Sphinx - Custom Pet Portrait

"Sphinx" - Custom Pet Portrait

I've been working on this pet portrait for the past few days and it's finally complete. I have to say that I'm very pleased with the way that it turned out. I was a bit more loose with the cat than I would normally be. I applied the pastel to the face and then blended it. I really liked the effect that I achieved in doing that. I think the cat looks more soft than other portraits that I've done.

"Sphinx" is a surprise birthday gift and I hope the recipient is pleased. :)

Have a great day!

Bear & Lee

"Bear & Lee" 5 by 7, Pastel

I was working on this custom pet portrait today. It was a lot of fun to do, especially that little kitty in the background. The photo given to me for reference was not ideal and I had a little trouble working out the lighting. Unfortunately it was the only photo of Bear that the customer had. I tried to make it work and I'm quite happy with the way it turned out.

I just love these pet portraits. I might try some wildlife in watercolor this week. :)

Item of the Week & Special Offer

"In The Garden" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

I brought this kitty back from the gallery this weekend and he's now available in my Etsy shop. As this week's item-of-the-week this painting is being offered at a discount price of $45 with free shipping.

I have a few collectors of my original cat paintings, and at $45-$55 they're very reasonably priced. I have a few other original kitties available on my website too.

I'm also having a cigar box sale. If you purchase any box you will receive a reduced price box for free. Also, if you "like" my art page on Facebook I will send you a free hand painted cigar box with any purchase. These offers are supposed to end this Sunday, but I may extend it.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Watching Rain

"Watching Rain" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

I couldn't resist painting another cat. I just loved this picture. The scan makes the painting look harsh, but it's much softer in person. It's just a sweet image.

I added my other two recent cat paintings to Etsy yesterday if anyone is interested.

I'm currently on a little break from school and unfortunately new classes begin Monday. I was hoping to get more painting done while I was on break, but I've taken some time for myself. I've been doing a lot of reading, yoga and just relaxing. It's been nice.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

A Visitor

"A Visitor" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Another little kitty today. Actually it's the same cat as in my last painting. Once again, thank you to Nancy Rose for allowing me to use your great photo for this painting. This one was a lot of fun. It was nice to spend an equal amount of time on the background as on the cat.

I haven't listed this painting on Etsy yet, but I plan on doing so within the next week or so. I have some collectors of my little cat paintings and I'm waiting to list a few of them at the same time.

Also, if you're interested in a custom pet portrait, I am taking orders. I was thinking of what a great Mother's Day or Father's Day gift that would make! For more information on custom pet portraits, click here. I also have listings available for different sizes in my Etsy shop.

Have a wonderful day!

Closeup

"Closeup" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

"Closeup" is my latest pastel painting. It's been about 2 weeks since my last one and I felt a little rusty, but it felt great to be painting again. I finally completed my final projects and finals for school and I'm on a short break. What a relief to not have to think about school for a couple weeks! :)

"Closeup" is based on a reference photo by Nancy Rose. The painting was completed with pastel pencils on pastelbord. I'm not going to list it for sale just yet. But if you're interested, keep checking my Etsy page to see if I've listed it for sale.

I hope you have a nice afternoon!

Hiding Spot

"Hiding Spot" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

This kitty was so much fun to paint. I have to thank Nancy Rose again for allowing me to use her photo as a reference. I'm not sure I did the photo justice, but it was fun trying. :)

This painting was completed on pastelbord with mostly pastel pencils. It is available in my Etsy shop for $50 and free shipping.

Bird Watching

"Bird Watching" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

I have to start out this post by thanking Nancy Rose again for allowing me to use one of her beautiful photographs as a reference. Thank you Nancy!

I've been going back and forth between pastels and watercolors and I'm really enjoying it. I definitely want to dedicate some more time to painting animals in pastel so I have a pile of photos ready.

This sweet little kitty was painted on pastelbord with pastel sticks and pencils. It's available in my Etsy shop if you're interested.

Don't forget about the "Painting a Day" event that Laura Trevey is hosting on her blog this month. It's almost over! Click here if you're interested in sharing your work.

Custom Pet Portraits

I'm officially offering custom pet portraits. I so enjoy painting animals and would be happy to create a lasting memory of your beloved pet.

The portrait will be done from your photograph(s). So you will need to find your favorite photo or take one that captures your pets personality and character. Photos are very important to this process. The quality of the portrait depends on the quality of the photo. Here are a few tips for capturing a good image of your pet:

- Take the photo at the eye level of your pet. Don't take it from above or below.

-Light is important. Try taking the photo with your pet near a window with light coming in, if indoors, or outdoors. Natural light is best.

- Don't take the photo too close.

- Take a bunch of photos so you will have several to choose from.

After you have chosen the photographs you can email them to me or send them by mail (they will be returned to you) along with any requirements that you have.

