When I was a kid, Halloween stressed me out!
I spent this past Saturday at the Dog Walk of The Dead event (think Halloween family event complete with dogs and people in costume). There was the Weiner dog who was a hot dog, a corgi who was a Game of Thrones dragon, skeleton dogs...
Who wouldn't want to dress their dog up as a Bantha complete with Tuscan Raider? (If you're not a Star Wars nerd, this might be over your head...)
I’ve spent time the past few years at the Dog Walk of The Dead event (think Halloween family event complete with dogs and people in costume). One year, there was the Weiner dog who was a hot dog, a corgi who was a Game of Thrones dragon, skeleton dogs... you get the idea.
When I was a kid, choosing the right Halloween costume for myself was stressful (yes, there was an embarrassing homemade clown, and a box covered with tin foil, otherwise known as a robot- and hidden photo evidence).
These days, you gotta have the right costume for your pet too!! (and Instagram worthy I might add.)
If you dress your pets up for Halloween (or more likely, they let you…) check out these creative costumes!
What costume would you choose for your pet?
Leave me a comment. Bonus points for photos! (even embarrassing ones)
Looking for some pet art or a custom pet portrait?
Check out my shop!
Inside Look: Uniform Pets Doctor Labrador Retriever
For this post I’m sharing about the inspiration behind the Doctor Labrador Retriever.
I've thankfully had a pretty uneventful medical history so far. I've never stayed in a hospital overnight, never had to have major surgery, but i've been around loved ones who have. Because of my lack if interaction with doctors and medical staff aside from the routine check ups and hospital visits, I tend to get an uneasy feeling around them. And I get the heebie-jeebies as soon as I small rubbing alcohol.
A quick catch up if you’re just joining in: for the next several posts, I’m going to be giving you an inside look into my new series “Uniform Pets”. I’ll be sharing the insights and inspiration behind each piece. You can see my previous post for my inspiration on the Police German Shepherd, the Girl Scout - Chihuahua, and Firefighter Aussie Shepherd.
The series as a whole came about as I was thinking about how we identify and categorize, specifically, dress code pertaining to jobs/organizations, as well as breeds of pets. We know a police officer in a crowd of people because we’ve identified their uniform.
Most of the time, we don’t think about these connections. They are part of the operating system that runs below the surface. In this series, I hope to make viewers stop and think more about these connections and assumptions.
For this post I’m sharing about the inspiration behind the Doctor Labrador Retriever.
I've thankfully had a pretty uneventful medical history so far. I've never stayed in a hospital overnight, never had to have major surgery, but i've been around loved ones who have. Because of my lack if interaction with doctors and medical staff aside from the routine check ups and hospital visits, I tend to get an uneasy feeling around them. And I get the heebie-jeebies as soon as I small rubbing alcohol.
Somewhere in my mind I always associated Doctors with problems. As in, if you have an health related issue, you need to go see a doctor. It was never preventative really, only reactionary. So I guess it made sense that my uneasiness surfaced. Couple that with the typical doctor jargon and often poor bedside manner, rising health care costs, and that's been a recipe for avoidance.
I suppose that's why I chose to pair this profession with the Labrador Retriever breed. A Lab (besides the punny connection of "lab" and a doctor's office) is my way of tearing down the insecurities and fear surrounding this profession a bit. Because a Lab is a family friendly, loyal, faithful and lovable companion. (When was the last time you used those words to describe your doctor?) The doctors that I have had who I did seem drawn to have been those who would tell it to you straight but were approachable and human. A Lab seems to fit the bill of a Patch Adams type. And I'm more than fine with that! Now take two of these and call me in the morning.
This piece was digitally painted using my iPad Pro, and app called Procreate and Photoshop on my Macbook Pro.
It's available in 3 options:
Do you know someone who would love this? Share it with them. Or better yet, why not get one as a gift to show your appreciation!
Inside Look: Commissioning Custom Pet Portraits
I recently set up my booth at a local pet expo to sell my pet art and receive custom commissions. I love doing these shows because I get to interact with people and their pets. It also helps me to explain some of the process in commissioning a pet portrait and often uncovers many questions people have.
I recently set up shop at a local pet expo to sell my pet art and receive custom commissions. I love doing these shows because I get to interact with people and their pets. It also helps me to explain some of the process in commissioning a pet portrait and often uncovers many questions people have.
Do I create the art live in the booth or need to do a home visit? (No. I use photo reference). Do they need the photo available in order to complete the purchase? (no. you can email me a photo or two and we can talk about what works best for your needs). After all, this is a big decision, and one doesn’t want to feel the pressure to choose the best photo on the spot to have their custom art created from.
So I thought I would walk through a little bit of the process to bring some insight and perhaps answer some questions you might have.
The first thing may seem obvious, but ask yourself “why do I want a custom pet portrait?” We have such special relationships with our pets. They love us unconditionally. They greet us when we come home from a bad day at work. They snuggle with us as we watch tv or read our favorite book. They make life sweeter. And the idea of creating portraits comes from the desire of wanting to celebrate an important relationship in our life. It might even be to help remember and memorialize a beloved pet who has passed on. These portraits become visual markers, that help us celebrate and remember. This is why I create custom, one of a kind pet portraits that capture your pet’s unique personality– so you can treasure them for years to come.
OK, so now that you’ve decided a custom pet portrait is right for you, it’s time to decide on the right size and options. If you have limited wall space, or already have some previous pet portraits you intend to hang this new one with, you might consider an 8x10 print. Do you have large wall space? Maybe a 30x40 inch canvas is the best fit for you. I currently offer 6 sizes: Standard- 8x10 & 11x17 (on a high quality luster photo paper with archival inks), Premium- 16x20 & 20x30 inch museum quality gallery wrapped canvas prints, and Platinum- 30x40 & 36x52 inch museum quality gallery wrapped canvas prints. Custom sizes also available.
This is really all you need to finalize your order through my website’s shop. I have created a page to help walk you through options and all you need to do is add the desired option to your shopping cart and check out.
What about customizations?
One option that is unique to my pet portraits is the choice of natural coloring of your pet, or you can choose what I call the “Rockstar” treatment, vibrant colors. Choose what fits your pet’s personality, or yours. Or what you feel will work given the colors on your walls.
"Rockstar" color treatment
Natural coloring option
Next up - do you want a headshot or full body portrait? If you’re not sure, you can send me your photo reference and we can talk about what might suit your needs best.
I also get asked is if I can include more that one pet in the portrait. The answer is yes! There’s even an add-on to place in your shopping cart for each additional pet. One note: I do not recommend more than 2 pets in the same portrait in smaller sizes. You won’t be able to appreciate each pet due to the size.
Are there certain colors you would like in the background? No problem. We can talk about what would work with the options you have chosen and get you the right fit.
Once you have check out, emailed your photo(s) along with your custom options of coloring and headshot / full body, I start creating your custom portrait. When ready, I then send you a digital proof for approval. Upon approval, I create the final art and print. For canvas options there is an additional 7-14 days for manufacturing.
That’s it!.
My goal is to make this process as simple and personal as possible.
So are you ready to get your custom pet portrait? Click here and let’s get started today!
Do you have more questions? Feel free to use the contact form at the bottom of this page and I’ll get right back to you!
Christmas Cat Pet Portrait
Another pet portrait Christmas gift that's proudly hanging in the customers home already! This poor kitty had a close call before Christmas making this portrait even more special to them. #petportrait #cat #christmasgift #portrait #petart #catart #custom #originalart #oneofakind #art #artist #petportraitartist #catlover
