Hung above the mantle, double matted in that hand-carved, gilded frame, is your image: hands neatly folded, not a hair out of place, showcasing your incredible skill of sitting still.

Wait. You can sit still?

Didn’t think so.

For a portrait of you that reflects, well, you, give illustrator Richard Bloom’s watercolors a good look.

Rather than simply copying a photograph, the charming artist gathers many snapshots of his subjects; takes copious notes on their personality, likes, and dislikes; and then distills everything down to an image that imaginatively captures their essence in a fantastically lifelike way.

He’s just begun accepting commissions outside family and friends, and though he’s painted mainly children to date, he’ll portray loved ones big, small, or pawed and happily works with deadlines.

And to top it off, he’s committed to keeping rates reasonable.

Picture that.

To commission a portrait, e-mail bloom@rocketwhim.com. To see works, go to rocketwhim.com.