Tag: custom pet portrait paintings

Portrait Painting of Orbit the Ambassador Cat

Yellow Tabby Cat Portrait Painting by Artist BZTATOrbit is a special cat.

According to his person, “He is mellow and friendly to every person and animal he meets. He’s like the ambassador.” He offers support when his person feels down, and he allows her to carry him around.

“Since he was a kitten it’s been our morning ritual. I pick him up and he puts his paws around my neck, and I carry him around while I open up the house. It’s how I’ve started every day for the last 16 years! He has all this fuzzy belly fur that looks like whipped cream, and he’s still soft as a kitten.”

Orbit is 17 years old, and he has developed kidney disease. Wanting to treasure every moment they have left together, his person commissioned a portrait of him.

Painting a portrait of a cat who shares such a special relationship with his human companion is such a gratifying experience. Although the commission came from online contact, I feel as though I know them both. There is a deep soulfulness in painting an animal’s portrait, and that connection is real, even if we have not met face to face.

I hope that Orbit and his person have many days ahead together. I will treasure the moments that I shared with them in creating an artwork that celebrates their love.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Interested in getting a portrait of your pet? Learn about commissioning a portrait of your pet here!

Portrait of an unassuming and beloved hero.

Two Golden Dogs Pet Portrait Painting by Artist BZTAT

Dogs can be heroes just by being there when we need them. Some dogs, however, do more than simply “be there”. In the case of Marron (left), her presence inspired a movement that brought real change to a community in Peru.

Rescued off the streets of Iquitos, Peru, Marron became the co-founder for the Amazon Cares charity that has rescued countless other stray animals in the region. Capturing the heart of her human companion, Marron inspired an international effort to bring improved quality of life to animals in the region. It has been no small effort, but it has been a successful one.

Sadly, Marron went to the Rainbow Bridge on March 4, 2016. It was my honor and pleasure to paint her portrait with her pal Marilyn, another rescued pup from Peru.

In honor of Marron, I will donate 10% of all March Premiere Contemporary Custom Pet Portrait Painting orders to Amazon Cares. You can make direct donations to the organization, as well, here. Contact me via the form at the bottom of his page to discuss your order.

Cats and Patterns and Designs and Colors and…

Pet Portrait Painting of a Dilute Tortoise Shell Cat by Artist BZTAT
Pet Portrait Painting by Artist BZTAT

Capturing the essence of an animal’s character is a primary objective when painting the portrait of someone’s beloved pet. Although my pet portraits are somewhat abstract, and the colors diverge a bit from reality, there still has to be plausibility. The image has to look like a specific animal, and it has to strike a chord with the animal’s human caretaker in a deep and moving way.

Even so, there is room to play.

Cats are fantastic creatures, and the relationships we form with them include a great deal of imagination. Painting their portraits often allows for a great deal of creativity beyond the simple depiction of their features.

In my most recent portrait of Francie, a beautiful dilute tortie cat (tortoise shell/calico with gray and creamy colors), I found a lot of creative energy in the way that her presence interacted with the background of her home. The reference photos I received of her revealed a rug with amazing abstract patterns and designs and colors as part of her domain, and I was drawn to it as I developed the initial sketches. I had to include that rug in the painting.

Moreso than many of my portraits, Francie’s painting took a turn towards the abstract in many ways, yet her personality still dominates the painting. According to her human caretaker, she is an intense creature with a variety of expressions, ranging from worried, annoyed, sleepy, impatient, alert, goofy, and loving. She can be demanding, yet also very loving, and she is a generous “big sister” to a younger feline with whom she shares her home.

“She is very emotionally involved with us and sensitive to our moods; she is always in the room with us, participating in whatever we’re doing… She was  a rescue, found by a workman riding his bike home from work. She was on an overpass and he picked her up and carried her to a restaurant parking lot. We saw them from the window and we took her.  She was not feral; she was vocal and made eye contact, and bonded with us immediately.”

Francie’s story is as amazing as she is. She was so fortunate to be rescued at the exact moment that the most perfect family arrived to take her home! I had great fun painting her portrait, and I am grateful that my artistry could help to express that love in a special way!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Order a portrait of your pet today! Four different styles for different tastes and budgets.