Portrait of a New England Family

I've got a thing for folk art.  Have for awhile now.  I like a primitive feel.  I like art with a heart and a soul, and nothing speaks to me like folk art.  Of course when I discovered Audrey Eclectic several years ago, my love of that sort of art deepened.  Heather is the artist behind Audrey Eclectic, and she a girl after my own heart.  She loves the spooky and the sweet.  She has a thing for the past, and creates such haunting, lovely portraits.  

Four years ago I commissioned a family portrait from her, which immediately became a treasure, an heirloom (which you can see here).  But four years is such a long time in the life of a kid, and my kids have grown so much since our last one.  So, what else to do but commission another?

In this portrait, I asked her to include our village green, specifically the old Congregational church, town hall (historically, it was once the courthouse), and the old schoolhouse.  I also asked her include our house, which you can see above my head.  I wanted a nighttime, autumn vibe, which she captured perfectly.  I also asked for blackbirds, since they hold special meaning for me, as I mentioned in my last post, and they are littered throughout.

But you know what is even cooler?  Let's see if you can spot it.




A ghost!  A ghost lady walking around the graveyard, next to the town hall.  Do you see her?  The idea of adding her came from some experiences I've had with hearing a weeping woman in my house on several occasions.  I'll leave that story for another time, but let's just say when you live in an antique house sometimes the past and present collide.

Heather also added lovely touches because she just knows me, pumpkins by the front door and side door of our house, berries in the bushes, autumn leaves, a full moon, and bright stars.  I also love the shawl I have draped around my arms and our Regency period clothing.  The portrait was more than I could have hoped for!



The kitchen was the perfect place for our portrait.  I get to see it constantly.



Nothing could be better, to me, than to have our family immortalized in a slightly spooky, historic, autumn New England setting.  We will always treasure it.