Once & Always: Bespoke Heirloom Art for Parents & Families

Preserving the Little Years in Heirloom Art

Childhood moves so quickly. One day, your little one is discovering blueberries for the first time, the next they’ve grown taller, learned new words, and moved on to new joys. The truth is, they’re only little once—but they’ll always be yours.

Once & Always is my way of honoring those fleeting years through bespoke, heirloom artwork. Each piece captures who your child is in this tender season of life, carrying those details forward as they grow, evolve, and eventually become their older selves. These paintings are meant to serve as both memory and legacy, as a way to pause the magic of early childhood and keep it alive for generations.

The Inspiration: My Son, Henning

This passion grew from my desire to hold onto the personality and quirks of my son, Henning. Each day with him is so sweet and exciting, yet bittersweet, because I know I’ll never have this exact version of him again.

I find myself clinging to the funny phrases, the quirky movements, and the deep love he has for the things that bring him joy. At one point, Henning went through a major blueberry phase. He still loves them, of course, but there was a stretch of time where he just couldn’t get enough. Now, every time I see a blueberry, I’m instantly pulled back to that chapter of his little years and my face can’t help but smile.

It’s those kinds of details, those memory anchors, that I long to preserve. Not just for myself, but for other parents too.

How I Capture Childhood in Paint

When I create a commissioned piece, my goal is to embody a child’s interests and essence without being overtly literal. Instead of painting exact replicas of toys or objects, I use abstracted forms, colors, and textures to reflect their world. This approach allows the artwork to grow and evolve with the child and family, taking on new layers of meaning over time.

For example, in a commission I created for a family member’s son, one of his favorite things was the piano. Instead of painting a piano outright, I sprinkled subtle white rectangles across the piece to symbolize keys. While those shapes might look like piano keys now, they could just as easily be remembered as cheese sticks later, or something entirely different as he grows.

That’s the beauty: these paintings aren’t static. They invite conversation, reflection, and reinterpretation. Parents, children, and eventually grandchildren can all discover their own meanings within the work, making the piece even more personal as years pass.

A Legacy of the Little Years

Every commission I create is meant to be an heirloom—artwork that carries memory, meaning, and beauty across generations. My hope is that one day, your child will look at the piece and see not just a painting, but a reflection of who they were and how deeply they were loved.

I would be honored to create a Once & Always piece for your family, your home, and your future.