Hand-Painted Portraits from Your Cherished Photos
by Heidi Coutu
I am excited to work with you!
I am a portrait painter who wants to capture your iconic moments and celebrate the ties that bind couples and families. I will paint from one of your cherished photos and create a portrait that will surely become a family heirloom.
A picture is said to be worth a thousand words; a hand-painted portrait is priceless. Call me now to embark on your personal art adventure.
—Heidi Coutu
“I will cherish this forever…”
While wedding planning, I knew picking out a fantastic photographer was a huge priority for me, enough for me to blow my budget. The photographs from our wedding day would be one of the main physical mementos that we could hang on to, take out to reminisce, or show our future children; but apart from those moments they would remain in a book or as digital files on my computer. This was when my mom, best friend, and maid of honor, Heidi and I came up with the idea of creating a painting based on one of my favorite photos and capturing a special moment of the day that I could publicly hang on my wall to be a constant reminder. By using one of our engagement photographs as an inspiration, she brought Matt and me to life through paint.
---Alexandra and Matthew
Heidi did such an amazing job capturing our wedding day with her painting. We worked together to pick the photograph that would work best as a painting, and she truly delivered. I have had so many people ask me where I got our painting including a professional photographer who was just amazed and how well she captured the photo and the moment. Our painting is hanging up in our living room where we see it every day. It's truly our favorite memento from our wedding!
---Deniz and Mike
I learned about Heidi and her paintings of photographs through a friend of a friend. Countless friends of mine have their wedding photos either stashed somewhere on the cloud, or stuffed in a wedding album that never gets opened. That’s why what Heidi does is so special. She creates a beautiful, one-of-a-kind piece of art that you can display in your home. It won’t be forgotten about like many wedding photos are, and it will always be a great conversation piece with guests! I absolutely adore my wedding painting and look forward to other big milestones in Brian and my life so we can ask Heidi to create another masterpiece!
--Lindsey and Brian
“My husband and I are absolutely in love with our painting! It wasn’t something we initially planned on doing but are very glad that we did. I can’t tell you how many compliments we get from guests, it’s such a beautifully unique piece of art. We would love to work with Heidi again in the future!”
–Dana and Dan
When I first saw our painting, I was truly blown away! I was immediately brought back to that very moment, one of my favorites from our wedding. We are thrilled to have such a beautiful piece of art that also reminds us of one of the best days of our lives. Heidi’s talent is unrivaled!
—Taylor and Charlie
You, in Art!
One of my oil paintings will be the most lasting, unique, and dramatic displays of your wedding day.
While helping my daughter plan her wedding, I realized that couples spend thousands of dollars for their wedding photos. These often live on their computers, in photo albums, or coffee table books. By collaborating with your photographer and helping you choose the perfect photo, I will use my lifelong talent to create an oil portrait that will be enjoyed every day, seen by everyone entering your home, and passed on as a family heirloom. When you commission me, I will create an image that captures the true essence of your relationship.
I can also use the same concept to work from any family photo.
—Heidi
Heidi Coutu has been a working artist since 1984 and her art is collected by individuals and corporations throughout the United States and abroad. With seven one-woman shows and two museum solo exhibitions, she has been featured in Architectural Digest, Art and Antiques, and Veranda Magazines, and on the PBS series, By Their Own Hands. Heidi resided at Yale University as a resident fellow at Timothy Dwight College for five years, where she taught student workshops. She has also taught painting workshops in Tuscany and Mexico.
The portrait phase of her painting career bloomed at Yale. Heidi painted several official portraits which now hang in prominent places throughout the University. Prior to that, Heidi was unaware of her brewing talent for capturing the essence of her subjects. Portraiture presented the greatest challenge of her career, and she has embraced it since.
A traditional formal portrait is very time and labor-intensive. It typically includes several sittings, lighting in the studio or in the location, several in-person consultations, and of course, painting on site. Heidi has always wished that these personal artworks were accessible to more people. She has found a way to do that through Life Iconic Studio.
She currently lives with her husband and golden retriever on the Connecticut shore where they are restoring a historic home.