House Portraits
After five years of living in China, I am back home in Canada!
I am currently taking portrait and painting commissions, shipping from Vancouver, BC.
Update - Aug 13, 2021
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Over the years (18 years!) I've drawn many pencil portraits capturing people's loved ones in custom pieces of art. When I started painting street scenes, my custom art branched out into painting clients' travel photos to capture their memories of a certain city. A natural progression led to creating custom paintings of houses.
House portraits combine my love of painting architecture and the personal value of a portrait. They are a way of capturing memories, recording history, and leaving a legacy for younger generations.
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Somebody's first house, featuring the neighbour cat.
Acrylic on canvas
Laura Kaardal, 2016
Historical Recreation
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This piece was lovingly assembled by the client to create a historically accurate record of the family's house in the late 1800's. Relatives and a keepsake teddybear are seen on the front steps, taken from old family photos. Everything from the original paint colours and stained-glass window details were discovered during a modern-day renovation.
Preservation
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This piece was completely reimagined from multiple photos of a farmhouse that had long since burned down. There are meaningful details added from photos including the rocking chairs and clothes line in the back.
Treasured garden
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This piece is a unique way to capture the exterior of your house. The little girl on the steps will always be able to remember playing in this garden, thanks to this painting. Even though it is just a section of the house showing, the details are there to remember.
Modern history​
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This piece captures the intersection and the client's apartment building in the big city. I personally enjoy how it reminds me of an establishing shot in a 90s sitcom, set in NYC. The client's children are seen walking their three dogs across the street. I love the idea of having a piece to remember your first apartment or in this case, the family pied-à-terre.
Childhood home
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A memory of the house you grew up in. Once you move out, things tend to change. Houses get painted and renovated and can become unrecognizable as new families make their own memories there. In a painting, you can keep your first home as you remember it, always. Hang it in your current house to remember where you came from.
Your custom project will include:
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High quality paints and canvases made in Canada and/or the U.S.A.
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Unframed, sturdy canvas or linen stretched on 1.5" deep bars.
Shipping is not included in the price, and varies based on size. Affordable Shipping is available with tracking in Canada and the U.S. with Fedex Ground.
Custom Painting Prices
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Your own photos, or a custom image I can piece together. Prices do not include shipping costs, which vary based on size and distance. I can provide a shipping estimate before we start. Some custom projects that require more work (eg. piecing an image together from multiple photos) might require an increase in the prices below. Please contact me for a quote.
12x24" ....................................... $525
16x20" ...................................... $575
15x30" ...................................... $725
20x24" ..................................... $775
22x28" ...................................... $975
24x30" ..................................... $1,175
24x36" ..................................... $1,350
30x30" .................................... $1,475
30x36" ..................................... $1,850
30x40" .................................... $2,575
36x48" ...................................... $3,125
These are my most popular sizes. Other sizes may be available.
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Prices are subject to change and may vary based on the nature of the project.