Heraldry Center

The finest collection of heraldry information and resources available online, including the origin of names. To discover the meaning of any symbol on your family coat-of-arms, visit the resources tab.

The Artist: Jack O'Farrell

One day, as a wee boy in Ireland, searching through a treasure trove of old family photos (some of which I decorated, much to my mother’s horror), I came upon a letter, with a familiar-looking building at the top—The White House.

It was addressed to my father, signed by none other than Eleanor Roosevelt, thanking him for a work of hand-painted calligraphy. Later, I discovered he had also been commissioned to do a heraldic scroll for Queen Elizabeth II, marking her coronation.

Learning of warriors, knights and nobility, I became enamored with the art of heraldry and have made it my life's work ever since.

At Shield and Crest, I honor the time-tested materials and methods learned from my father—vibrant oils, lasting enamels, brilliant gold and silver leaf, parchment and vellum, Indian inks, fine paintbrushes and pen nibs, and most of all, pride in what I do.

Others may digitize and print out family coats-of-arms, but not us. Pixels cannot possibly capture the beauty and details of your heraldic symbols in the way a paintbrush can.

While I’ve personally had the honor of creating heraldic works for two US Presidents, several Ambassadors and numerous celebrities, EVERY family crest is in fact, a commissioned work of art.

When you choose Shield and Crest, your coat-of-arms is carefully researched, and faithfully brought to life by an experienced artist.

"Nothing captures the vibrant beauty of your family crest like skilled brushwork. At Shield & Crest, we masterfully hand-paint for a look that lasts for this generation and the next." - Jack O'Farrell