferences while keeping the painting grounded in my visual language.
3. Deposit and scheduling
A deposit reserves your commission and secures your place on my schedule.
4. Painting and delivery
I paint the portrait in oil on quilting fabric mounted to panel, then prepare it for delivery.
5. Timing
Please begin commissions at least 3 months before your desired delivery date to allow for painting and drying time.
Pricing
Lost and Found commissions range from $630 (8×10”)–$1200 (16×20”), depending on size and number of subjects.
Collector notes
Commissions are accepted selectively.
Holds are available with a deposit.
Shipping is available within the U.S. and internationally.
About my work
I am a Tennessee artist whose work has been featured in Arts to Hearts and exhibited in solo presentations at Electric Shed and Pearview Gallery. My paintings are held in collections in Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi, and Florida.