40 Adorable And Wholesome Paintings That’ll Make You Smile Like You Just Got A Handwritten Letter
They say a picture is worth a thousand words—but some paintings whisper directly to your soul, like your grandma offering you another slice of cake even though you’re clearly full. Life is stressful, deadlines are lurking, and your phone battery is at 4%—but take a deep breath, because we’ve found a way to lighten your day.
This delightful collection of 40 wholesome and adorable paintings features everything from cozy cottage scenes to animals doing unexpectedly human things. Whether painted by seasoned artists or passionate hobbyists, each piece has the rare ability to make your heart sigh contentedly and your face stretch into that uncontrollable “aww” grin.
If your mood needs a little lift—or you just enjoy the kind of art that makes you feel warm inside—these brushstrokes of joy are for you.
#1. My daughter nade this for our wedding anniversary
Source: Scallywag328
#2. Man shares the money he got from an auction of a painting with the person he previously got it from at a way lower price.
Source: Self_Destroy
#3. Painting is for all.
Source: DisdainPotato
#4. A year ago I got black-out drunk at a charity bar crawl. My best friend commissioned a painting of his favorite photo of me from that night.
Source: copioustoast
#5. My Grandma used to paint amazing lifelike scenes until her stroke. This is her only post-stroke artwork, that she swears no one will appreciate. I told her I’d ask my friends what they think.
Source: iam_thegrayman
#6. My sister and I painted each other Bob Ross for Christmas, turns out we have a similar sense of humor…
Source: AlexSturdee
#7. He’s a proud painter
Source: King_Pee
#8. Our rats have been painting!
Source: rjisont
#9. Wholesome painting
Source: PitbullSnaps
#10. Found my cat’s doppelgänger in a Japanese painting from 1906 titled Cat and Plum Blossoms by Hishida Shunsō
Source: Reddit User
#11. Thurston loves his painting!
Source: TheNutterOfQLD
#12. I don’t have use of my hands so I paint with my mouth. This was my first oil painting and animal painting
Source: AlexBiagi
#13. Ever since the little girl saw ‘Toy Story’, she shouts “I’m leaving!” and then peeks at her room like this (photo on the left). A redditor was requested to recreate the little girl looking for her toys to come to life as a painting. They stayed up a night…and painted (the painting on the right)
Source: Planet6EQUJ5
#14. My uncle is disabled (severe case of multiple sclerosis) and love street arts. He spends his days taking pictures of graffitis. Some local street artists noticed him and started painting his “nickname” to make him happy ! He loved it !
Source: RayaaSaphyre
#15. 9 year old Russian boy sells custom pet paintings in exchange for food and supplies for his local animal shelter
Source: downriverrowing
#16. We said goodbye to our good boy Monday. One of my wife’s yoga students surprised us with this painting today.
Source: UserNameChicsOut
#17. 90-year-old Anežka Kašpárková passes her time by painting beautiful murals on the homes of her neighbors in Louka, Czech Republic.
Source: 5_Frog_Margin
#18. Wall painting of a man because he sits there often
Source: Reddit User
#19. Just seen this on Facebook and it is a beautiful act of kindness! Man Asks Chewy For A Refund On Dog Food After His Dog Passed Away, Receives An Oil Painting As A Tribute
Source: DCXD
#20. I painted myself painting myself drawing myself painting myself painting myself painting myself.
Source: seamuswray
#21. My dad’s painting. My mum died late 2023 and my Dad’s been a bit lost without her so I have started giving him little projects to do. I asked him to recreate a painting for Mr. This is the result 😀
Source: Emotional_Carrot8396
#22. My mom texted me a photo of a painting she did today. She was disappointed that it had come out looking kind of sad. I offered to fix it for her… She told me that she about died laughing when she saw it!
Source: JephriB
#23. I painted a rubber duck onto this painting that was being thrown away.
Source: KittenBraden
#24. My fiance runs a paint your own pottery studio, one of her customers made this.
Source: Mick0331
#25. After years of drawing and painting I finally put together and self published my first children’s book!
Source: sp33calvin
#26. I painted the cat goomba from yesterday’s front page on a tiny canvas
Source: achoye
#27. Dear art teachers, please don’t ask your young students to paint “candlelight”…
Source: Reddit User
#28. My daughter painted an ijoor on my nails, and now I can’t stop looking and smiling
Source: Wolfenights
#29. I purchased a young artists first original painting and I received a lovely letter along with it
Source: MyMeanBunny
#30. My sister is blind. This year I’m making her Christmas wrap tactile with puffy paint! She’s always a little sad that she can’t see the lights or gift wrap so this I’m making it tactile for her as a surprise! I’m also going to use a velvety bow so that is tactile too.
Source: 1228maj
#31. My wife found a painting I did as a kid and hung it in our kitchen. I think I was around 10 years old when I did this in an art class, where the teacher painted the scene step-by-step, and we followed what she did on our own canvas, Bob Ross style.
Source: seabear87
#32. My 8 year old is painting pet portraits to raise money for the animal shelter.
Source: backaritagain
#33. This is the deck those dogs playing poker in that painting used
Source: Loose-Chicken5716
#34. Art Appreciation
Source: AdmirableDetective37
#35. Tito the Racoon is proud of his painting
Source: Aggravating_Lettuce
#36. Like Bob Ross once said, “we don’t make mistakes, only happy accidents”
Source: Holytrishaw
#37. Ollie next to the painting he got for Christmas
Source: Nordtorp95
#38. Our new location for this painting did not disappoint
Source: Adventurous-Bee-2492
#39. A teenager was k*lled in my hometown during a drive by shooting just weeks before beginning his senior year. A his graduation would’ve been this week. A local artist surprised his mother with a painting of something she didn’t think she would get to see, her son in his Cap and Gown.
Source: chocolate_spaghetti
#40. Beautiful Man Paints Beautiful Buildings
Source: bartflorida
Art doesn’t always need to hang in galleries to be impactful. Sometimes, the most memorable works are the ones that feel like a visual hug—soft, sweet, and sprinkled with kindness. These paintings might not win prestigious awards, but they’ve already won the only prize that matters: a permanent place in someone’s heart (and maybe yours too).
So, which painting warmed your soul or made you laugh out loud? Was it the cat wearing a raincoat? The bear drinking tea on a porch? We’d love to hear which ones stuck with you. Feel free to drop your favorite in the comments, or even share your own wholesome painting story if you’ve got one.
Because at the end of the day, everyone deserves a little more color in their life—especially the kind that makes you smile.
