Commission

A portrait of your home, painted by hand from your photographs.

I paint each house in watercolor and ink, then paint the border by hand. You get a one-of-a-kind original, ready to frame, usually within three to four weeks of sending your photographs.

Sizes and prices

11 × 14Most houses. The size most people choose.$695
16 × 20Large homes, deep gardens, a statement piece.$1,195
8 × 8A doorway, a gate, a porch. A smaller moment rather than the whole house.$400

Larger sizes include the hand-painted border. The 8 × 8 has no border.

Shipping anywhere, flat and insured, at cost. Around Beverly there is free pickup and delivery, and that is where framing can be added (about $95 for the 11 × 14, $145 for the 16 × 20, about $75 for a 12 x 12 mat and frame for the 8" x 8", covering the frame and the fitting).

How it works

First

Send photographs

Contact me, along with a few straight-on photos of the house and garden. I will let you know if I need more.

Then

Discuss painting details

I will begin drawing, inking and finally, painting home and border.

Last

The painting

Your complete house portrait will be shipped, ready to frame.

Photographs

The better the photographs, the better the portrait.

  • Stand directly across the street from the house, at chest height, and shoot straight on, so the sides and roofline stay straight rather than leaning. Get the whole house and a little yard on each side.
  • Soft light is best: mid-morning, late afternoon, or an overcast day. Harsh noon shadows hide the details I need.
  • Move the cars and the bins. Open the blinds if you want them open in the painting.
  • Then photograph the garden: the beds, the window boxes, the tree that turns first. Close-up photos of the front door, distinct windows and woodwork, siding or stonework, and the like are extremely helpful.
  • Phone photographs are fine. Please do not crop or filter them, send the originals.
  • Old photographs work for a house you have already left. Listing photographs work for one you have just bought.

Questions

Can you paint a house I no longer live in?

Yes. Old photographs, listing photographs, even a good snapshot from a family album.

What if I do not have plants I like around my house, or the house is new and the garden is not in yet?

You and I discuss options, such as adding in the plants that are going to be planted, or the ones you wish were there.

Can the border include a particular flower?

Yes. The plants in the border are discussed with me.

Does it need a mat?

No, the painted border works nicely as a mat. But you can add a mat as well.

Can I ask for changes once the painting is completed?

No, unfortunately once inked and painted, the painting can not be changed.

Where do you deliver?

Anywhere, shipped flat and insured. Shipping charges apply. Free local pickup and delivery near Beverly is available.

Start a portrait

Email me a photo of the house, the size you have in mind, and when you need it. I reply within two days.

Email me

Or write to diane.oxton.studio@gmail.com

Buying for a client rather than yourself? For agents and designers