It’s my happy spot! That area of my home where no matter how frustrated or annoyed I’m feeling I always smile when I walk past. What makes me smile you ask? Four beautiful gallery wrapped canvases displayed on the wall of my babies! Photos of them at their cutest displayed large and proud for the world to see when they enter our home. Seriously how can you not smile when you are staring at puppies and babies!!

Canvas gallery wraps of our puppies and our son Will displayed in our home at the top of our stairs, this collection features two 20×30 and two 16×24 canvases.
Happiness Factor
Some days don’t you just need a pick me up? When your kids or your husband is making you crazy and you are reminding yourself yes I do love this person even though you aren’t feeling it at the moment. Displaying a beautiful photo of your family that reminds you how amazing they are is the perfect way to lift your mood. I tell my wedding clients all the time they want at least one large photo displayed in their home that reminds them of how much they love the other person and how happy they are to be married finally!

This is a mock-up of a canvas display of wedding photos I created for a client to give them ideas on how to display their images. This collection features two 16×20 and two 20×24 canvases.
Matches almost any decor
I love love love how easy gallery wrapped canvases fit into any home! They are a modern way to display your favorite photos. Even in a more traditional home a beautiful large canvas over the fireplace is just as elegant as a framed print. The secret is to keep your decorating and personal style in mind when planning your photo shoot! When I work with my clients I love to create pieces that blend beautifully with their decor like they were meant to be there all along. For my trendsetter clients we can even mix and match frames with your canvas to really show off your style. Check out my framing page for more details!

The image on the left is a mock-up for an engagement session to be displayed going up the stairs. I love how they can build on it over the years and really display their life! The image on the right is a display in my own home featuring photos of me and my husband taken by Katelyn James Photography.
Custom design options
Canvas gallery wraps come in all the traditional sizes you are used to from frames plus they have their own unique sizes to fit any space. How awesome is it not to have to worry about custom framing something because you have an odd sized space?!? I offer all my clients custom design services where we create the artwork for your home and figure out the best sizes and groupings to match your style. I can even create mock-ups right there during your ordering session showing you exactly what those images would look like on your wall. No more worries about ordering the wrong size for the space, we can adjust the size till it is perfect for your space.

One more beautiful display to hang in a bedroom of an engagement session! This collection features two 16×20 and one 20×24 canvas gallery wraps.
Easy to care for and display
I know so many clients that love to pin large wall displays of family photos on Pinterest but feel overwhelmed at the idea of figuring out how to hang all those images. Plus then they have to figure out how heavy are the frames and get the right hardware and some are heavy enough to need to be nailed into a stud at which point the project ends up on the honey-do list to never be done. The great thing about canvases is that they are lightweight and come ready to hang on the wall with a simple nail or even with a set of Command strips. Plus I share my techniques for hanging the perfect wall display with all my clients so it is a breeze! When it’s time to clean the house just dust your canvas as you walk by to keep it looking good!
Contact me today so we can start planning the perfect family art for your home!
Melissa Arlena is an award winning lifestyle newborn photographer in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia who has earned her Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in maternity, newborn and family photography. Her natural and simple work has been featured in magazines and online blogs worldwide. She has been named Best Maternity and Newborn Photographer in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA in 2024.