Holiday and Christmas gift giving is just around the corner and many are looking for unique and personalized gifts for their loved ones. Think about all the gifts you or your loved ones have received over the years. Ipods, cell phones, games, small appliances, ties, and doo-dads of every imaginable type. The trouble with giving heavily commercialized gifts is many of those products go forgotten after just a few short months, then after just a few short years, completely forgotten or even broken. Portrait painting by a qualified portrait artist, using your favorite family photo changes that scenario. For once there is a unique and personalized gift that everyone loves and will stay in the family for many generations to come.

We have heard this many times before from those who have not only ordered oil paintings as a gift but as well from the actual recipient of these personalized gifts. These statements include " This is best gift that I have ever received", "My mother cried her eyes out, even dad had tears he could not hold back", "by far the best wedding gift". Even receiving a letter back from the recipient of a gift stating "All I could do was sit on the floor and cry like a baby, I cannot believe someone could actually turn a tiny photograph into such a beautiful painting".

Today's portrait artists have changed the way we think about painting an oil portrait. At one time the subject had to show up and pose in front of the artist for several hours every day until the artist had completed the masterpiece.

The popularity of the photograph has dramatically changed the term portrait. Portrait painting was once the only term for portrait. Now with the invention of the camera it had quickly lost its popularity due to time constraints and costs. This term is now making a huge comeback through the world of art.

Everyone loves to decorate the hall with photo portraits, but now there is a brand new look to the main areas of a home. "Custom Oil Portraits" Many recipients are now receiving new family portraits, pet portraits, children portraits, home portraits, car portraits, favorite places, and even old black and white wedding photos that have been magnificently turned into a full color masterpiece.

With the Internet explosion, many artists today now have the ability to work within the privacy of their own studio, thus cutting down travel costs, lost time do to constant shifting of the subject, lighting changes, and time that is lost between jobs. A good artist can now stay busy painting without loss from any of these time constraints. With newer and newer markets opening globally every day and the speed of the Internet, portrait artists from around the world can receive a new subject within a matter of seconds. Within a few short weeks this artist has finished this fine artwork and has helped put a smile on that special loved one.

Unique and personalized gifts do not have to be expensive. Custom portrait painting by a professional artist does sound expensive. Actually, it is not expensive and you will be pleasantly delighted to hear that these hand painted oil paintings can be purchased for far less than $100 and come with a complete satisfaction guarantee.

Author Doug Ames
http://www.anythingpaintedoncanvas.com