FAQs

How is a breastmilk portrait painting made?

The process of creating a breastmilk portrait painting is complex and delicate, and involves several steps:

As this is a painting, not breastmilk jewellery, I don't use preservation powders that breastmilk jewellers use or those of which that are sold on Etsy. Instead a unique patented process method is used for these paintings.

- I use a fat extraction method to separate the solids from the liquids in your breastmilk. This ensures that only the purest and most stable part of your milk is used for the painting.

- Then, I add a variety of preservatives and sealants to your breastmilk, to prevent them from spoiling or fading over time.

- Finally, I paint your portrait, using my own unique and patent-protected working methods. I apply multiple layers of varnish to protect and enhance your painting

When the breastmilk arrives it is immediately transferred to a vile with one of the first processing steps being added.

Your full name is written clearly on the vile, with an abbreviation added to confirm whether the breastmilk has been through the full treatment process.

Preserving and refining the breastmilk involves a comprehensive ten-step process. Adding untreated or unpreserved breastmilk straight to a painting can result in its deterioration.

When using breastmilk in artwork, it is acceptable to include milk that is several years old. The storage times recommended for breastmilk are specifically applicable to the feeding of infants and children only.

Yes, frozen breastmilk is perfectly fine to use. If you are not wanting to defrost a whole bag, break off a piece of frozen breastmilk roughly 6cm x 6xm and 1cm thick. This works out to roughly 10mls.

Indeed. I conducted a comprehensive yeast and mold test at Symbio Laboratories, where the results indicated absolutely no presence of yeast or mold growth. If you are interested, you can access a copy of the report here.

Here are some tips for selecting the right photos to send in:

File size:  preferably high resolution as more detail will come through into the painting. I have worked with photos as small as 40kb before and the process has still worked. 

File type: all

Photo features: detailed fabrics in clothing look great in a painting.

Make sure the top of the head is not cut off, if its only slightly cut off that's fine, I can edit it.

Looking away from the camera, and looking towards the other subject (ie, mother looking at child) evokes a more loving vibe.

Remove accessories such as pacifiers /dummies, hats, sunglasses.

STEP 1
Place an order online for your portrait and please ensure you have uploaded a photo.

STEP 2
Please put 5-10mls of breastmilk into a ziplock bag.I recommend double bagging the breastmilk to protect against any possible spillage during shipping. Please send no more than 50mls to avoid spillage

STEP 3
Please send to the following address via EXPRESS Post, advising me of the tracking number:

Gina Jones Creations,
Parcel Locker 10238 43793,
38 Sheridan Street,
Cairns City,
QLD,
4870

Note: Express post is not required for international customers. It is just a recommendation due to greater delay with standard shipping speed across Australia.

STEP 4
Once the order is placed and your breastmilk is received, the breastmilk will go through the preservation/treatment process.

STEP 5
When I have the photos and breastmilk I will start on the photo conversion and painting.

STEP 6
After the painting is completed and has been sealed, I will send you a photo and video of the final painting.

STEP 7
I allow 48hours to allow all the layers of sealants to cure. After that I will post out your lovingly gift wrapped painting.

No, you are absolutely fine to send the breastmilk in the post.

To reduce the risk of spillage, follow these steps: first, double bag the breastmilk in a breastmilk bag. Next, surround it with a paper towel or a similar absorbent material. Then, place the double-bagged breastmilk in another zip-lock bag. Remember to remove any excess air and ensure that no more than 20mls are sent.

Forms you will need to complete and attach to the outside of the package. These forms will be sent to you upon ordering your painting.

These forms can be placed in a ziplock bag and taped on:
• 2976 customs form (if using USPS)
• Import Form provided by Gina Jones Creations (this is already mostly completed for you)
• A printed copy of your receipt.

I would recommend using First-Class Package International Service if you are looking for the most affordable option to send the breastmilk.

This should be approximately $17.30 USD

More information regarding sending conditions and prices can be found on the USPS website via these links: https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc2_021.htm#ep2686864

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm#_c341

Also, the 2976 customs form can be created online prior to going into the post office to save time.

You will be able to generate the custom form here: https://cfo.usps.com/

Here are some tips for selecting the right photos to send in:

File size:  preferably high resolution as more detail will come through into the painting. I have worked with photos as small as 40kb before and the process has still worked. 

File type: all

Photo features: detailed fabrics in clothing look great in a painting.

Make sure the top of the head is not cut off, if its only slightly cut off that's fine, I can edit it.

Looking away from the camera, and looking towards the other subject (ie, mother looking at child) evokes a more loving vibe.

Remove accessories such as pacifiers /dummies, hats, sunglasses.

Kindly be aware that the painting process typically takes approximately 4 weeks to finish. It is important to note that this estimation does not include the time required for shipping.

Absolutely.

I like my customers to be happy with their painting as this is something they will treasure for many years.

I use your precious family photo or any given photo to create the negative white space that you will see on example paintings on the website.

The paintings are created with alcohol inks, and synthetic paper.

Giclee printing is used for the printing of all prints, with the service being conducted by professional print makers.

Giclée printing is the 'gold standard' of printing, It is known for the greater depth of range and colour as giclée printers use 12 individual colours, where as inkjet uses a 4 colour combination.

As a result this produces the closest replication to original paintings.

Yes. I do ship worldwide.

The print comes from one of my original paintings and are generally scanned at 600dpi or 1200dpi depending on painting size.

Paintings are scanned with an Epson Perfection V600 with the addition of Silverfast scanning software to get the best scanning results.

Colour profiles between monitor, scanner, and my print manufacturer are calibrated, so you can be sure to receive the highest quality Fine Art Print close to the original painting.

Further enhancements such as dust removal and noise reduction is peformed in Photoshop and Topaz Suite.

Wall art should take up 60%- 75% of the available wall space, i.e wall space that isn’t covered by furniture or moldings.

Start by measuring the width and height of your wall and then multiply them by both 0.60 and 0.75.

This will give you the range of canvas print sizes that will suit the space.

For example: If you have a blank wall that is 9 feet tall and 5 feet wide, you would multiply both 9 and 5 by 0.6 and 0.75.

The ideal height of the canvas would be between 5.4 to 6.75 and the ideal width would between 3 feet and 3.75 feet.

TIP: Placing sheets of paper on the wall where you plan to hang the painting can give you a more visual idea of the size required.

I can provide a mockup for you for no extra charge.

Simply email me a photo of the room with height and width, and I will create an insitu, to scale mockup of how the artwork would look in the desired space.

This depends on several factors such as budget and whether quality is a factor.

Purchasing a printable and printing it at home on your printer, or having it printed at the local stationary store will be slightly cheaper, however, the lifespan and quality will be greatly reduced.

This is due to using standard printing methods instead of giclée like what is used by my print suppliers, and quality of papers.

See below for visual examples of the difference between the printing methods.

Learn more about the difference between the quality in prints HERE