Welcome
I originally began painting pet portraits as a birthday present for a friend and this snowballed when others wanted to have their pets painted and friends of theirs saw them, and so on.
My goal as a pet portraitist is to capture the likeness of the pet so that it's not just another dog, cat, or bird; I've been told the secret is in the eyes. Every painting takes at least 4 to 6 weeks to complete, depending on the subject - obviously painting a black and white Old English sheepdog is easier than an Airedale with 20 different fur colours.
I like to take my own photographs, if this is possible, as they have to be taken in daylight - flash photography alters the eye and fur colours. The photo shoot can take an hour or more and is the most difficult part of the process (I get a lot of photos of noses). There are usually a lot of treats involved, especially for the photographer, as it can take upwards of 50 photographs to get "the one".
I am always happy to hear the reaction of the recipient if the portrait was a surprise present. A few of the pets have since passed away and the owners say they treasure even more this permanent likeness of a loved and treasured pet.
Jeanette M. Loh (December 1st, 2008)