I’m not going to recommend an artist. Instead I’d suggest you put into the Google search box pet portrait from photo or child portrait from photo. And, if you poke around a bit, chances are you’ll find the right artist.

http://www.google.com

COMMISSION A FORMAL PORTRAIT

     At the site below, I suspect we have moved up several notches in price. Perhaps many notches in price. And I am sure the featured artists would say we have moved up many notches in quality as well, but I’m going to stay out of THAT argument.

http://www.commissionaportrait.com/

CLASSICAL ARCHIVES

     You can give a gift of classical music to anyone in the world who has a computer with high-speed access. For a $25 annual subscription you or the person you gift can legally download thousands of works of classical music. I can personally recommend this site. It has been the joy of my life for the last couple of years. There are sites where you can download some classical music for free, and I’ve reviewed them elsewhere, but I’m convinced that CLASSICAL ARCHIVES offers by far the best selection. For a sample of what they offer, go to:

http://www.classicalarchives.com/

A MAP FOR YOUR NATURE LOVER

     The NATIONAL ATLAS sells wall maps of the U.S. suitable for framing. You can choose from many kinds, including “National Wilderness System,” “National Wildlife Preservation System,” and geologic maps.

http://nationalatlas.gov/wallmaps.html

COWS ANONYMOUS

     Most of my early friends were cows, as I grew up on a Montana dairy farm. I was therefore drawn to the COW DEPOT, which offers, among many other things, bath cows and a Christmasy "carolin' cow" ornament that might make a nice hostess gift at that time of year.

http://www.cowdepot.com/