Pet Portraits: fine art to treasure fur-ever. Who is the BEST pet in the world? It is the one you share a life with.
Quinn Sweet as Blueberry Pie (Pastel) 9"x 11"
Quinn Who Has Been Sleeping in My Bed (Pastel)
To commission your own portrait there will be preparations required both by me, the artist, and you, the collector to collaborate on a personal story with the right photos that highlight the character of each pet.
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| 2018 Originals photos from Peter Hempel, Brooklyn, New York, USA |
Peter Hempel had been gifted two previous pet portraits in 2008 by then-girlfriend & actress Pam Grier. These two pet portraits featured rescue kitty Washington on his favorite bed sheets. Peter contacted me through email and began the creative process of picking through various photos. He requested the new bedsheets be part of the background design with his new rescue kitty Quinn.
Peter and I email back and forth until the two photos that worked as a set were selected. Next a quick sketch with the background and sample color palette used within the portrait to be approved by Peter before painting color starts.
After Peter agreed to all the ideas and sketches, the next step was to create a painted underlayer that takes away the WHITENESS of the archival UART pastel sandpaper. This blocking in color will make a vibrating color difference for the final layers.
I use PAN PASTEL to make the first layer to block in the basic design and use alcohol with a brush to dissolve the pastel into a paint that will stain the pastel sandpaper.
I will keep my collector Peter updated as I go along in the process by photographing the various stages so he can be a part of the visual process and see a transformation to the final stroke of pastel.
Using an impressionist method of short broken brush strokes, I take to crushing soft pastel into the rough sandpaper surface. To view an impressionist painting up close, you will see the variety of colorful strokes but to stand away several feet away from the same painting the surface is now being visually blended with the eye.
To read more about Impressionism, its history, and art...
Quinn's fur in real life is warm and cool colors of grey and white with yellowish eyes reflecting colors from light sources in the room. I want to create a dynamic painting in pastel the fur & eye surface is layered with many colors like pink, purple, oranges, yellows, and a sparkle of red underneath the neutrals of the fur. The pastel leaves chunky bits on the surface making visual texture.
It is said that a pastel artist never seems to have enough colors! Mixing color with pastels is more of a visual stippling practice with the layers resembling the color. The Impressionist method works well for pastels so that the eye itself will mix the colors automatically using color theory science.
I utilize several brands of soft, hard, and semi-soft pastels such as Schminke, Terry Ludwick, Dianne Townsend, Sennilier, Unison, Mount Vision, Rembrandt, Holbein, Pan Pastel, and pastel pencils. Each brand has its unique texture, color, and ability to make a shape and dynamic texture on the surface.
I love to connect to the pet through the stories shared. I look at what poses in the photos that say something unique about the character of that pet while evoking the spirit of Quinn with hopes to express that personality through paint. I am amazed at the variety of gorgeous markings on Quinn's fur and the detailed pattern on the bedsheets.
After the pet portraits were approved by Peter, it was time to wrap them up with framing instructions for his professional framer. I wanted to pack it well and set the portraits in a way for Peter to view the pastel, keeping it firmly in place until the framer gets the pastels into their frames.
Peter was sooooo excited that day he received the portraits and was off to his framers the very same day! He took a few photos to share the beginning of the framing process coordinating with his previous portrait of Washington from 2008.
Testimonial from Peter Hempel 2018
Art is now framed and up on Peter's walls and has both the 2018 portraits and 2009 portraits all together in one room! Love the gold leaf framing and the wide double neutral mats that feature the artworks exquisitely!
Go to the Pet Portrait Gallery page:
To view more pet portraits...
To read more about commissioning your own pet portraits:
Until NEXT TIME... love mother nature and honor the pets who share their lives with us!
Meow Minaz
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| Washington Please! 2008 |
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| Washington Nap Time 2008 |
Peter and I email back and forth until the two photos that worked as a set were selected. Next a quick sketch with the background and sample color palette used within the portrait to be approved by Peter before painting color starts.
I use PAN PASTEL to make the first layer to block in the basic design and use alcohol with a brush to dissolve the pastel into a paint that will stain the pastel sandpaper.
 |
Start of Quinn pet portraits with Pan Pastel dissolved with alcohol to make pastel stain the cream-colored Uart pastel sandpaper. |
I will keep my collector Peter updated as I go along in the process by photographing the various stages so he can be a part of the visual process and see a transformation to the final stroke of pastel.
Using an impressionist method of short broken brush strokes, I take to crushing soft pastel into the rough sandpaper surface. To view an impressionist painting up close, you will see the variety of colorful strokes but to stand away several feet away from the same painting the surface is now being visually blended with the eye.
To read more about Impressionism, its history, and art...
Quinn's fur in real life is warm and cool colors of grey and white with yellowish eyes reflecting colors from light sources in the room. I want to create a dynamic painting in pastel the fur & eye surface is layered with many colors like pink, purple, oranges, yellows, and a sparkle of red underneath the neutrals of the fur. The pastel leaves chunky bits on the surface making visual texture.
It is said that a pastel artist never seems to have enough colors! Mixing color with pastels is more of a visual stippling practice with the layers resembling the color. The Impressionist method works well for pastels so that the eye itself will mix the colors automatically using color theory science.
I utilize several brands of soft, hard, and semi-soft pastels such as Schminke, Terry Ludwick, Dianne Townsend, Sennilier, Unison, Mount Vision, Rembrandt, Holbein, Pan Pastel, and pastel pencils. Each brand has its unique texture, color, and ability to make a shape and dynamic texture on the surface.
I love to connect to the pet through the stories shared. I look at what poses in the photos that say something unique about the character of that pet while evoking the spirit of Quinn with hopes to express that personality through paint. I am amazed at the variety of gorgeous markings on Quinn's fur and the detailed pattern on the bedsheets.
After the pet portraits were approved by Peter, it was time to wrap them up with framing instructions for his professional framer. I wanted to pack it well and set the portraits in a way for Peter to view the pastel, keeping it firmly in place until the framer gets the pastels into their frames.
Peter was sooooo excited that day he received the portraits and was off to his framers the very same day! He took a few photos to share the beginning of the framing process coordinating with his previous portrait of Washington from 2008.
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Quinn Portraits at the framers in New York! |
Testimonial from Peter Hempel 2018
Art is now framed and up on Peter's walls and has both the 2018 portraits and 2009 portraits all together in one room! Love the gold leaf framing and the wide double neutral mats that feature the artworks exquisitely!
 |
FRAMED Quinn: Sweet as Blueberry Pie and Washington PLEASE! |
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FRAMED Washington Takes a Nap and Quinn: Sweet as Blueberry Pie! |
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FRAMED Quinn: Who Has Been Sleeping in my Bed? |
Go to the Pet Portrait Gallery page:
To view more pet portraits...
To read more about commissioning your own pet portraits:
Until NEXT TIME... love mother nature and honor the pets who share their lives with us!
Meow Minaz
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