Your dog never sat still for a portrait. That's fine — I work from the photo you already have.
Every pet owner has the same folder: two hundred blurry photos and four good ones. The good ones are almost never posed. They're the shot you took because he did the thing he always does, and you wanted to keep it.
That's the photo I want.
I paint it in oil, on canvas, by hand. Not a print, not a filter — an actual painting, on a wall, that outlasts him.
Recent pet commissions
The likeness is in the details, not the pose.
Anyone can paint a dog. Painting your dog is a different job.
It's the asymmetry in the ears. The one whisker that goes the wrong way. The specific way the fur changes direction on the chest. The grey coming in around the muzzle that you've been trying not to notice.
People tell me the same thing over and over — that it isn't the accuracy that got them, it's that the painting has his expression. That's what I'm working toward the entire time.
If there's something specific you need me to get right, tell me before I start. I'd rather hear it early than guess.
Painting a pet who's gone.
A lot of these are memorials. Sometimes the client says so, sometimes I work it out from the photo — an old phone picture, low resolution, clearly the only one they have.
Send it anyway. I've painted from photos far worse than you think yours is. I'm reading shapes and light, not copying pixels.
If the background is a cluttered living room and you'd rather he were outside in the grass, I can do that. If there's a favorite toy or a collar that has to be in the painting, tell me and it will be.
These are the ones I'm most careful with, and the ones I most want to get right.
More than one pet, or a pet and a person.
Two dogs who never photograph well together, a cat and a dog who have never been in the same room voluntarily, a child and the dog she grew up with — I can combine separate photos into one painting.
This also means I can paint a pet who's no longer here alongside one who still is.
Read more about composite portraits →
Sizes and pricing
- 8 × 10 in — from $265
- 12 × 16 in — from $400
- 16 × 20 in — from $575
- 24 × 30 in — from $708
Five frame styles, or unframed. Custom sizes priced by canvas area. Free U.S. shipping.
For a single pet, 12 × 16 in and 16 × 20 in are the most common. Go to 16 × 20 in or larger if you want the face close to life-size, or if there's more than one animal in the painting.
When to order
Most portraits ship about four weeks after you approve the mockup, and I guarantee within five.
If it's a gift, order about six weeks out to be safe.
You order first, then I email you a link to send photos — so if you're commissioning this as a surprise, you don't need to have the photos sorted out yet.
From people I've painted for
"Truly blown away by this portrait of our dog. We'll have it forever."
— Kira, Dec 2025
"The artist really nailed my dog's personality, from the warm, expressive eyes to the beautiful details in the fur."
— Sherry, Nov 2024
"Seller was very communicative and gave us a beautiful piece of art to remember our deceased cat. Art was packaged extremely well and included a hanging kit and mini level."
— Lauren, Feb 2025
Pet portrait questions
My photo is blurry or was taken on an old phone. Is that a problem?
Usually not. I'm reading shapes and light rather than copying pixels. Send what you have and I'll tell you honestly before you commit whether it'll work.
Can you change the background?
Yes. Cluttered kitchen to open field, indoors to outdoors, a plain studio backdrop — tell me what you want and I'll compose it in the mockup.
Can you paint more than one pet in the same painting?
Yes, from separate photos if needed. Pricing goes up per subject.
Can you paint a pet who has passed away?
Yes, and I do it often. An old or low-quality photo is usually still enough.
What if it doesn't look like him?
You see a mockup before I paint anything, and you can cancel then for a full refund, no questions. After I paint, I send photos and revise until it's right — before it ships.
Do you paint horses, birds, reptiles?
Yes. Dogs and cats are most of what I do, but I've painted plenty else. Send a photo and ask.
Send me a photo of your dog.
Order first. No photo needed yet — I'll email you a link.