Why Your Pet’s Portrait Is More Than Just a Painting: My First Commission

Meet Charlie.
A shaggy, wise old dog who was adopted when he was already over 12 years old. He had arthritis, poor eyesight, and had clearly been through a lot. But the last years of his life, he finally got to live surrounded by love and warmth - in a family that truly cherished him.

And this… this was my very first pet portrait commission, all the way back in 2017.
I was incredibly nervous. So nervous, in fact, that I took the job very seriously. I didn’t want to simply copy the photo - I wanted to feel who Charlie really was. And somewhere along the way, something unexpected happened.

As the first brushstrokes started forming his face on the canvas, I found myself… talking to him.
When I came into the studio in the morning, I greeted him.
When I stepped out to make tea, I’d say, “Don’t worry, Charlie, I’ll be back in five minutes.”
When I left for the day, I said goodbye.

And when the dog portrait was finally finished, I packed it up and sent it to the client - without mentioning my odd little habit of chatting with the portrait.

A while later, she wrote to tell me they had placed the portrait in the most visible spot in the living room. And now, whenever anyone enters the room, the first thing they see is Charlie. Without even realizing it, every member of the family started saying hello to Charlie when they came in - and goodbye when they left. They can talk to Charlie again, as if he’s still there, always waiting for them in that room.