Mint, Gold, & A Dog Portrait

A week or so ago a package arrived on my doorstep. It completely caught me off guard, and upon opening it I was sent to the moon and back. What I found was two of my favorite things. One, the combination of mint and gold. Two, Shelby; only my favorite little German shepherd mix.

What we don't do enough of these days is surprise people with our talents, and use them out of the overflow of our heart, just simply to make their day. Well, Hillary completely made my day. She has made me realize, too, how a simple gesture like painting a portrait of one's dog (and other things like a hand written note or a sweet phone call out of the blue) can really make someone feel loved. We need to do more of that, don't you think? I feel so inspired to do the same for someone else, and brighten their day--making this type of gesture the norm. How different our world might be if we all did something with our talents purely out of the desire to give and make others feel thought of.

When the light hits the gold paint in such a way, oh! if you could only see the effect of its shimmer and how it brightens the room. And Hillary totally got Shelby's look down pat, don't you think?

Light of My Life Studio

I have always been drawn to the stark contrast of light and dark. The way light from the sun can make otherwise unnoticeable details pop and stand out so boldly, when its rays hit, revealing such beauty, yet all the while so simply. Hillary does just that, with paint. She brings the bold contrast of a photo to life on canvas, emphasizing the dark, the light, and the little details like whisps of a hair or the dimple of a cheek, that we might otherwise overlook. Light of My Life Studio is based out of Virginia, where Hillary paints out of her home. She is an artist who finds beauty in the stark contrast of the modern silhouette, transforming photographs into paintings to create unique works of art. I am absolutely in love with Hillary's work--just everything about her style is so modern yet so nostalgic. And how fun is this little fact: her degree is Italian Cultural Studies. She's like the modern female Michaelangelo ;)

Oh how her art complements a gallery wall just so! When working with Hillary, you get to be a big part of the process. Once you've sent Hillary your photograph, she then creates a black and white proof that you approve before paint touches canvas. You also choose the colors you want your painting to be, which is so perfect if you are having a custom print made for a specific place in your home, or want to go with something a bit untraditional--like metallic gold or mint (those would be my color choices…)

Hillary has a blog where she continually adds her recent work. You can visit her site here and find out more about pricing, browse her portfolio, and get to know how cute her family is. I have a few family photographs of all of my cousins when we were growing up together, and I may need to dig them out and invest in one of HIllary's paintings for our home (although, I am super tempted to have her paint our dog Shelby, how darling is that dog on the beach up top?!)