Husband gives wife a wedding gift so hilariously bad that it unexpectedly changes his life forever

Gifts don’t have to be perfect—in fact, sometimes their imperfections make them even more special. A heartfelt or humorous present can bring unexpected joy, just like the one Jamie Lee Matthias created for his wife, Kate Bell, on their wedding day. The UK-based artist, known as “Terrible Art by Jamie Lee” on Facebook, surprised his bride with a hand-painted portrait. While his artistic skills may not be traditional, his quirky, childlike style gained widespread attention after his work went viral online. According to BBC, many amused viewers even mistook his colorful, unconventional paintings for the work of a five-year-old.

Bell was all smiles as she embraced the wedding gift from her husband—despite its obvious artistic "flaws." The hand-painted artwork from 2024 depicted a couple holding hands in what appeared to be a wedding scene. While the man in the painting, presumably Matthias himself, was featured with various shades of color, the bride’s sketch lacked any bridal details—except for being left uncolored on a white sheet, suggestively representing a wedding dress. Notably, the portrait, which reportedly had all the wedding guests in stitches, quickly became a viral sensation online.

His paintings were “terrible,” yet they still managed to attract a customer base of their own, per Matthias himself. In fact, they even brought him at least forty paid commissions for similar artworks, as reported by the outlet. “It's bringing a smile to people's faces. For those who get it, it's a joke—it's very funny because the art's so bad,” Matthias said. His honesty and unique style caught the attention of several celebrities, including Amanda Holden, Grace Barry, Adam Hills, and a few other big names. “Just when I thought life couldn’t get any more surreal, my dreadful portraits of Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston are currently on display at the prestigious Clarendon Fine Art gallery in Mayfair,” Jamie wrote on his Instagram (@terribleartbyjamielee), sharing a picture of himself posing with the “Britain’s Got Talent” judge.

The artist's interest in portraits developed at an early age, as painting was an integral part of his family activities. His loved ones would often set up mats and canvases to paint together. “My wife regularly mocks the quality of my work. I then decided to do one for our wedding day and gift it as part of my wedding speech, which went down really well because it was so terrible (hence the name),” the 41-year-old told Bored Panda. What started as an inside joke between the couple later took an unexpected turn, gaining social media fame and applause. “As a bit of a joke, we set up a Facebook and Instagram account called ‘Terrible Art by Jamie Lee.’ We posted the picture along with a caption, and it just kind of blew up,” Matthias added. Following this, he began receiving orders from England, Scotland, Wales, and even Northern Ireland, as people embraced and appreciated his unique art.

You can follow Jamie Lee Matthias on Facebook and Instagram for more "terrible" artwork.