Little Oscar done in watercolor and a bit of gouache, at 5×7”.
Once you meet me, it doesn’t take long to realize how much I love dogs. My girlfriend says that when we are walking together, she can tell when I see a cute dog by the expression on my face. Today my favorite breed is still the one I grew up with, the Keeshond- a Dutch spitz that is particularly sweet, expressive, and, well… loud. They were bred to be watchdogs on the barges, after all!
Last year after my girlfriend lost her sweet little dachshund Oscar, she asked me to paint one of her favorite photos of him where you really see his soulful, imploring eyes. I only got to know Oscar for about six months out of his 17 years, but I was really glad I got that time with him to see how important he was in her life.
Over the last year as I’ve done more pet paintings, I’ve noticed it is common for people to want to memorialize a pet through commissioning a painting, whether it be a gift or for themselves. I’m honored to be able to provide a painting that really captures the essence of the pet and inspires the person to think of their lost friend every time they see the piece on their wall or table.
I’ve done both realistic painting commissions and fast, spur-of-the-moment pet portraits at art markets like the three above. When people walk by and see my pet portrait display at an art market like First Thursday in the Pearl or Last Thursday Alberta, it often inspires an idea to get their or friend’s or family member’s pets painted. More than a few times, the pet has passed away and the person is seeking to preserve its memory. These paintings are partially drawings - they’re done in watercolor pencil.
A 9×12” watercolor painting of my friend’s dear late husky Canis.
I think pet paintings make thoughtful gifts. I really strive to get the animal accurately painted with the realistic work, as it’s more of an involved process. Since I’m very much a dog person, dogs are my favorite to paint- they so often radiate joy and I love to capture their expressiveness. But I love cats as well, and they are also expressive! The two below were fun to paint.
A 8×10” watercolor painting of two very cute cats. Fluffy animals are my favorite.
If you are interested in ordering a watercolor portrait of a pet, my prices are listed here, which also includes prices for painting people- which I wrote a bit about on a previous blog post.
