Versión en español: Juntos otra vez
Together Again
A hand-painted oil portrait of someone you lost — alone, or together with the family they left behind.
Painted from your photographs by loki Vanguard, a portrait artist with 40 years at the easel. Not a print. Not a digital composite. A real oil painting, made slowly, by one pair of hands.
Christmas 2026: oil commissions close November 20. Pencil portraits close December 5.
THE PROMISE
Their face will not be changed.
Families tell me their greatest fear is that an artist — or an app — will remake the person they love into a stranger. So I work by one rule, and I put it in writing:
The face, the pose and the expression stay exactly as they are in your photograph. I change only the clothing and the setting, if you wish.
If your only photograph is old, damaged or small, I will restore its clarity in paint — never its character. You approve a photograph of the finished painting before it ships. If the person in the painting is not the person in your photograph, I repaint.
THREE WAYS TO REMEMBER
1. The Memorial Portrait
One person, painted from your favorite photograph. A portrait that carries who they were — not a copy of a photo, but their presence, in oil, for the generations after you.
2. Together Again
Some families were never photographed together — or the last years took that chance away. From two or more separate photographs, I paint one portrait: your loved one beside the people they loved. A grandchild they never met. A wedding they did not live to see. A family, whole again, on one canvas.
3. The Faithful Friend
They were family too. A hand-painted oil portrait of your dog or cat, from your photographs, with the same care and the same promise — painted as they were, not as a symbol.
Every portrait is available in two finishes:
Classic — the person alone carries the whole painting. Nothing added, nothing symbolic.
Guardian — the same faithful portrait, with a quiet suggestion of light and presence. Never literal, never sentimental. You choose.
PRICES
All portraits are oil on canvas, painted by hand, signed loki Vanguard.
People
- Memorial Portrait, graphite (pencil), 8x10 — $250 · 11x14 — $395
- Memorial Portrait, oil, 16x20 — $990 · 20x24 — $1,490
- Together Again (two people, from separate photographs), oil, 20x24 — $1,790 · 24x36 — $2,490
- Each additional person — +$400
- Memorial Portrait, oil, 8x10 — $395 · 11x14 — $495
Animals
- Faithful Friend, oil, 11x14 — $495 · 16x20 — $795
Gift cards — from $250. For a friend or a parent in mourning, a portrait is a condolence gift that is not flowers. The card lets them choose the photograph and the moment, when they are ready.
Framing is not included; I will happily advise on framing, and I ship in a protective, gift-ready package. Local delivery in the Rockwall–Dallas area is available.
Payment: Stripe, PayPal or Zelle. A 50% deposit is due when you order.
HOW IT WORKS (entirely in writing — no calls needed)
1. You write to me. Use the form below or email. Tell me who the portrait is of, and attach the photographs you love most. If you are unsure which photograph will work, send several — choosing is part of my work.
2. I confirm and quote. Within two business days you receive a written confirmation: size, price, and the date your painting will be ready. Nothing begins until you approve it.
3. A 50% deposit begins the painting. Payment plans of 2–3 installments are available — ask in your message.
4. You approve the finished painting by photograph. Only then is the balance due.
5. Delivery. Insured shipping anywhere in the United States, or hand delivery locally. Delivery to a funeral home or veterinary clinic, if the portrait is their gift to you, can also be arranged.
Most portraits are ready in 3–5 weeks. A portrait for a specific date — a first Christmas, a birthday, an anniversary — should be ordered a month ahead.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
loki Vanguard has painted for forty years, since her first oil at the age of thirteen. Trained in portraiture from life — the old way, with a living model and no shortcuts — she has painted commissioned portraits throughout her adult life, and for twenty years she has painted angels: not ornaments, but figures carrying human grief, hope and love.
She began painting memorial portraits within her own family — her father, her grandmothers — and learned what such a painting must never do: it must never change the face.
Her paintings are held in private collections in the United States and Europe. She works alone, quietly, in her Texas studio, and accepts a limited number of memorial commissions each month.
FAQ
My only photo is blurry / damaged / very old. Can you still paint from it?
In most cases, yes. Send it as it is. Painting can recover what a photograph has lost — I will tell you honestly in writing if a photograph is not enough.
Can you paint someone together with a person they never met — for example my father with his granddaughter?
Yes. That is exactly what the Together Again portrait is for. I need one clear photograph of each person.
Can you add my loved one to a wedding or family photograph?
Yes, as a painted portrait composed from your photographs. Send the photographs and tell me the occasion.
Do you use AI or digital printing?
No. Every portrait is painted by hand in oil (or drawn in graphite). What you receive is the original — there is no other copy.
I'm not the one grieving — I want to give this to my mother / my friend. How does that work?
Order a gift card, or write to me directly. Many of my portraits are gifts. The person receiving it chooses the photograph and decides when they are ready to begin.
What if I don't like the finished painting?
You approve a photograph of the finished work before paying the balance. If the likeness is not true to your photograph, I repaint. The face in the painting must be the person in your photograph — that is the promise this page is built on.
How long does it take?
Three to five weeks for oil, one to two weeks for graphite, depending on the current waiting list. The completion date is confirmed in writing before your deposit.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes — two or three installments, arranged in writing before we begin.
WRITE TO ME
I answer every message personally, within two business days. — loki
Contact for those who prefer email: looki.vanguard@gmail.com · Rockwall, Texas
Please use the form below. Tell me who the portrait is of, what type and size you are considering, and anything you want me to know about them.
