I have three paintings in this exhibition.  Lots more and refreshments too on offer.

I will be in attendance on:-
Wed 7 12.45-4
Thurs 15 12.45-4pm

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You might be wondering why the artwork is in black and white, this was a request from the client as they had seen another iPet I had completed on my website where I had added some splashes of colour and the client wanted the same with the pet to be in black and white.  So two firsts!!  Really pleased to be able to fit the requests of the client.

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I have since donated another £350 to St Johns having created some artwork and arranged printing for a special mug to be sold.  This is something the church can continue to sell as they need to raise funds to build kitchen and toilet facilities at the 11th century church.

So pleased to have contributed to this fund raising and I thank you to those who donated towards this too.  The mugs and having a kitchen and toilet would make coffee mornings and coffee and cake after the church services so much easier in bringing, and continuing to bring, a lovely community together.

Thank you all!

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The answer is no, absolutely not. Phone cameras are extraordinary these days and some of the best photos I’ve worked from have been taken by clients on a back lawn on an overcast Tuesday afternoon. But the quality and character of the photo really does make a significant difference to the finished painting. It’s worth taking a little time to get it right.

Here’s what I’ve learned from over fifteen years of painting dogs, cats, horses and all manner of beloved animals, and what I always share with clients before they start snapping.

Light matters more than you think

The single most important factor is lighting and the most common mistake people make is assuming a bright sunny day is ideal. In fact, harsh direct sunshine creates deep shadows across your pet’s face and coat, making it very difficult to see the detail I need to work from. It can also cause squinting, which isn’t the look most people want in a portrait.

The best conditions are a bright but overcast day or a spot in open shade. If you are photographing on a sunny day, find a shaded area rather than putting your pet in direct sunlight. Indoors, a large window with good natural light works well – just avoid flash photography, which flattens the image and can create that dreaded red-eye effect.

Get down to their level

This one makes an enormous difference. Photographing your pet from above – as we naturally do when we’re standing and they’re usually at our feet – creates distortion and an unflattering angle. For a head study portrait, I need to see your pet as they really are, so try crouching or lying on the ground to get the camera at their eye level.

A three-quarter angle (slightly to one side rather than completely face-on) often works beautifully for portraits, as it captures more depth and personality than a full-frontal shot. That said, if your pet has a particularly characteristic quirky pose, by all means capture that as it’s those individual touches that really bring a portrait to life.

Fill the frame and keep it sharp

Get as close as you can and make sure your pet fills most of the frame. The more of the subject I have to work with, the more detail I can capture – the individual markings, the texture of the coat, the particular expression in the eyes that makes your animal unmistakably themselves.

Focus is equally important. A slightly blurry image might look fine on a phone screen but those missing details matter at the on the larger scale of a painting. Most phone cameras have a tap-to-focus function; make sure you tap on your pet’s face before shooting and keep the camera steady.

Take as many as you can

Pets are not known for their patience in front of a camera…! But don’t be disheartened if the first fifty photos are a blur of movement and half-closed eyes – this is completely normal. The beauty of digital photography is that there’s no cost to taking hundreds of shots and choosing the best one afterwards.
If your pet is particularly lively, it helps to have a second person with you: one to hold the treat or toy to attract attention, one to take the photo. A camera or phone with a burst mode is also very useful for catching that brief moment of stillness.

What happens once you’ve taken the photos?

Once you’re happy with your photos, send them to me via email or WeTransfer (large high-resolution files are best sent via WeTransfer rather than email, which can struggle with big attachments; you can create a free account to use it). I’ll have a look and let you know if I have everything I need, or whether it might be worth trying again, or arranging for me to come and take photos myself, which I’m always happy to do for an additional charge (depending on where you are, of course!).

Once we’ve agreed on the reference photo, I’ll ask for a 50% deposit to book your slot in my commission schedule. I’ll keep you updated on timing and, for watercolour commissions, I’ll send you images of the work in progress before I start painting so you can confirm the likeness. The balance is only payable when the work is complete and you’re happy with it.

