I know from my experience as a pet portrait artist, that dog portraits are truly the best gift! When my phone rings and I hear the person at the other end of the line describe a relatives or friends dog, I know that this person feels as I do dogs (and all other pets for that matter) are people too!

There are many reasons why portraits are the very best gift. A painting which captures not only the likeness of a pet, but also their spiritual nature can help ease the grief a person feels after their beloved companion has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. One thing I cherish about my profession as an artist, is that I love connecting with the animals energies as I paint, especially for animals that have just made their transition. I sometimes feel that its the animal, themselves, who have brought a client to me to commission a portrait to help heal their guardians broken heart.

Here is a quick story to illustrate my point.

I was commissioned to paint a memorial portrait of Bear, a Kuvasz a large, white breed of dog originally from Turkey. Id never heard of this breed before and did some research before starting the painting. As I was waiting for my client to come to our respective meeting place where I would deliver his finished painting, I was thumbing through our local Dog Nose News. Lo and behold there was an article entitled Compelled to Rescue and that months subject was you guessed it, the Kuvasz! I excitedly pointed the article out to him and sure enough, he contacted them later that day and ended up driving over 300 miles to rescue a senior Kuvasz. Was it just a coincidence, or did Bear really bring him together with a new friend?

Sometimes very old and frail animals will have their portrait painted. Its almost as though the animal is waiting for the portrait to be completed before they pass over. In one case, I arrived to take the photo of an aged kitty who was over 21 years old. I felt strongly that she would wait only as long as it took for me to capture her likeness on canvas before she would cross over the Rainbow Bridge. It wasnt long after her guardian received the painting that the kitty did, indeed, make her final journey.

Another reason these paintings are such fabulous gifts is that they are long-lasting. Paintings can last for generations and bring to mind fond memories of a life of shared experiences and touching moments.

One of my clients asked me to paint a portrait of every animal her family had ever had and place them on one canvas! The painting consisted of a bird, horse, cats and several dogs. After she received her portrait, she told me that her two daughters wanted it written into the womans will as to who would receive the portrait after she and her husband had passed on! It was then I knew, these are not ordinary gifts.

A third reason why pet portraits are the best gift is that they chronicle a life well-lived. Action portraits are one of my favorites. Who can forget the moment when a horse strides easily over the jump, the agility champion races passed the weave poles, or the puppy or kitten is caught tangled endlessly in a ball of yarn? One client of mine wanted his Schipperke painted with all of her stuffed toys around her. She looked so adorable with her black fur against the soft pastel colors of a duck, a bird and a chicken!

As you can see, there is an alternative to another collar, leash or food bowl which is available to dog lovers and pet lovers everywhere!