Every portrait tells a story—but what if a portrait could contain your words, too?
We believe that your words are vital as well. That’s why we invite our families to tuck a personal note behind the portrait —a handwritten message that we attach to the back of your framed portrait.
We call it the Love Letter.
It can be a message from a parent to a child, a grandparent to a grandchild, a partner to their beloved. It’s not for display. It’s for discovery. And it turns a beautiful portrait into something even more powerful: a legacy anchored in emotion and meaning.
This issue shares the how and the why of this simple but deeply touching tradition we developed years ago and it is still one of the most powerful concepts we have ever created.
Years from now, when your child holds that framed portrait in their hands, they won’t just see your face. They’ll hear your voice. And that may be the most important memory of all.
Sharing new ways to show love,
The Power of a Love Letter + a Portrait
What They’ll Hear When You’re Not in the Room
When your child stands in front of their portrait you’ve commissioned, they feel seen. But when they turn that portrait over and read your words-they feel loved.
Years ago, we discovered this hidden, yet untapped emotional powerhouse!
At our studio, we invite families to write a short letter—a note of encouragement, love, or legacy—that we carefully mount on the back of your framed portrait. It’s a detail most will never see… until they need to.
The longest kept secret…
We’ve seen children (now adults) find out about these letters before big moments. Think wedding day or first child.
Mothers and dads write to their sons and daughters. Spouses write to one another. Grandparents pen their hopes and dreams for their grandchildren.
We’ve seen grown men quietly tear up, reading something their mother or father wrote long ago, when they were a baby in their arms or a toddler.
The love letter is a whisper that says, “You matter. You’re cherished. This is who you are to me.”
While messages quickly vanish and photos scroll by, this remains.
7words
A portrait they’ll see. A letter they’ll feel.
Tips to help you get started:
• Begin with—7 words you should always use to write a love letter to your child.
• Recall special moments and memories and how they made you feel.
• Share your hopes and dreams for them.
• Write about their unique qualities.
• End with a message of love and support:
Remember, a love letter to your children doesn't have to be perfect. What's important is that you express your love and affection for them in a way that feels genuine and heartfelt.
We will provide you with the method and the materials, so you simply need to take the time, sit down and write.
The Letter
“I had no idea how much those few lines would mean until my son read them out loud… years later. The portrait hangs in his home now, but the letter—he carries that with him.”
-A Walden Client
Special pouch to hold love letter.
Insight
Find a quiet moment to write from the heart—just you, your thoughts, and your love for your child. We’ll provide the special paper, thoughtful prompts, and simple instructions to guide you. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.
A handwritten love letter that will live quietly behind their portrait—waiting to be discovered at a future date. A time capsule.
Create Keep Share
Once your letter is written, gently fold it and place it in the keepsake pouch we provide affixed to the back of your framed portrait.
And now—the hardest part:
Keep it a secret. Say nothing. Wait for the moment you always knew would come.
Because, in time, it becomes something extraordinary—
The Longest Kept Secret.
At last, the day has come.
The moment you quietly prepared for—back when they were still just a child and you tucked that secret letter behind their portrait.
Will it be their wedding day? The birth of their first child?
Whenever it arrives, it will be unforgettable—adding depth, tenderness, and a lasting emotional imprint to the portrait they’ve seen for years…without ever knowing what waited behind it.
