The Portrait Process

 

“I love that funny thing he does with his ears”

 

Our companion animals are multidimensional creatures and a portrait generally captures a certain aspect of their unique personality.  Who is this creature?  What makes him/her unique and what aspect of their personality would you like to have captured for posterity?  Consider these things:  What do they love to do?  Do they have a certain look that just makes your heart sing?  Do you want to include anything else in the painting…maybe a favorite toy?  Do they have a favorite place?  Sit in a favorite chair?  What would help tell their story?

 

“Sit … stay … don’t move”

 

Ideally your animal would sit for me in my art studio and I would paint his/her portrait.  As most of our animals lead very busy lives — and sitting for a portrait is rarely on top of their “to do” list — I work from photos taken by you (and sometimes by me).

I suggest you take a lot of pictures; keep a camera armed and ready and, when you see that look you want to capture for posterity, start snapping away.  Please try to get a clear focus on the eyes, use the largest file format your camera will accommodate and, when possible, do not use a flash.  If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of trying to get a good photograph, and you live nearby, I can take photos for you.  Please contact me for more information on a personal photo shoot.

 

“He loves pizza and Bob Dylan tunes”

 

Share with me your stories.  This lets me connect more directly with the energy of this special creature.  Your stories help me grasp the essence of what makes this particular being so unique.  While I paint, your stories will help me flesh out the character in the animal’s eyes, facial expression, posture, etc.  Having meaningful stories is almost like having the animal with me while I create the piece.

 

“My wife’s birthday is tomorrow, can I have it by then?”

 

Ahhh … no.

 

Painting is a process.  To create a beautiful painting — one that truly captures an animal’s spirit — takes considerable time.  In general, paintings are done in the order I receive the commission.  If you want a painting for a particular occasion, please plan well in advance.  Whether I can complete your painting by a certain date will often be determined by the other commitments I have at that time.  If the painting is to be a gift, and I cannot accommodate the requested date, I will happily provide a “Portrait Announcement” for you to present in lieu of the gift.

 

The nitty, gritty details”

 

All portraits are painted in acrylic on panel ready to hang as is or frame.   I would be happy to view your photos, hear your ideas, and provide you with a cost estimate of your particular painting without obligation. If you’d like a general idea of pricing you can look over my animal portrait price guide. If you are looking for something 8″x 10″ or smaller you can drop me a note here.

 

To have your commission placed in the queue I request a 50% deposit with the remaining balance due upon completion.

 

The nature of what I do is highly custom and it can be challenging for me to answer every question in a general note.  Please let me know if you have any additional questions or thoughts.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

In Joy,

Gloria