When something catches my attention and I can't quite let it go.
Colors shaped by light. Every single shadow. The smell of the air before it rains. The contour of a mountain. The way a bird moves through the air. The sound of water.
I feel a magnetic pull to look, to examine, to be closer, to understand, and to capture all of it before it disappears.
That impulse is at the center of everything I create.
Choose a special occasion, tell me a little about the person, and I'll create an original 4 × 6 inch watercolor or chalk pastel painting and mail it directly to them.
What if the next gift you gave was an original painting?
Instead of another card, another object, or another gift that eventually gets put away, send someone something that exists only once.
I create an original 4 × 6 inch watercolor or chalk pastel painting inspired by the person receiving it.
You choose the occasion.
You tell me about them.
I create the painting.
Then I mail it directly to them.
No prints. No reproductions. Every Select Painting is an original.
Tell me who you're sending the painting to, what the occasion is, and a little about the person.
You can give me an idea, share a photograph for inspiration, or simply tell me about them and let me decide what to paint.
I'll create an original 4 × 6 inch watercolor or chalk pastel painting inspired by your story.
Every painting is created by hand and is completely unique.
I'll carefully package the finished painting and mail it directly to the recipient so it arrives around the special date you've selected.
You can also include a personal message.
In fact, I might prefer that you don't.
Tell me something about the person.
Maybe they love Lake Erie.
Maybe they spent their childhood in a particular house.
Maybe they have a favorite garden.
Maybe they just moved somewhere new.
Maybe you share a memory that has stayed with you for years.
Give me the story. I'll make the painting.
4 × 6 inches
Original signed watercolor or chalk pastel painting
$55 — including U.S. shipping
Each Select Painting is created specifically for the person receiving it. Because each painting is an original work of art, the finished painting will be unique and may vary from any examples shown on this page.
Yes. Every Select Painting is an original work created by hand.
Each painting is approximately 4 × 6 inches.
Yes. You can upload a photograph after completing your purchase.
No. You can give me an idea, provide a photograph for inspiration, or simply tell me about the recipient and let me decide.
Yes. The painting can be mailed directly to the person you're surprising.
Yes.
Please allow at least 10 days before your desired arrival date. I'll schedule the painting and shipping around the date you provide.
Yes. The $55 price includes U.S. shipping.
A painting made from something that matters to you
The process is simple. Just three steps.
Contact me and describe what you'd like—a special place, a favorite memory, a landscape, a meaningful moment, or simply an idea you'd love to see as a painting.
I'll review your request and provide a clear price before we begin. The cost will depend on the size and details of the painting, with shipping calculated based on where you live.
Once we agree to move forward, I'll give you an estimated completion date and keep you updated with weekly progress photos as your painting develops. You'll be able to watch your painting come to life from the first marks to the finished piece.
When it's complete, your painting will be carefully packaged in a handmade wooden shipping box built especially for your artwork and shipped directly to you.
Three simple steps. One completely original painting made just for you.
Most commissioned paintings range from $500 to $5000 depending on size and complexity.
sample of a commission completed in 2025 - Thank you to the Gessel family - a photo of a family farm was great inspiration.
Tell me what you're imagining.
You don't need to have everything figured out.
Email me your ideas, a photograph, memory, or story and we'll start there.
12 by 16 inch oil painting completed in 7/2026 - Scene was painted plen air (Euclid Creek Reservation)
12 by 12 inch oil painting completed 9/2026 - Scene was painted plen air
36 by 36 inch oil painting completed 2026 - Scene is of a secluded beach in remote Alaska (Windfall Island)
My learning has always been shaped by a need to create—and to find connections through visualization.
For most of my life, I wasn't allowed to take notes the way I needed to. So I would comply, then go home and draw illustrations to make sense of what I had heard.
I kept those notes hidden.
Then, about ten years ago, I was attending a professional conference when someone looked over my shoulder and asked,
“What is that?”
My first thought was that I was in trouble again.
But instead, they asked if they could have a copy.
Then someone else asked.
Then someone asked me to create notes for them.
And eventually, organizations began asking me to create visual notes for their meetings, conferences, and events.
It still feels a little strange.
For most of my life, I was discouraged from creating what I now call Visual Notes. Today, people seek them out—and organizations hire me to turn complex conversations, presentations, and ideas into engaging visual records.
I create graphic notes in real time, translating presentations, discussions, key ideas, and memorable moments into a visual story that people can see, understand, and remember.
Graphic note taking can be a powerful addition to:
Conferences and professional events
School and university programs
Workshops and trainings
Organizational meetings
Panel discussions and presentations
Community events
Strategic planning sessions
Whether you're planning a conference, leading a workshop, or bringing a group together to solve a problem, I'd love to hear what you're working on.
If you'd like to hire me as a graphic note taker, contact me with a few details about your event, organization, or project. Tell me what you're planning, when and where it's happening, and what you'd like your visual notes to accomplish.
Have an event that could use some Visual Notes?
vasenhouse@gmail.com
Sample graphic notes
