Thursday, October 1, 2020

The Guinea Pig and the Hamster Custom Pet Portrait

It was an unusual request. I’ve been painting custom pet portraits for eight years. Dogs and cats are the most in demand; and then there is the occasional parakeet and parrot. One of the more recent requests was for a hamster and a guinea pig, along with another portrait for two beagles. It was a treat to get a challenge. What was interesting was that it came from the father of a person I have done three portraits for. The son had two portraits done for his mother - a dog and a cat, and another dog. He also had a portrait made of his new dog. So the father/husband wanted to round out the animal paintings by having these made for his wife for her birthday. The pooches were a bit of a challenge, but nothing unusual. One had a bandanna which makes things more interesting. The Guinea pig was another thing - I just couldn’t make out the face. Apparently, he didn’t show his eyes much and he was very furry. Since the photos were separate, I had to imagine the size difference between the hamster and the Guinea pig so there was a lot of back and forth in prep time getting it just right. It was also true of the beagles - separate photos but putting them together in one. One dog was shorter and huskier and the other was thinner and taller. In the end it was a great opportunity. Thanks for having so much faith in my work. It’s wonderful to have repeat customers and then getting a wonderful feedback on my Etsy site. It’s been a great “hobby” to get to paint pets for folks. Many of them are memorial portraits. Having had two dogs - Natasha, a golden retriever and Tatiana, a borzoi, I know how it feels to lose a best friend. So I think of them every time I start a painting. It really helps to get it just right. 



















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