Good gift, or a little bit morbid?

[steppedonlego]

Been thinking carefully about what to get my dad for his birthday this year as he really is one of those men who have everything.

Mine and my siblings grandparents (his parents) have both sadly passed away, but they were very much loved and treasured by us all. Since they passed there have been great grandchildren born that they never had the opportunity to meet, and we have never had a big family picture taken together.

Wibu to commission an artist to do a (I'm thinking watercolour) painting of all of us, my grandparents, parents, siblings and the great grandchildren. I personally would love to receive it as a gift, but I'm worried that other people would see it as morbid. I'll bend to the wisdom of mumsnet

Here are some photos which include corpses. Hmmmm dangerousminds.net/comments/dead_creepy_family_portraits_with_deceased_relatives

Creepy as fuck. No. No. No.

I think it feels a bit odd. But the family tree or multi-aperture frame idea would be lovely.

" I'd put in some kind of barrier that makes it clear the dead are happy where they are & still feel a connection with the living. So have the dead standing apart but looking/smiling towards the children for example."

OH no!!! no no - I think this is height of naffness!!

You could have a photo of the people in the picture too, maybe someone holding it?

Easy I couldn't get through all those photos! :(

no, really creepy.

Maybe a painting of the living family standing in front of a painting of the deceased would work?

Although my concern with portraits done from photos is they never seem to 'capture' the person properly, IYSWIM.

Tiger, that is horrendous. It's hard to tell which one of the people is actually alive. Creepy doesn't even begin to describe that.

It has made me even more determined to avoid ancestor worship at all costs ....

could you have watercolour done but in a photo canvas style. so groups of each set taken from photos

I think a photo book is a really good idea. You could put old pictures in it of your grandparents as children and growing up through to all the next generations. Bit like a family tree. Something that will get looked at for years.

Thankyou, all, you've given me some really good ideas! Lot to think about!

I think it could be embarrassing for all concerned if they didn't like it as they would probably feel obliged to put it on display. I wouldn't spring it on them!