Why I offer 2 Types of Pet Painting: The key difference between ‘Fridge Art’ and Premium Pet Portraits

Being a live portrait artist means I get to go to markets, dog shows and any event that’s full of pet lovers, really! I love it because I get to chat with my customers and share my process and my work. At these events, I create mini masterpieces, small watercolour and ink artworks you can keep anywhere, from your fridge or your desk to framed on the wall. 

I love these little artworks because they’re so fun to create, and I can do my whole process from seeing the photo to giving you guys the finished piece all in a day. The artworks are fun and lighthearted. Sometimes, I even get to meet the dog I’m capturing, really getting to see their personality for myself!

However, sometimes they’re not exactly what you’re looking for. The largest size I can create on the day is 6” x 8” (the size of a large photograph), and sometimes you need a bigger picture to go up on your wall. Because these paintings are created spontaneously and often from just one photo, it can be difficult for me to truly capture everything you want to see in the painting. I get that, if you’re going to display art, you want to be the right art. I’m picky about what goes up on the walls of my house too. 

This is why I also offer my premium portrait commissions. These are larger paintings created using premium watercolour paper stretched to hold its shape throughout the painting process. Higher quality paints and brushes are used, ensuring high-quality pigment and a smooth blend of colours on the page. 

But the most important difference between fridge art and premium work? Your input.

With premium artworks, I encourage you to send as many photos of your pet as you like, videos too! Heck! Write me an essay about what you want to see, and I’ll annotate it.

With every premium commission, I send you a black-and-white digital sketch of the composition for your approval. I might send you a couple of options and ask what your favourite is. You might look at it and think, ‘damn, I wish I’d asked Erica to include their bow tie.’ This is your time to tell me all your thoughts on the design and ensure I will paint everything just how you want it to be. 

When I work on the paintings, I can send you as many updates  (or as few if you prefer a surprise) as you’d like. 

The premium part that makes these paintings is your knowledge of your pet, so we can create something you’ll love on your wall forever.

Working on these premium paintings always feels like a much more collaborative project with you.

So which artwork would fit your space? What kind of project would you prefer? Let meknow below!