Decades ago, I illustrated pet food. All these years later, I find it fascinating how I’ve shifted from illustrating kibbles to creating pet portraits. Another notable difference is that I wasn’t paid for any of them. Every pet portrait was given as a gift to a friend.

This post is copied from my illustration blog, but because it shares feelings from my heart – I’m including it on this blog, too!

“Chuckie” 16×20, Mixed Media, 2009

In 2009, I composed my very first dog portrait of “Chuckie.” It was the very beginning of my learning how to use a computer to construct an illustration from multiple photos. This was very helpful during my career as an illustrator.

Chuckie wasn’t that cooperative as a subject and I didn’t have a perfect photo to work from. I was fortunate that I was able to shoot my own reference. I took photos of the flower background and Chuckie’s owner holding him.

“Millie” 16×20, Mixed Media, 2017

Eight years later, I painted “Millie” for the same friend. I strove to have this painting complement my first one with similar flowers in the background.

“Rodger” 8×10, mixed media, 2019

I hadn’t illustrated any cats until this same friend contacted me. It was also the first time I had done one for a deceased pet. She and her son were heartbroken over their poor kitty’s demise. “Rodger” was caught and killed by a coyote when he slipped out a cracked window that a painter had neglected to close.

I enjoyed the challenge of improving the background. I took pictures of another window in my friend’s home that was far more interesting. I had no difficulty adding more visible fruit in the bowl. Most of all, I was glad to know my portrait offered comfort.

“Honey” 8×10, mixed media, 2021

When a mutual friend of ours lost her beloved dog “Honey,” I offered to create a portrait for her. Her grief was deep and it took her a long time before she took me up on my offer. She sent me a few photos and there was one that seemed to work best.

“Honey” was irreplaceable and my friend treasured the gift I made to memorialize her.

“Mr. Tiggs” 8×10, Mixed Media, 2025

By 2025, I grew tired of painting fruits and vegetables. During the Pandemic and for two years after that, I had painted close to 100 paintings.

One day on Facebook, I saw that a friend’s beloved cat had died. She shared many beautiful photos of “Mr. Tiggs.” When I saw one that had unique lighting, I decided to make her a surprise portrait.

“Autumn” 8×10, Mixed Media, 2025

“Autumn” was created as a gift for a dear friend in honor of her milestone birthday. I was wracking my brain trying to think of a special present and then the idea came to me. This portrait would be a wonderful gift! Autumn was adorable and cherished.

I didn’t plan for this to be a surprise. The first step was asking my friend to send me photos, but after going through them I wasn’t inspired. I knew it could make a huge difference if I took my own photos.

Autumn wasn’t a very cooperative subject, and I took a lot of photos. Most of them were not usable, but then there was one that stood out. It was amazing how great it was – she was almost smiling!

This “in progress” photo shows the texture build up of colored pencils.

All of the portraits that I’ve shared are memorial ones now, except for Autumn. She is a treasured senior dog and I’m so glad I was able to capture her spunky personality.

“Lucy” 8 1/2×11, Mixed Media, 2025

When a good friend told me her daughter was devastated by the loss of her beloved dog, once again I hoped that a portrait could bring comfort. Lucy had tragically drowned.

I focus a great deal of my energy on the subject of grief and healing – and in this instance, it intersected with my art.

Lucy’s owner sent me many photos to look at, but I couldn’t decide which image to illustrate. But then it occurred to me that I could use more than one photo. I devoted a lot of time planning my layout and ended up using three images. This was definitely a creative change and the background was very important for pulling everything together. I experimented with a lot of ideas.

One of my other comp ideas.

After digitally experimenting with many options, I chose a warm canvas texture for the background.

Creating my signature is always stressful for me. My first attempt was too bold, so I washed and erased it off. I moved it over to the left side.

“Ginger” 8×10, Mixed Media, 2025

My most recent pet portrait is the one I shared at the beginning of this post. A friend was heartbroken after losing her beloved “Ginger.” I offered to create this special gift and only had one or two photos to work with.

It seemed best to keep the background texture light and simple. It worked well and I enjoyed bringing Ginger to life. Giving this gift to my friend also brought me a lot of joy.

My illustration career was all about pleasing my clients. I really didn’t have time to create something I loved artistically, because deadlines were a critical part of every job. I learned to work quickly and cut corners.

With the advent of stock imagery and Photoshop, the demand for my custom illustrations gradually ended. I really didn’t miss the stress of illustrating and became busy with other creative pursuits. Music became my primary passion.

However, during the pandemic I rediscovered painting for pleasure. For three years (2020-2023) I immersed myself into painting my favorite subjects. I was drawn to beautiful fruits, vegetables, and flowers. I appreciated the challenge of painting pet portraits, because they were unique and different subject matter. I fulfilled my artistic desires, while at the same time creating something that was treasured.

I knew that these paintings had a life of their own. They weren’t mine to keep and it became a full circle. I was able to bestow a gift of healing, while enjoying the process.

I’ve been told there is money to be made doing pet portraits. However, I have no interest in going that route. The portraits I created served a purpose for me. I enjoyed the challenges involved with bringing these animals to life. There was no deadline and I had complete creative control.

I have many other creative pursuits in my life besides illustrating. I am so blessed that I have allowed myself to enjoy all of them, without pressure. It has truly been the greatest gift I’ve given myself.