The first conversation

We talk, unhurried, about your animal and what you want this portrait to hold. I ask the questions most people never think to ask, about temperament, favorite spots, the expression only you recognize. This is where I learn how to make the likeness feel like them and not just a copy of a photo.

Choosing the moment and the vision

Together we settle on the size, the pose, the color palette, and the feeling the piece should carry, whether it’s playful, regal, or tender. I guide your choice of reference images, helping you choose the best of your existing photos or advise you in taking new ones. When possible, I’ll travel to your home to shoot new photos for you. You leave this stage knowing exactly what’s next.

The creation, with you kept close

As I build the portrait in pastel, I bring you along with progress updates so you experience the piece taking shape. You are never left wondering what’s happening. If you wish, you’re welcome to come into my studio, chat and share a coffee while I work on your painting, whether in person or via a live video call. This is the part where you’ll feel a part of the creative process as color is woven into unexpected places and your pet starts to look back at you.

The unveiling

The finished portrait is revealed to you with intention, not simply shipped and forgotten. I want the first time you see it to feel like a moment, because it is one. We make sure it arrives ready to take its place in your home.

Living with it for years

The portrait celebrates your animal today on the most visible wall you have. Long after they’re gone, it becomes the memorial you didn’t have to scramble to create in grief. It carries forward, from your walls to the next generation's.

This is something I lead you through, not something you simply buy

Most people have never commissioned a portrait, and they imagine it’s a matter of sending a photo and waiting. What I offer is closer to sitting down with someone who has done this many times and knows exactly how to draw out what matters. We begin with a real conversation about your animal, their habits, the light you love them in, the quirky moments that make you laugh. 

I take that and shape it into a plan for the piece, and I keep you close as it comes to life so it never feels like you handed something precious into a void. By the time the portrait is unveiled, you’ll feel that you were part of making it, because you were. Very few things in a home carry that kind of story, and fewer still are made with this much attention to one animal and one family.

There are a number of variables to take into consideration before I can quote you a portrait fee.

After we have our initial conversation in which we’ve talked in depth about your pet and the specific details you’d like included in your pet’s portrait, I’ll present you with a choice of three fee options.

Yes! I’ll work with you personally for interest-free payments to fit your budget and timeframe.

Completion time varies, depending on the complexity and size of your portrait. You should allow up to 8 weeks, depending on my painting schedule, but most often, I can complete a portrait in about 4 weeks. If you have a special occasion, just let me know and I will do my very best to meet your deadline. Please order your Christmas portrait gifts by October 1.

Definitely. Depending on your subject(s), you won't want me to paint the head(s) too small. I’ll show you compositional choices ahead of time, and we will agree on your expectations before I start painting.

High quality photos make the very best portraits. To help you improve the photos you shoot of your pet, I’ve designed a helpful downloadable guide you can access here.

Pastels are sticks of pure pigment, the same pigment found in oil paints. They are applied dry and directly to paper or other hard surface, and their beauty is found in the layering of unmixed colors. When properly protected behind glass, pastel is the most permanent of all media, for it never cracks, darkens or yellows. I paint on acid-free archival professional-grade pastel paper, mounted onto acid-free archival foam board.

I've drawn and painted people for as long as I can remember. I was a drawing major at Missouri State University, where I earned my BFA in Art. I started drawing colored pencil portraits of children and pets in 1989, and progressed to painting in pastel by 1997. Today, I paint pet portraits almost exclusively. To date, I've painted well over 2500 portraits, and hope to paint hundreds more.

I sure do! I’ve painted horses, sheep, peacocks, ducks, guinea pigs, lizards, snakes, fish and more. I’ve even painted a pet opossum! As long as you have an animal you love, I can paint them.

Yes. Capturing your pet's personality and likeness is the most important part of every portrait. I want you to recognize them instantly and smile every time you see them.

It’s extremely important to me that you’re absolutely happy with your pet’s portrait. After all, it will be a piece of art you’ll love now and cherish years after your pet’s gone.

When I’ve completed your painting, I’ll send you a photo of it via email, and you’ll have the chance to approve it or suggest minor revisions before I ship it to you. I’ve never had an unhappy patron. Not one.

Your custom portrait is much more than the painting you buy. You’re purchasing a personal experience that we create together. From our initial consultation to our live painting calls, from your input on colors and details you’d like included to the final delivery of your pet’s portrait, you’re involved from start to finish. The entire process is an collaborative event you’ll be telling people about for years to come.

Absolutely. And for some people, that's the right choice. But a painting offers something different. It's created by hand, one mark at a time, with care and attention that no printer can reproduce. It's not just a picture of your pet. It's a piece of original art that becomes part of your home and tells a story every time someone sees it.

Pet people fear that more often than you might think. My experience has been just the opposite. While there may be tears at first, the painting soon becomes a comforting reminder of all the happy years you shared together. It helps keep those memories close, and that's a gift that only grows more meaningful with time.

If you live within a reasonable distance from me, I’ll hand deliver your portrait to make it a special event in itself. I’ll even help you hang it!

When that’s just not feasible, I’ll pack your painting with great care using protective materials designed to keep it safe during shipping. I've shipped artwork to collectors across the country for many years, and I want it to arrive looking exactly as it did when it left my studio. I use FedEx and USPS for my shipping carriers.

It's very rare, but if your painting is damaged in transit, don't worry. Every painting ships fully insured. Just let me know right away and send me a few photos of the damage. I'll work with you to make it right as quickly as possible.

Most people already have the perfect spot in mind before they even order. If you aren't sure, I'll be happy to help. Whether it's above the fireplace, in your entryway, or somewhere you pass every day, we'll choose a size that feels right for your space so you can enjoy seeing your pet every day. Please note that pastel paintings should be displayed away from direct sunlight and humidity.