[PHOTOS] How 23 Different Artists Made The Perfect Birthday Present For This Man's Wife
Possibly one of the most creative and heartwarming birthday present ever, one that's only going to grow fonder with each growing year.
By Sadho Ram — 16 Nov 2014, 09:53 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
This is Ernst Berlin, seen here with his son Jacob. Ernst is a professional photographer who takes incredibly powerful photographs. But this SAYS story is not about his art. It's about those 23 outstandingly brilliant artists he commissioned to create a beautiful collection of art for his wife Agnes' birthday.
Ernst, while searching for the perfect birthday gift for his wife, discovered the 23 artists from one of the deepest yet most visible corners of the Internet, Reddit Gets Drawn subreddit, where artists draw people's photo requests. There, he reached out to nearly 50 artists to see if they might want to help him with his idea.
"Twenty-three of them replied. It was more than I expected, but I loved all their previous work so I couldn't say no." The 23 artists were provided with 40 photos of Agnes, Ernst and their son Jacob and asked to interpret them through their own artistic style.
Ernst explained that he didn't mind if there were multiples of the same photo done, adding that he "knew they would all differ"
Soon as the art began flooding in, most digital, some traditional, and since his wife works from home, Berlin sneaked out to print them. "They turned out great," he told BuzzFeed. "Consistent, cost effective, and tied in well with the rest of the room."
On the day of Agnes' birthday, Ernst sent his wife to a 3-hour spa so he would have time to hang the illustrations as a surprise
He was worried about not finishing it in time. "Luckily it all worked out, but there are a lot more holes in the wall than there are nails!"
If you think the above artistic gift is awesome, wait until you see Agnes' priceless reaction! Ernst created a YouTube video of the unveiling from a hidden camera. Watch the video here:
Ernst, you're a good husband and a father. Keep being awesome! SAYS readers can check out the rest of the portraits here.
PS: A special shoutout from the Content Team at SAYS to all those 23 incredibly talented and kind artists from Reddit Gets Drawn who took their time and made such beautiful and imaginative portraits of the family. You guys absolutely rock!