London; 09, February 2016: Artist hand paints pet portraits from photos to immortalize beloved animals
When artist David Joseph’s beloved dog Sammy was hit and killed by a car, he realized that although he had a few photos, they didn’t do his late pet justice.
"I wanted something special to remember such a beautiful and unique friend," David said.
He realized that others would want something like that, as well, and so started Pets in Portrait, which offers lifelike, handmade oil paintings of pets to their owners. The paintings, which are on canvas, range in size from 8 inches square to 20 inches by 30 inches. Because they’re handmade, they offer more depth and meaning than a photo, David said.
"In every painting I try to accurately depict the personality and the features that customers love about their pets," he said. "When I’m finished, customers have an oil painting that captures the unique character of their pet that can be enjoyed forever."
The process is straightforward—someone chooses a portrait said, places an order on the Pets in Portrait website and uses the site’s secure payment service to make a £30 deposit. Then the customer emails a photo of their pet or horse to David and requests the background they would like for the piece.
Joseph uses the photo to create a portrait and then sends an image to the customer over email. When the customer is happy, David ships the portrait to them. The whole process, he said, takes less than three weeks.
Prices for portraits range from £100 for an 8-inch square portrait to £300 for the 20-inch by 30-inch piece. International shipping is available and costs a flat rate of £7.99. Since starting the service, David has painted pet portraits for more than 350 customers.
"I gain my satisfaction from the love and delight my portraits bring to my customers," he said.
More information is available at www.petsinportrait.com.
