Portrait Ready

After yesterdays post I was above and beyond thrilled to have shared a sneak peak of the sketches my brother Garry did of Finley! So I ran with that motivation and was able to get them framed and hung to share with you today.

But before I get too carried away with what I did you probably want to see the real work that was done. So here are the before and after shots:

Arn't they fantastic?!

Garry is my youngest brother. *I actually introduced he and his little family here. And the guy has always been artistic for as long as I can remember. He comes by it naturally - my mother is insanely talented in that department as well - but has dedicated countless hours to better his craft. And has it ever paid off! The detail and shading in his work have evolved significantly. And honestly every time I see something new from him it is even better than the last.

The best part of having such talented family members, besides showing off on their behalf, is selfishly calling in favours! I try not to push my luck too often but every now and then I can't help myself. But can you blame me? I would have an entire room of family portraits a.la. Garry if I could! Or is that creepy? Slightly. So perhaps a combo of his sketches and Mothers landscapes. Done and done.

Now my first task was to decide where to hang these beauties. I considered exchanging them for the maps in the dining room frames but my mother talked me out of it. She said family portraits where inappropriate in an eating space. Touché my friend! *Ill have to think up another solution for there yet. Not to mention there are four frames there and only three portraits. A pickle indeed.

I also didn't want to tuck them away in a room that they wouldn't get proper show-off time. 'No one puts baby in a corner...' Everyone know that! So I settled on the space between the front living room windows. It looked like a.so before:


As much as I love the gorgeous photos I had there, taken by our neighbour and talented photographer Janine, I decided it would be the perfect spot for Garry's work. *But have no fear! I plan to do a full wall of framed photos climbing the stairs and those prints will most definitely be included.


After selecting the spot the rest was gravy. They were put in the pre existing frames, plus one. Then after moving the hooks, and adding a third, they were hung and levelled.

I left the frames and mats alone for once - no paint in site. But do hear out my reasoning because I am only thinking ahead.

There is still a lot of work to be done along that wall. I plan to have common-law build me a window seat/bench that runs the length of the wall with storage beneath. Then there will be curtains added for texture. And I am mulling over the idea of built-in book shelves flanking the windows... few. And once that is all said and done, those lone frames will be just the ticket to completing that space. Then there will be lots of time to consider a splash of paint, texture, or who.knows.what to make the artwork pop.

But until that day comes, we will thoroughly enjoy the talent and gift my brother shared.

Chat soon.