Personal Art: Lyndi & Kyle Tiggemann & A Painting On Design Sponge

Last year I finished this portrait of my friends Lyndi & Kyle Tiggemann. I created this portrait for their wedding gift and I am so glad I did! I really like how it turned out in the end. It is always a struggle to get every detail right in a portrait of someone you know and this one was of two people! You don't want to get something wrong which could end up hurting the feelings of the person you've drawn when  you've drawn a nose too big or the eyes too small. I really can't wait to do another couples portrait.

The Tiggemanns hung their portrait up in their living room which I so much appreciate. Kyle's twin, Blake, also did a full figure portrait of them with their pup Pete in oil paint. Once, Lyndi said she thought people might think they're vain but I think they just have creative friends who find them attractive enough do draw and paint!

Sometimes you don't know where your art ends up when given to another. I've been in friends' homes before and can't find a portrait I did for them anywhere and it breaks me a little bit each time. Recently though, one of my paintings was photographed in my friend Casey Bovee's home which can be seen in her house tour featured on Design Sponge. I was elated when I saw the painting on one of my favorite blogs as I had no idea it would be included in the tour! You can't even imagine how happy I was! 

Looking back on it I'm upset that I did this in oil. It is by far my best oil painting but I am just not an oil painter. I've kept those supplies just in case but I really want to stick to graphite from now on. Here are some photographs of that piece, the first is a truer representation of the painting while the second is captured more beautifully by photographer Matt Douglas.