For iPet portraits, you’ll receive an electronic proof to approve before I arrange printing, or you can arrange the printing yourself, of course. For watercolours and oils, I’d always recommend collecting in person from my studio if you can, as photographs of paintings don’t always represent colour and scale accurately but posting is also available if you’re further afield.

Still not sure about your photos?

Please don’t let uncertainty about your photos put you off getting in touch. If your pet is no longer with you and you only have older or lower-resolution images, I’m experienced in working with what’s available – I will always tell you honestly what I think I can achieve. And if you need a hand getting better photos, just ask. I’m happy to help.

A pet portrait is a deeply personal thing. Getting the reference right is just the first step but it’s a very important one and worth getting right.

The post Why Good Photos Make All the Difference to a Pet Portrait – and How to Take Them appeared first on Animal Magic Art.

Every year the same question pops up: what do you buy the person who has everything? If they have a pet they love – and most of us pet owners love our animals with a fervour unlike anything else – then I’d gently suggest that the answer might be a pet portrait. Not a novelty mug or a phone case with a cartoon printed on it. A proper, handcrafted portrait of the animal that matters most to them. Something they’ll hang on the wall and treasure for years.

I’ve been creating pet portraits from my studio in Hampshire for over fifteen years and every single time a commission is delivered to a client – whether it’s a detailed watercolour of a horse, an oil painting of a well-loved terrier or a digital iPet drawing printed onto canvas – the reaction is the same. Absolute delight (and sometimes tears, but always the good kind).

Why a pet portrait makes such a powerful gift

A pet is not just an animal – they’re a member of the family, a constant companion, a source of enormous comfort and joy. A portrait captures that bond and preserves it. It’s personal in a way that almost nothing else is.

I’ve had clients tell me a portrait was the best present their partner had ever received. I’ve painted portraits that were commissioned as surprises for golden wedding anniversaries, as memorials for beloved animals no longer with us and as birthday gifts that left the recipient speechless. One husband arranged to have his wife’s beloved dog painted as a Christmas gift and told me the portrait drew the biggest oohs of anything under the tree that year – and I believe him!

What are the options?

There’s something to suit most budgets and tastes:

Watercolour or oil commissions are the most detailed and traditional option, a fully hand-painted original artwork worked up from a good photograph of the pet. These take around two weeks for a head study and are produced on paper or canvas. A framed watercolour or oil on canvas or even slate makes a truly stunning gift.

iPet portraits are a more affordable alternative. Drawn using just my finger on an iPad, they’re incredibly versatile and can be printed onto canvas, paper, wood, slate, acrylic or even a tea towel. The file is delivered electronically so printing can be arranged to suit you (or I can help you with some options).

Gift vouchers are the perfect solution when you know someone would love a portrait but you’d like them to provide their own photo and be involved in the process. I can even make a frame for the finished piece myself if you like. The voucher can be presented beautifully on high-quality printed card, making it a real gift to unwrap on Christmas morning.

Mugs, coasters etc.

Of course, if you do know someone who loves a good coaster, you can’t go wrong with my original artwork pieces. Have a browse in my online shop for ready made gifts here.

Don’t leave it too late

This is important: if you’d like a finished, framed portrait ready for Christmas, please do get in touch as early as possible. I work to a commission schedule and Christmas is – unsurprisingly – my busiest time of year. A watercolour or oil painting commission for Christmas should ideally be placed by late October at the latest to allow time for painting, approval and framing.
If you miss the painting deadline, a gift voucher is a brilliant alternative – it can be ordered right up until Christmas and redeemed within six months of purchase, giving the recipient all the pleasure of choosing their own portrait in the new year.

Ready to order?

Take a look at my galleries to see examples across dogs, cats and horses, and visit the Prices and Gift Vouchers pages on this website for full details. If you’d like to discuss a commission or you’re not sure which option would be right for your recipient, I’m always happy to have a chat. Just drop me a message via the Contact page and I’ll get back to you.

I promise it’ll be worth it. I’ve never had a client tell me the recipient was underwhelmed.

