Since 1994, Kathy Southerland has been a sales associate with Portraits, Inc. She was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is where she lives and works today.
While she leaves the painting to the experts, Kathy has always been interested in art and enjoys collecting, which makes this job a perfect match for her. She says there’s no way she could name a favorite artist, although she admires all of the Portraits, Inc. artists for their talent, training and professionalism. “I have tremendous confidence in their ability to deliver a portrait that a client will treasure as an heirloom,” she says.
Kathy works with clients throughout the process of commissioning their portrait by one of these Portraits, Inc. artists. If someone is considering having a portrait painted, her first piece of advice is to do a little homework on style, pricing and how the process works.
“A portrait is a piece of art you’ll look at forever, and it’s worth the investment to get the very best your budget will allow,” she explains.
Kathy is a unique associate because she has a gallery attached to her house. “When I work with clients in my Garage Gallery, I show them about 25 different portrait samples so they can get a feel for different styles and see the actual size of the framed pieces,” Kathy says. “I try to give a prospective client a little background on the artists they are interested in.”
Over the years, she has worked with more than 100 of our artists and can share a lot of background information to help clients make an informed decision.
Kathy has seen the portrait process from beginning to end many times, but the unveiling is always her favorite part since it’s a moment that’s personal to each client, usually causing lots of emotions and happiness.
One of her favorite parts of the job is having the opportunity to be creative with her clients and the variety that provides. She says every client, artist and commission is unique. To her, it’s fun to help people find the right match for their portrait needs. This is why Kathy is such a stand out associate and why we love her!
As the world’s oldest and largest portrait company, Portraits Inc. is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. With a network of sales associates across the country, Portraits, Inc. represents America's finest portrait artists offering a range of styles and prices. Founded in 1942, Portraits Inc. is recognized as the industry leader and expert in commissioned portraits for clientele that includes the foremost names in the worlds of business, the professions, the arts, academia and society.