Pets are simply great, aren’t they? It’s amazing how their friendly faces and personalities fill us with joy - even when they’re being a bit naughty like the chew-monster that is my bunny, Charlie!
Painting pets has been a regular part of my business since I opened my shop after Uni. Whether it’s painting a portrait for a customer or teaching others how to paint their own, I love hearing stories about your beloved pets and bringing their character to life through illustration.
Here’s a round up of the pet inspired projects I worked on in 2021!
Pet Portrait Commissions
It’s always an honour to be commissioned to paint such a unique and personal gift. I’ve helped commemorate and celebrate pets that are no longer with us and provided surprise gifts for Christmas, anniversaries and milestone birthdays. I paint them in my home studio, surrounded by my trusty 8 year-old watercolour palette, gouache paint tubes and a cup of tea.
My painting style has also developed this year, from being more realistic in my approach to adding a playful twist. As much as I loved making pets look like their original photographs, I do prefer adding my own spin to the pet and illustrating them in the same way I’d work on my dinosaurs and woodland animals. The trick is in the eyes and using my imagination to interpret the pet’s character in a fun and whimsical way!
For 2022 I will open seasonal listings for limited spots for Pet Portrait commissions. Make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to keep informed!
Wedding Decor Commission
This was a fun project! A couple reached out to me to enquire about a bespoke project for their wedding decorations. For their wedding breakfast, they wanted to name the tables after each of their pets with illustrations and hand-lettered names for their centrepieces - what a dream! I painted 7 furry friends and set up the artwork so each piece is ready for the couple to print closer to the big day.
If you have something in mind for your big day, get in touch!
Pet Portrait Workshops
Pet Portraits was my most popular art class theme in 2021! I taught the three hour workshop at The River Rat in Hamble, and was delighted to be recruited as one of the regular community art teachers with the d.@rt Centre, which is based at my former secondary school!
This class is suitable for beginners and regular painters alike. I demonstrate how to sketch from your photographs using a lightbox or from observation, how to mix colours with watercolour to paint texture and add final details with gouache paint.
Teaching this class at these venues has been wonderful, and I look forward to teaching again in late 2022. I’m also designing a self-led downloadable workshop which will hopefully be in my shop by the Summer!
Tickets are available for my next Pet Portrait art class at the d.@rt Centre on 15th January, 9am-12pm! More information and tickets can be found via the button below: