Y'ALL.

My excitement on this subject is hard to calibrate. I would put it somewhere between "I have an unlimited supply of mashed potatoes," and "Alison Krauss just called and wants to go on tour with me."

I have the most spectacular portrait of Tom Hanks.

But first, some background:

When I was growing up in Decatur, I had one friend who stood out as unique right from the beginning. Emily Siek was the coolest, art-iest kid in town. In second grade, she designed our school t-shirt that everyone (including faculty members) wore to school events. She was always in art classes, always painting, always drawing.

After high school, she broke out of the "everyone stays in Alabama to go to college" mold and went to Savannah College of Art and Design, which, if you aren't familiar, requires a prerequisite in BADASSERY. She graduated and, instead of moving home, moved to New York to continue her lifetime of awesomeness by working as a big deal store designer. She still creates beautiful work on the side.

Basically what I'm saying is that Emily is an incredible unicorn of talent and beauty with skin like a porcelain doll and a laugh like Tinkerbell. If she sounds too good to be true, that's because she is. AND her boyfriend is awesome, too. I mean, come on.

Okay. Now you're all caught up.

So a few months ago, I saw that Emily had done this painting of someone's dog:

Which led to the following Facebook exchange:

Which led to an e-mail thread in which I commissioned her to paint TH.

I was not prepared for what was to come. I have known this person for nearly 27 years and I was STILL not prepared.

I sent her a few pictures of TH to choose from, and she chose this one to paint:

Yesterday, I got a package in the mail and knew immediately what it was. I, obviously, freaked out.

We are SO FREAKIN' BLOWN AWAY. Please take a look.

I texted Emily to tell her that because the proportions are so realistic, Tom Hanks has been sniffing at it and wagging his tail near it because he is so confused/thrilled by why this new animal in our house is two-dimensional.

Are you dead?? I AM. How can someone capture the soul of a dog she's never met via paint and canvas?? I mean, there is literally no doubt about whose dog this is. This is Thomas G. Hanks. (I could tell you what the "G" stands for, but I'd have to kill you.) (Gary. It stands for Gary, okay?) It's just absolutely, knock-your-socks off incredible.

To mitigate the flood of "How can I contact her??" requests, let me just go ahead and tell you!

Visit emilysiek.com, or send her an e-mail at emilysiek@gmail.com to find out more about pricing and availability. She works in lost of mediums (pencil sketches, acrylic paintings, etc.) and with lots of subjects (people, animals, still life, etc.) - there's no limit to her talent. So proud to call her my friend.

THANK YOU, EMILY!