{"title":"Custom Family Portraits","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eYour family isn't like anyone else's. Your artwork shouldn't be either.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI create one-of-a-kind \u003cstrong\u003ecustom family portraits from naturally shaped stones, sea glass, driftwood, fossils and other meaningful materials\u003c\/strong\u003e, turning the people, relationships and memories that matter most into something you can hold onto.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery custom portrait begins with a conversation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'll get to know your family, the people who belong in the picture, the places that matter, the little details that make you \u003cem\u003eyou\u003c\/em\u003e—and even the pets who are very much part of the family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour photographs are my reference, not my template. I search for stones based on their natural shapes, sizes and character, often going through thousands before I find the ones that feel right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can also incorporate meaningful materials, special locations, favourite quotes or sayings. And if you know what you want the piece to say but can't quite find the words, \u003cstrong\u003eI'll help you find them.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCustom artwork starts at $225.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery family and every story is different, so the final price depends on the size, number of people or animals, level of detail and materials we choose together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYour budget doesn't determine the quality of your artwork.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI put the same care into every piece. Your budget simply helps me determine the size, level of detail and materials that are possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo deposit is required, and there is no obligation to purchase if the finished piece doesn't capture your vision.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eNeed a little inspiration?\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork below has already found its forever home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach piece was created for a specific family, based on \u003cstrong\u003etheir story, their relationships and the little details that made them unique.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThese aren't templates. They're possibilities.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe you picture your family sitting together on a log, talking and laughing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe you'd love to see everyone's feet dangling from a bench.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps several generations belong together in one scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe your family and its pets need to be part of the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr perhaps you have an idea that is completely different from anything you've seen here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat's the beauty of creating something custom.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse through the pieces below and see what catches your eye. You may discover a style you love, a pose that feels like your family, or simply an idea that gets your imagination going.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou don't have to know exactly what you want before you contact me.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBring me the people, the story and the photographs. I'll help you figure out the rest.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEvery family portrait shown here was created for someone else. Your finished piece will be designed specifically around your family.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eIt's About More Than Getting Everyone in the Picture\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes the most important part of a family portrait isn't what everyone looks like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's \u003cstrong\u003ehow they belong together.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShould Mom be beside her daughter?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShould Grandpa be sitting next to the grandchildren?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoes the family dog belong right in the middle?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIs there a particular relationship that deserves a little extra attention?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese details matter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause I'm not simply trying to reproduce a photograph.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI'm trying to capture your family.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eYour Photographs Are My Reference — Not My Template\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'll ask you for photographs of the people and animals you'd like included.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey help me understand hairstyles, height, body shape, clothing, posture and the relationships between everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour photographs are used for my reference only and are \u003cstrong\u003enever posted or shared without your permission.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd don't worry if you don't have one perfect photograph of everyone together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI need to get to know the people I'm creating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eThen Comes the Part That Takes Time\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce I understand your story, I start looking for the stones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd when I say I look through a lot of stones, I mean \u003cstrong\u003ea LOT of stones.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI may go through thousands looking for the right shapes—not just the right colours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd yes, I've brought most of them home with me. 😂\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiving beside Lake Huron certainly helps. It gives me an endless supply of excuses to walk the beach—and somehow I always seem to come home with my pockets a little heavier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA stone has to be the right size, shape, proportion and character, and it has to work with all the stones around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don't reshape the stones to make them fit. \u003cstrong\u003eI find the stone that already has what I need.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat's part of the magic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eMaterials Can Tell Part of the Story Too\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDepending on your story and your budget, we can incorporate materials that have meaning to you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat might include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Huron stones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esea glass and beach glass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esea pottery\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edriftwood\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003efossils\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecoral\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eunusual or rare stones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ematerials from meaningful locations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003efluorescent stones and UV elements\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps there's a place that is important to your family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere you got married.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere someone grew up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere you spent summers together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere you got engaged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have stones and materials from different places around the world, so sometimes I can incorporate something that connects the artwork to a meaningful location or memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe materials can become part of the story.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eAnd Sometimes the Words Complete the Piece\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA quote, saying, scripture, lyric or even a few simple words can completely change the feeling of an artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you already know what you want to say, wonderful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut if you know what you want your family to \u003cem\u003efeel\u003c\/em\u003e and can't quite find the words, that's okay too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI'll help you find them.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause sometimes the right words are what bring the tears—in the best possible way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNature shapes the art. You shape the message.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eYou Get to Be Part of the Process\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce I begin creating your family portrait, I don't disappear into my studio and simply hand you the finished artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'll keep you updated along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'll share progress when appropriate, ask for your feedback and make sure I'm capturing the vision we talked about.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter all...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou know your family.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'm the one who gets to set their story in stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eA Family Portrait Doesn't Have to Look Like a Photograph\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt just has to look like \u003cstrong\u003eyour family.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you're celebrating:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea growing family\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea new baby\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea wedding\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ean anniversary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003egrandparents and grandchildren\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea family milestone\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea beloved pet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eseveral generations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eor simply the people you love\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI'll help you create something that couldn't belong to anyone else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReady to Create Yours?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou don't need to have everything figured out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou don't need to know what size you want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou don't need the perfect photograph.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd you definitely don't need to know which stones should represent which person.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat's my job.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTell me about your family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTell me what matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSend me a few photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe'll figure out the rest together.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBring me a story. I'll set it in stone.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eHandcrafted in Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0513\/7101\/6350\/collections\/FamilyTreePage.png?v=1787406831","url":"https:\/\/shapedbymyjourney.ca\/collections\/custom-family-portraits.oembed","provider":"Shaped by My Journey","version":"1.0","type":"link"}