Your pet portrait will be painted in pastel on acid free and archival paper or board with the finest quality pastels. Pastels on archival surfaces will hold their color for centuries without fading, cracking, or yellowing as other mediums do.

To purchase you can either view my Etsy shop, or contact me via email (angela292@hotmail.com).

Prices:

5 by 7 Pet Portrait - $75 + shipping

8 by 10 Pet Portrait - $100 + shipping

11 by 14 Pet Portrait - $125 + shipping

If you're interested a different size than listed above, contact me for a quote.

Please note that these prices are for one pet. If you wish to have multiple pets in one painting there will be an additional charge.

I will ask for 2-3 weeks to complete your painting.

Also note that framing isn't included, but available at an additional cost if you're interested.

You are certainly not obligated to purchase the final painting if you are unhappy with it.

Payment is due when the painting is complete. I may ask for a nonrefundable deposit before I begin.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

Nap Time

"Nap Time" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

"Nap Time" is my entry for the Contemporary Fine Art International January art challenge. The word for the month is "cuddle." This sleeping kitty definitely said "cuddly" to me.

This painting was done on pastelbord with pastel sticks and pencils. I actually had a difficult time with this one and it almost ended up in the trash. I'm glad I stuck with it, because I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. :)

This painting is available in my Etsy shop.

Have a great day!

Can You See Me?

"Can You See Me?" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

I think it's safe to say that this is my favorite cat portrait so far. It was so much fun to paint. Pets have such cute personalities and it was fun trying to capture that in this painting.

This painting was of course done on Pastelbord and I used a combination of pastel sticks and pencils. This painting is available in my Etsy shop.

Also, I'm having a sale in my Etsy shop this week. 40% off every purchase. Use coupon code "HolidaySale" at checkout. Sale goes until Friday (this painting is not included in the sale).

If you're interested in a pet portrait of your own, just let me know.

Have a great Monday!

In The Garden

"In the Garden" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

Well I'm back to cats! At least for today. I was going to start a painting challenge for myself and paint 30 animals, but I don't think I really want to do it. At least I don't want to paint the 30 animals in a row, but I think I'll start working one in here and there.

"In the Garden" was completed with pastel sticks and pastel pencils, on pastelbord. I particularly like the background and had a lot of fun with the colors. Actually the cat was a lot of fun too, but I just love layering and blending colors.

Looking Out

"Looking Out" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

SOLD

"Looking Out" is my latest pastel painting. I have been enjoying painting cats lately. This painting was done on pastelbord with soft pastels and pastel pencils for the small details. I have already listed this painting on Etsy, if you're interested.

I've missed being loose with my pastels and painting skies and water, so that might be next. After my recent trip to Michigan, and seeing the lakes again, it has me longing to paint those types of scenes again.

I hope you all have a lovely evening.

Kitty Green Eyes

"Kitty Green Eyes" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

SOLD

Kitty is finished! I really didn't think I would be able to finish this by today, but I worked on it for a while last night and finished it this morning. I have to say, I love painting cats! Actually I'm beginning to fall in love with painting animals in general.

"Kitty Green Eyes" was painted with soft pastels and pastel pencils on Ampersand Pastelbord.

As I said in my last post, I'm going on vacation tomorrow, just for the weekend, so I won't be around until next week. I hope you all have a great weekend!

New Kitty - Work In Progress

I started a new painting this morning of another cat. I knew that I probably shouldn't begin a new painting today, but I couldn't resist. I am going out of town Friday to visit some family for the weekend, and I'm not sure that I will complete this kitty painting by tomorrow. I don't like the thought of leaving this painting only partly done while I'm gone, but I just might have to come back to it (I like to complete paintings as soon as possible, and it's never taken me more than 2 days to complete a painting). I like to work on something until it's finished. So, that's why I didn't start the hair yet.

I've been trying to get as much done as possible in preparation for my vacation so that I'm not running around like a crazy woman tomorrow. :) Pretty much all I have to do tomorrow is laundry to make sure that my man has clean socks while I'm away, and a little more packing. I might not be able to resist sitting down and working on this painting for a while. If I should finish it tomorrow, I'll surely post the final result. But if not, I'll be back next week! Have a great weekend! :)

Tabby Cat

"Tabby Cat" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

I started painting this little kitty yesterday and I couldn't wait to finish it this morning. I completed the painting with pastel pencils and the surface is Pastelbord. Even though finding frames that will hold the pastelbord, is difficult, I love the surface, so I think I'll continue to use it.

I was a little nervous to even attempt this painting, because I've never really painted an animal before, besides a little bird. I kept my expectations low, because I didn't want to be disappointed if it didn't turn out. But I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised by the way it came together, and I had a lot of fun doing it. I'm a big animal lover so I can now see myself painting more of them.

Well I'm off to the pumpkin patch! I hope you have a great Sunday! :)