I turned ‘terrible’ homemade wedding present into a lucrative side hustle – everyone mocked me but I’m raking in £1,000s
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A DAD who was mocked for his "terrible" homemade wedding present said he's now raking in thousands of pounds for his creativity. Jamie Matthias's wacky business started by accident after he painted a "terrible" portrait of his wife Kate. He said: "Kate was making a comment about how bad mine were and I said I would paint one for our wedding day, as a joke.
![[Man displaying his amateur paintings of family and friends.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/now-fans-pay-badly-paint-964168600.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
"It was brought out by the kids during my wedding speech and everyone loved it, it was hysterical.". Kate thought the artwork was so funny she posted a picture of it on social media and within days it racked up thousands of views and comments. Jamie, 41, has since been inundated with requests from people desperate for him to create funny versions of their own photographs.
![[Illustration of a family portrait painted in a childlike style.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/now-fans-pay-badly-paint-964168576.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The dad-of-three, from Alsager, Staffordshire, now juggles his art business with his full-time accounting job. He said: "I actually don't mean to paint badly and I'm doing my best to recreate the photos I get sent but it's just the way they turn out. "I try and create an alternate universe where proportions have no meaning. I've painted for years but I had no idea they were so bad until people started telling me.".
![[Illustration of a painting of a couple.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/now-fans-pay-badly-paint-964168565.jpg?strip=all&w=640)
He spends roughly two hours every evening painting his commissioned work and charges just £25 for an acrylic on canvas, including postage. Jamie added the family have always been keen painters and at half-term the couple get the canvasses out and paint with the kids.
![[Illustration of a simple painting of a bride and groom.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/now-fans-pay-badly-paint-964168536.jpg?strip=all&w=640)
