Artist Kyla Luedtke says portraits can add a personal and historical touch to your home decor. Like old family photos, they can become treasured family heirlooms.
Luedtke painted her first commissioned portrait when she was 19. Now 27, her work has been featured in exhibits across the country.
Born and raised in Newark, she received a masters in fine arts from the University of Delaware in 2007. She is currently studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Luedtke considers “Jenni,” a portrait of a friend, one of her favorite works. Though sometimes human subjects have “difficult faces” that are time-consuming to render, “Jenni” came easily, in only three hours.
Luedtke is currently experimenting with painting subjects into fairy tale-like scenes to bring narrative to her works.
“Whether you make the person the witch or the princess, you can get some really interesting things out of it,” she says.
When it comes to decorating with portraits, Luedtke says using the right frame is essential. An ornate frame can be appropriate in a house full of antiques, but simple hardwood frames are usually best. They are less expensive, less likely to overpower the painting, and will always be in fashion.
To learn more about Luedtke’s paintings, visit kyla-zoe.com or email her at kyla.zoe@gmail.com. —Sarah Kenney
