The Process of a Portrait
Sometimes I do commissions for animals who are no longer alive. I work from the owner’s story. I try to express the bond between the human and their pet. On a particular commission for a much-loved dog who had died a few months earlier, I worked from photographs, but the accuracy I was able to attain came from listening to the owner describe Lady Bear – her dignity and grace, the heart-shaped marking on her head. Her human loved her, and in a small way, I was able to bring her back to him. Painting her was very emotional for me. In the end I felt as if I knew her.
Sometimes I do commissions for animals who are no longer alive. I work from the owner’s story. I try to express the bond between the human and their pet. On a particular commission for a much-loved dog who had died a few months earlier, I worked from photographs, but the accuracy I was able to attain came from listening to the owner describe Lady Bear – her dignity and grace, the heart-shaped marking on her head. Her human loved her, and in a small way, I was able to bring her back to him. Painting her was very emotional for me. In the end I felt as if I knew her.
RSS Feed
