Family Tree Paintings with Indian Roots

Creating personalized family trees is a truly fascinating business.  Each family tree painting becomes a puzzle I have to put together.  I talk to my clients, gather their family history, and their personal stories.  Then I go to work in hopes of finding just the right way of bringing all the information together.  Some families prefer to focus on their hobbies, others on their occupations, with quite a few of my clients also emphasizing their heritage, and cultural roots.  I love working on projects like that, because whenever I paint an ‘ethnic’ family tree I also get to explore different cultures.

Unique Creative Gift for an Indian couple: Family Tree art with Indian influences

Bringing East and West together in one unforgettable gift for an Indian couple

I try to make my family tree paintings both creative and clever.  I welcome artistic challenges. One such challenge occurred when a young woman ordered a family tree for her parents who originally came from India.  My client wanted me to find a creative way to incorporate into the painting her parents’ Indian roots and their adopted country (the U.S.). After dutifully researching Calcutta (a city in India where the couple was from) I came up with a painting layout I dubbed “The tale of two cows”.  On one side of the artwork I painted a cow typical of the cows seen in the streets of Calcutta, on the other – a typical American cow. I placed each cows inside a landscape corresponding to their country of origin.

Nostalgic memories immortalized in a family tree painting

I’ve been fascinated with India and it’s culture since I was a little girl.  As an adult, I’m still delighted when I discover something new and exciting about India.  While I thought I was familiar with most well-known Indian tourist destinations I have recently discovered that it was not the case.  Somehow I have never come across Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India.  I honestly don’t know how I’ve managed to miss such an architectural masterpiece!

I’m just glad I have finally discovered it.  For that I have to thank my client who ordered a family tree painting from me for his father’s birthday. Although his parents no longer live in India my client wanted the painting to reflect their Indian roots.  Since Rashtrapati Bhavan and the surrounding Mughal Gardens held a special meaning to his father we have decided to use both as the background for the family tree.

Painting a palace wasn’t much of a challenge.  I was easily able to find a nice photos of the front entrance I could paint it from. Mughal gardens were another story. I wanted for the painting to be as authentic as possible. I must’ve looked at hundreds of photos of the gardens. Deciding which plants and trees (out of seemingly thousands of different kinds there) I was going to paint was no easy task. Fortunately for me, I must’ve made the right choices. My client was satisfied with his family tree and I sincerely hope that so was his dad!

Personalized Family Tree painting for parents’ wedding anniversary

Whenever I work on a family tree painting I try to make it as personal as possible for the couple. I try to incorporate elements that hold a special meaning for the family I’m painting. For some people it’s their favorite place to vacation, for others it’s their home.  One of the artworks I painted not too long ago had the couple’s home and their backyard as the background.
The couple were from India and their daughter (my client) send me photos of their house. While I’ve painted dozens of people’s backyards this one was different.  It was nothing like the traditional suburban backyards I was used to painting. India, just like every country has it’s own unique architectural style as well as it’s unique flora.  I had to pay attention to the trees, bushes, and all other little details that we’re not used to seeing in the West.

The couple were both scientists. To tie their occupations into their family tree painting I added little symbols to the banner (chemistry for the wife and physics for the husband). Their daughter, my client, wanted for the family to be dressed in the traditional Indian clothing. I, of course, obliged, but also added a symbolic twist.  Because it was her parents’ 40th (ruby) anniversary I clothed her mother in a maroon outfit.

To order a personalized family tree painting of your own please go to the Shop section or contact me first if you have any questions.

I look forward to working with you,

Natasha