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LAST WEEK AS we pondered who would succeed Madra na hEireann, Misneach, at the Áras and it got me thinking about the beautiful street art portrait of the president’s other dog Síoda, painted by High King Jack at the graffiti wall in Ringsend, Dublin, when she passed away in 2021. They say that dog is a man’s best friend but what of your cute kitty, beloved pony, or, eh, the family gerbil? If you want to immortalise a precious pet or constant companion in paint or print, pastel or thread, there are lots of talented artists who can create a unique gift for yourself or a loved one, writes Ruth O’Connor.
Lorraine Fletcher
Lorraine Fletcher, wildlife and pet portrait artist, works from her studio in the Burren Nature Sanctuary, Kinvara, Co. Galway. With a lifelong love of animals, Lorraine’s paintings are a combination of bright colours and quirky compositions and her work has become recognised for her distinct painting style. While Lorraine has a wide selection of nature-inspired original paintings and prints on her website, she has also become known for her beautiful portraits of pets thanks to her ability to capture, not only their likeness, but also their spirit, in her paintings. Lorraine has noticed increased demand from people looking for a keepsake of a beloved pet for themselves or as a gift for others. To commission a piece all that’s required is a high quality image of your furry friends from which she can then create a unique painting on canvas using acrylic paint which can also be embellished with copper or gold leaf. Prices start at around €250 for a 10×12 inch canvas.
Instagram: @lorrainefletcherart
Website: lorrainefletcherart.ie
Lorraine Fletcher Art.
Floral and Fred
Floral and Fred founder Grace has been creating bespoke hand-stitched pet portraits for the past five years and has been commissioned to create portraits of everything from dogs to cats, horses to guinea pigs during that time. Having always been a crafter, Grace got into embroidery during the lockdown and began to create pet portraits for family and friends having done a portrait of her own beloved dog Fred (hence the name). Each Floral and Fred piece is a meticulously hand-stitched embroidery that, despite being wrought in thread, somehow seems to perfectly embody the pet being depicted. These little embroidered portraits are available in two sizes and take anything between eight to 15 hours to stitch. They make for beautiful gifts for pet owners or as a memorial piece if a much loved pet has passed away. Prices start at €130.
Instagram: @FloralandFred
Alex Berkeley
Dublin-based artist Alex Berkeley was used to creating portraits of people for her family and friends but when a friend asked her to create a portrait of his dog during the pandemic “things snowballed”. Since then, Alex has painted all kinds of pets including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, horses and even cows. She says that she puts the same amount of attention and detail into her work for clients as she would for her own dog Tzar and enjoys adding detail such as the pet’s unique markings to really bring out the individuality of each animal. While she prefers to work in oil paints or pastels, Alex can also produce digital drawings for customers with prices starting at around €250 for a 9×9 inch pastel piece.
Instagram: @alexberkeleyartist
Website: alexandrasartwork.com
Emma Colbert Art
Originally from Northern Ireland but now living in the south of Spain, pastel artist Emma Colbert is renowned for both her pet portraits as well as her online art tutorials which you can access in a number of ways via the likes of YouTube and Patreon. While animals are her favourite subject to paint, a love of painting landscapes, interiors and still life means that often her portraits capture the animal’s surroundings as well as just the pet itself. Emma says that her aim is to “tell a story and to capture a memory” while using soft pastels to create artworks that expertly capture light and shade. Emma is happy to discuss pet portraits with clients or even to inspire them to try painting their own through her art tutorials. As each commission is different, prices vary, but her pet portraits can cost anything from about €450 to €3,500 depending on the scale of the piece and level of work involved.
Instagram: @emmacolbertart Website: emmacolbertart.com YouTube: @EmmaColbertArt
Ellen Susan Igoe
Ellen Susan Igoe mostly employs soft pastels in her Co. Roscommon studio to create colourful and realistic portraits of beloved pets however she can also work with coloured pencils, acrylics and oil paints too. The artist says that when it comes to pet portraits, people often get in touch to commission a portrait of their own pet or that of a loved one as a gift. Turnaround times for orders are usually six to eight weeks but she says she always tries to accommodate people at short notice as best she can. An A3 portrait of one pet currently starts at around €300.
Instagram: @ellensusanigoeart Website: ellensusanigoeart.com
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