The post The One Gift Every Pet Owner Really Wants This Christmas… appeared first on Animal Magic Art.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the finished portrait, how a photograph of your beloved dog or horse ends up as a detailed, characterful painting, this is your chance to find out in person.

What is Hampshire Open Studios?

Hampshire Open Studios is an annual event that gives artists across the county the opportunity to open their doors to the public. It’s a wonderful way to discover the remarkable breadth of creative talent right on your doorstep and to meet the people behind the work rather than just seeing it on a screen.

I’ve been taking part for years, sometimes in a location collaborating with other creators but, for the last few years, from my wonderful home studio. For me, it’s also a chance to show my work in the setting it was created in, which feels quite different from a gallery wall or a website page.

What will you find when you visit?

When you come to my studio you’ll be able to see a range of original pet portraits – watercolours, oil paintings, and iPet drawings – along with work in progress if I’m in the middle of a commission. I love showing people the different stages, from the initial pencil sketch right through to the finished piece, because it helps to explain why photos matter so much and how the painting develops.

You’ll also be able to browse examples across all my subject areas – dogs, cats, horses – and see the range of formats available, from framed watercolour paintings to iPet portraits printed on canvas, slate, or paper. I also challenge myself and create other artworks too, so you will find people and landscapes on display as well.

I’ll be on hand throughout to chat about commissions, answer questions and talk through which approach might suit you best. There’s no pressure and no obligation – it’s simply a lovely, relaxed way to explore what’s possible. We will also have some produce for sale in aid of beautiful Farley Chamberlayne Church – and my wonderful husband Mike will be keeping the tea and cake topped up, too! We had a little giggle about this! I read out to Mike and he said, “Really?!” He will be working on the Tuesday and Wednesday, but not next year as he’ll have retired!!

Why I love opening my studio

Hampshire Open Studios is always one of the highlights of my year. Although I love taking part in exhibitions and fairs, there’s something that feels far more personal about welcoming people into the space where I work.

I also find it incredibly rewarding to talk to people about their pets. Everyone who comes through the door has a story about an animal they love, and hearing those stories is one of the best parts of what I do. Sometimes people arrive not quite knowing what they want and leave having ordered a commission for a birthday or anniversary. Others come simply to look and end up with a print or a ready-made coaster.

Either way, I love meeting you. This leads onto the ultimate best part of my job, the moment when having been commissioned, the reaction of the owners face and their emotions when the portrait is revealed to them. This is the best part, knowing I’ve got it right. You might ask, are you not nervous about this part? I am, but having done commissions for fourteen years now I’m pretty confident the exactness I adhere to always works. The beauty of the iPet means alterations can happen too, but usually with a painting, although oils can be changed, I’ve not had to alter hardly any.

Last year I was lucky enough to be found through the Hampshire Open Studios magazine by a lovely gentleman who commissioned a portrait of his much-missed Bearded Collie – a beautiful reminder of a faithful companion. So much so I arranged a print of the painting onto canvas for his mum (Read more about Badger here.) That kind of connection is exactly why I do this.

Come and find me this August

My studio is at my home in Awbridge, Hampshire, just a short drive from Romsey. Full details are here on my website and social media (and were in my newsletter if you subscribe to that!).

I hope to see you there. Come with questions, come with photos of your pets on your phone, or just come for a browse and a cuppa. You’ll be very welcome.

The post Behind the Studio Door: Come and Visit Me at Hampshire Open Studios This August appeared first on Animal Magic Art.

What do you get the man who has everything?

My ‘little’ brother and I have always been close. For birthdays that end with a ‘0’, I make a special effort to get him a memorable and unusual present – and hopefully something that he will love! As his 50th approached, I was a bit stumped until a random conversation triggered an idea.

“If you owned a pub, what would you call it?”
This question prompted various ideas and jokes for assorted vocational and hobby-related pub names. (For the record, my pub will be called the “The Spy’s Trunk”). The conversation stayed with me for a few days until, suddenly, I had one of those ‘ta-da!’ moments. I should probably explain that my brother trained as an architect, has two dogs that he loves and enjoys a good walk in the Welsh mountains near his home. My ‘ta-da!’ was that his pub should be called “The Dog & Compass” and that the pub sign would be double-sided, each face with a different dog and different compass. The perfect and unique birthday present, I thought!

