Karen Sperling’s Art, Photography and Prose
Karen Sperling
Commissioned Paintings
Hand-Painted Portraits, Pets, Landscapes and Florals
Photographs record people, pets and landscapes, but paintings capture their soul.
On this page you’ll find information about commissioned keepsake legacy paintings to both enjoy on display in your home and to pass down through the generations.
From Cherished Photo to Keepsake Painting
Source photo by Don Ling
Painting by Karen Sperling.
TESTIMONIALS
I fear that my words will not do justice to Karen Sperling’s artistic talents.
I have taken thousands of pictures of my children as they were growing up. Most of them were terrible. A few were good enough to keep. Almost none of them were good enough to spend extra money on to enlarge.
When I learned about Karen’s portrait painting, I chose two photos I liked. However, each picture had technical faults. One was poorly cropped. The other was slightly out of focus. And let us not forget the plastic cups each child had in their hands and the fluorescent wrist bands. These extra “props” further distracted from the important subject of the picture, the children.
Karen Sperling’s skillful portrait artistry was able to better reveal my son’s boyish impishness and my daughter’s youthful elegance. Karen was able to eliminate or replace the unneeded props. She was able to create a magical background showpiece for my children. Everyone who sees the painted portraits loves them.
Raymond Moy, M.D.
I’ve known Karen Sperling for a very long time and I have always been in awe of her amazing talents. She can take any kind of photograph and turn it magically into an unbelievable work of art.
I love seeing what she does to portrait photos that I have taken. They are often so breathtaking that I can’t believe she is capable of making such one-of-a-kind pieces of art.
Karen is definitely one of a kind.
Scott Stulberg
The Commission Process
The information below should answer many of your questions about commissioning a painting based on a photo by Karen Sperling. Please click here to email Karen Sperling with additional questions.
Investment & Sizes
• Paintings based on your photos range from 8" x 10" to 30" x 40"+. Paintings start at $350 for an 8" x 10" with one subject. Typical investments are around $1,500 to $4,000 for larger paintings.
• Additional Subjects: Add 30% for each additional subject, including pets.
• Photos as candidates for paintings: High resolution, clear photos work best. Paintings based on old photos are cool, too. Add $75 per hour to restore faded or damaged photos for painting.
• Edits: Requested edits of the painting are included at no charge for the first 3 hours of editing time. After that, a $75 fee per hour will be charged for edits.
• Deposit: A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to begin.
• Balance: The remaining 50% is due upon your approval of the final painting, prior to shipping.
• Shipping: Insured shipping is quoted separately based on size and location.
• Timeline: Please allow 5 weeks for the creation of your painting, not including shipping time.
• Gift Certificates: Available in any amount—a perfect way to give a legacy gift while allowing the recipient to choose their favorite photo.
Getting Started
• Submit your photo you’d like as a painting using the form below.
• Fill in the “Give us more details” section with a few details about the person, pet, or place, or any other requests, like desired color scheme.
• We’ll discuss the ideal size, style, and any specific artistic goals for your painting.
• You’ll receive a quote for your commissioned painting. If you agree, you’ll send a 50% deposit.
Final Steps
• Artist's Proof: You will receive a low-resolution digital file of the final painting.
• You may request changes at no charge for up to 3 hours of editing time. After that, there will be a fee of $75 per hour for changes.
• After you approve a final low resolution file of your painting, you will submit the second, 50% payment of the commissioned painting fee, editing fees you may have added and shipping charges that will be determined when the painting is ready to be sent. Once the final payment is received, the painting will be shipped.
Response Time: You will hear back within 24 hours after submitting the form. Please write to Karen Sperling with questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is this AI?
Q. How do I know if my photograph will work as a painting?
Q. I have a photo from a photo session with a professional photographer that I would like to turn into a painting.
A. It depends. Karen Sperling’s paintings are painted by hand based on photographs. If you’d like a specific look or scene with AI, she might be able to do it for you. If, on the other hand, you are completely opposed to AI, then no problem, the painting can be painted by hand without it. In any case, the final painting is a hand-painted giclée canvas print embellished with oils, which make even AI source paintings unique, one-of-a-kind artwork.
A. Clear, high-resolution photos with good lighting work best. However, as an expert in photo restoration, Karen Sperling might be able to work with faded or old heirloom photos to bring them back to life as a vibrant painting, depending on the photo.
Professional photographs work great as painting sources, but photographers own their photos’ copyrights. Just make sure you have the permission of the photographer who owns the copyright to have a painting done based on the photo.
Q. Is the painting safe during shipping?
A. Yes. The painting is professionally wrapped and insured to make sure it arrives at your door in pristine condition.
Q. How long does a painting take?
A. 5 weeks, not including shipping.
Q. What if I need a painting sooner than 5 weeks?
A. A 50% rush charge is added to the total cost to complete the painting in 4 weeks. A 100% rush charge is added to the total cost to complete the painting in 3 weeks. The painting can’t be completed in less than 3 weeks because it needs drying time
Q. Is the artwork framed or unframed?
A. Your painting is delivered as a gallery-grade archival canvas, which is standard-sized and ready for any professional frame of your choice.
Q. Who owns the rights to the final image?
A. You own the physical painting and may display it privately. I retain the copyright. You may not use the painting for any other purpose without permission.