| I know from my experience as a pet portrait | | | | though the animal is waiting for the portrait |
| artist, that dog portraits are truly the best | | | | to be completed before they pass over. In one |
| gift! When my phone rings and I hear the | | | | case, I arrived to take the photo of an aged |
| person at the other end of the line describe | | | | kitty who was over 21 years old. I felt |
| a relative's or friend's dog, I know that | | | | strongly that she would wait only as long as |
| this person feels as I do - dogs (and all | | | | it took for me to capture her likeness on |
| other pets for that matter) are people too! | | | | canvas before she would cross over the |
| | | | Rainbow Bridge. It wasn't long after her |
| There are many reasons why portraits are the | | | | guardian received the painting that the kitty |
| very best gift. A painting which captures not | | | | did, indeed, make her final journey. |
| only the likeness of a pet, but also their | | | | |
| spiritual nature can help ease the grief a | | | | Another reason these paintings are such |
| person feels after their beloved companion | | | | fabulous gifts is that they are long-lasting. |
| has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. One thing I | | | | Paintings can last for generations and bring |
| cherish about my profession as an artist, is | | | | to mind fond memories of a life of shared |
| that I love connecting with the animals' | | | | experiences and touching moments. |
| energies as I paint, especially for animals | | | | |
| that have just made their transition. I | | | | One of my clients asked me to paint a |
| sometimes feel that it's the animal, | | | | portrait of every animal her family had ever |
| themselves, who have brought a client to me | | | | had and place them on one canvas! The |
| to commission a portrait to help heal their | | | | painting consisted of a bird, horse, cats and |
| guardian's broken heart. | | | | several dogs. After she received her |
| | | | portrait, she told me that her two daughters |
| Here is a quick story to illustrate my point. | | | | wanted it written into the woman's will as to |
| | | | who would receive the portrait after she and |
| I was commissioned to paint a memorial | | | | her husband had passed on! It was then I |
| portrait of Bear, a Kuvasz -a large, white | | | | knew, these are not ordinary gifts. |
| breed of dog originally from Turkey. I'd | | | | |
| never heard of this breed before and did some | | | | A third reason why pet portraits are the best |
| research before starting the painting. As I | | | | gift is that they chronicle a life |
| was waiting for my client to come to our | | | | well-lived. Action portraits are one of my |
| respective meeting place where I would | | | | favorites. Who can forget the moment when a |
| deliver his finished painting, I was thumbing | | | | horse strides easily over the jump, the |
| through our local Dog Nose News. Lo and | | | | agility champion races passed the weave |
| behold there was an article entitled | | | | poles, or the puppy or kitten is caught |
| "Compelled to Rescue" and that month's | | | | tangled endlessly in a ball of yarn? One |
| subject was - you guessed it, the Kuvasz! I | | | | client of mine wanted his Schipperke painted |
| excitedly pointed the article out to him and | | | | with all of her stuffed toys around her. She |
| sure enough, he contacted them later that day | | | | looked so adorable with her black fur against |
| and ended up driving over 300 miles to rescue | | | | the soft pastel colors of a duck, a bird and |
| a senior Kuvasz. Was it just a coincidence, | | | | a chicken! |
| or did Bear really bring him together with a | | | | |
| new friend? | | | | As you can see, there is an alternative to |
| | | | another collar, leash or food bowl which is |
| Sometimes very old and frail animals will | | | | available to dog lovers and pet lovers |
| have their portrait painted. It's almost as | | | | everywhere! |