Now I only had two hurdles. First, fortunately, his wife loved the idea and was – tentatively – prepared to give the result house room (she is an interior designer, so the bar was set pretty high!). Secondly, I just needed an artist and some talented people to actually make the thing… you can see where I’m going with this!

Cue Sue

Sue and I try to get out and walk our dogs together when we can so it was on one of these walks that I first pitched her the idea. Could she create me individual portraits of two dogs that would need to have some ‘props’ added in? Of course, the portraits wouldn’t be a problem, but the props might need some thinking about. I went home and did a dodgy photoshop mock-up of what I had in mind to show her… And so, willing to rise to the challenge, Sue took the project on.

This was the original photo of my brother’s dogs that I sent Sue to work on:

After two or three background ideas, Sue suggested some options but we decided on a plain dark background with props so it’s less busy. Sue cleverly added a map (of Wales) and a walking compass to the picture of Seren, and Tobi is sitting on an architectural plan and a drawing compass:  I was thrilled with the results!

A little help from some friends

Sue sent me both artworks – iPet drawings – and I had fun playing in Photoshop to add appropriate text. (We grew up in Romsey so of course the pub sign would mention Strong’s Brewery!) After several attempts – and teaching myself a bit more about what Photoshop is capable of – I was happy with the result of my additions.

Next up, Ainslie, the Print Lady and fellow dog-lover. She arranged to have both artworks printed on exterior grade sticky-backed plastic. Fortunately, she’d done one extra copy as well so we could practice the next stage…

My Dad has always enjoyed woodwork and for a long time has made picture frames for family pictures and paintings. But a double-sided picture frame? That was a new challenge for him, too. I don’t fully understand the technical wood-workery of it all but, from his garage full of big boys toys, he produced the back board and frame. (Frame recycled from his old mahogany conservatory as it happens; he rarely throws useful wood away!).

Together, we carefully unpeeled the sticky-backed portraits and smoothed them over the boards. (Imagine trying to cover a very large exercise book without getting any bubbles in it and you’ve got the idea!) That having gone smoothly, Dad was able to fix the frame on with nanomillimetres to spare, it was such a precise make. Phew! Present ready.

A delightful result

For my brother’s birthday, we had arranged a family long weekend away so the pub sign was discreetly hidden in the boot of the car, under the luggage, ready for the big reveal over the weekend (and a bottle of bubbles).

When the time came, my brother took a moment to take them in, realise what it all meant – and for the first time in my life, he was actually lost for words! The images were so good that, at first look, he thought they were just enlarged photos but quickly realised they were unique artworks in their own right.

I am delighted to report that the sign has been given house room. My brother – taking after Dad – has invented a device that allows the sign to hang flat against the wall but easily pivot so you can turn it round to see both sides. (We joke that whichever dog has misbehaved last faces the wall!) It is definitely a talking point in his dining room – and gives me 10 years to come up with an idea to top that for his 60th birthday!

Fantastic job, Sue! Thank you – couldn’t have done it without you!
Claire

The post A Pet Portrait is for life (not just for Christmas) appeared first on Animal Magic Art.

I had a lovely respnse :-
“Thank you so much. We love them. You have no idea just how special these are to us. We very sadly lost our wonderful Beau earlier this month. She was such a huge part of our lives as she was with us for 15 and a half years. 
So, thank you for capturing her so beautifully and resting her chin on her favourite piggy”

So rewarding making something so special for someone. I look forward to seeing this printed.

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I was asked to take photos of the pony as they didnt have any close ups.

On completion I was asked if I could change to suit her summer coat!  Totally different from her winter coat as clipped in the winter.  I was sent different photos to try and mimic, but different shading of course so had to improvise plus go over the original without it becoming too flat.  Fortunately I managed it but it did take me another morning to adjust so had to adjust my invoice.

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