This project began when the husband was at a bourbon tasting at Bishop’s Quarter. While there, he noticed a piece of artwork showing a woman sitting at a bar “Lettizia”, by Fabian Perez, and he thought it would be meaningful to have something similar created of his wife in a place they both love.

His wife began calling around to see if anyone could create a custom portrait like this for him. She eventually found me, and since I enjoy working on unique, out-of-the-ordinary projects, I knew this would be a great fit. We planned the clothing together and coordinated with the manager at Bishop’s Quarter so we could photograph the session before the restaurant opened.

During the session, I photographed her individually as the focal point, but I also photographed the two of them together. That decision worked out beautifully, because the final piece now features both of them in a way that feels meaningful.

As I worked on the image, I felt the portrait needed an additional artistic layer to match the aesthetic of the original artwork that inspired her husband. I decided to digitally paint the piece, and between the digital painting process and the canvas maker’s craftsmanship, more than 100+ hours went into creating this artwork for the couple.

The best moment came when I showed the couple the draft. The wife immediately jumped out of her seat and said, “I love it.” Her reaction meant everything, because my goal with every piece is for my clients to genuinely love the artwork they bring into their home.

The finished portrait now hangs in their dining room, a personal, custom work of art that began as an idea at a bourbon tasting and became something they will enjoy for years to come and because of the craftmanship put into the canvas itself it will be passed down to future generations.