The journal 9 notes
Notes from the studio
How the paintings are made, and where to hang them
Written for the family’s studios and kept here: which photograph to choose, what a print needs, why there is a studio for cats and another for horses.
- August 23, 2026Why Eighteen Studios and Not OneOne engine paints all of it. So why does Painted run a separate studio for cats, for horses, for homes, and for the night sky?
- August 23, 2026Where to Hang It, and What Fades ItLight is what destroys a print. How high to hang a portrait, which wall to avoid, and the one framing choice worth paying for.
- August 23, 2026The Sky on One Particular NightPainted Heavens takes no photograph at all. It takes a date, a time, and a place — and computes the sky that was actually overhead.
- August 23, 2026How to Photograph an Old PhotographNo scanner required. A window, a flat surface, and four rules that beat most flatbeds — and what to do with a print that is cracked or curled.
- August 23, 2026How to Choose the Photo That Becomes the PaintingLight, angle, and distance matter more than megapixels. Here is what to look for in the photo you already have — and what no studio can fix.
- August 23, 2026A Portrait of Someone You Cannot Photograph AgainWhat to look for in the photos you still have, what a memorial portrait can and cannot do, and how the commission is handled.
- June 28, 2026Pet, Horse, or the Two of You — Which Painted Studio Is Right for You?A quick guide to the Painted family of fine-art portrait studios, and how to pick the one built for your subject.
- June 24, 2026From One Photo to Fine Art: How a Portrait Studio Turns a Snapshot Into a KeepsakeWhat actually happens between the photo you upload and the framed canvas on your wall — styles, previews, and print quality explained.
- June 18, 2026The Heirloom Gift Guide: Portraits for the People (and Animals) You LoveAnniversaries, memorials, weddings, and 'they have everything' — when a custom fine-art portrait is the gift that lands, and which studio to use.



