Commisions

For Puk de Heer, portrait painting begins long before the first brushstroke.

 

It begins in observation — in the quiet study of light moving across a face, in the subtle shift between warm and cool tones, in the character hidden within shadows and reflected light. Recently graduated from the Florence Academy of Art, Puk has devoted years to studying classical drawing and painting techniques, developing a deep sensitivity not only for likeness, but for presence.

 

“What fascinates me most is the moment a person begins to appear out of nothing,” Puk says. Whether working with charcoal on paper or oils on canvas, she is drawn to the transformation of emptiness into humanity — a blank sheet slowly becoming alive through values, temperatures, edges, and light.

 

“I love capturing not only how someone looks, but who they are,” she says. “A portrait should feel alive.”

 

What makes Puk’s work special is the way she approaches portraiture with patience and sensitivity, searching for the subtle details that make a person unmistakably themselves. There is a quiet intensity in her process — hours spent observing small shifts in tone, reflected light, and expression to create portraits that feel both timeless and deeply personal.

 

Having trained in Florence, surrounded by the traditions of classical realism, Puk carries that understanding into every commission she accepts. Her work balances strong draftsmanship with softness and emotion, creating portraits that feel carefully observed and harmonized.

 

“Starting with a blank canvas and slowly bringing someone into existence — that is still the most magical thing to me,” Puk says.

 

For those looking for a portrait that feels thoughtful, refined, and deeply human, Puk de Heer brings both craftsmanship and emotional presence to every painting.

There is something deeply magical about standing in front of a painting that has survived generations. A painting that once moved someone hundreds of years ago can still stop us in our tracks today. The old masters understood something timeless about light, emotion, beauty, and humanity — and I have always loved learning from them through the process of creating master copies.

 

My name is Puk de Heer, and painting master copies is one of the most meaningful parts of my artistic journey. Every brushstroke becomes a conversation with the artist who once created the original work. It is a way of studying, understanding, and keeping these masterpieces alive in a personal and intimate way.

 

Through commissions, I want to offer others the opportunity to live with a painting they deeply love. Perhaps there is a work you once saw in a museum that never left your mind. A painting you return to again and again in books or online. Most of us will never be able to own the original — these works belong to museums, history, and the world itself. But that does not mean they cannot still become part of your everyday life.

 

I would love to create carefully painted master copies for those who wish to bring these timeless works into their homes. A painting that inspires you, comforts you, reminds you of a moment, or simply fills your space with beauty. There is something incredibly special about waking up every day and seeing a work of art that truly moves you hanging on your own wall.

 

For me, these paintings are more than copies. They are tributes — to the old masters, to craftsmanship, and to the emotional connection we can have with art across centuries.

 

And more than anything, I would truly love to give people the opportunity to bring a painting they deeply love into their own lives and homes. If there is a masterpiece that has stayed with you, touched you, or inspired you, I would be honoured to help make that dream come true. Please feel free to contact me — I would love to create something special for you.