Pet Pawtraits by Jilly Gray

“My sunshine doesn’t come from the skies. It comes from the love that’s in my pet’s eyes.” (unknown)

A special gift for animal lovers to immortalise their ‘furbaby’ in a painting to cherish forever.

Jilly Gray has the ability to paint character in her portraits and believes that the eyes are the connection to the soul.  The eyes often reflect the character and mischief of a dog or the individual personality of your kitty.  This can be especially true for remembering how cute they were when they were young or for keeping the memory of a now departed pet’s presence in the house.  After all, they were family.

“Having the favourite photo painted can keep their spirit alive and help with easing the emptiness that the owners experience when they have lost a pet.  It is very satisfying to see the people’s reactions when they see their paintings!” says Jilly.

From dogs and cats to elephants, turtles and giraffes, animal paintings have always been on the radar for Jilly.  From fabric painting possums to painting Kookaburras for Oz Design to painting the Animals at Taronga Park Zoo, there has always been that love of animals.  She only recently moved into Pet Portraits (or ‘Pawtraits’ for our four-legged friends) after recognising the desire for people to immortalise their pets with more than just a photo, but with a hand painted and unique portrait that can enhance your décor.

To order your unique portrait, please click the link to upload your favourite photos/s and fill in the questionnaire.  Try to choose a photo with clear eyes if possible and good light and shade.  If your pet is departed and you don’t have a really clear photo, then maybe send up to four images so I can see the character of your pet.  You have the option of a painting to match the photo or a more modern colourful option.

Portrait sizes are normally desk size from 8×10 up to 11×14 for wall hung (see options on order form) However, I have painted up to 48”x48” or 120cm Square to be a main feature painting in the room. This gives you the option for your situation (e.g. if you are renting a small unit you may just want A4 desk frame as you can’t put hooks in walls).  The smaller sizes are all of similar price as there are the same amount of brush strokes, just a different size brush!  Naturally, the bigger the painting the more expensive it becomes as the canvas, etc. is more expensive and we have to quote on shipping cost unless collected or delivered locally as they vary for larger works and may require a courier.

TIMEFRAME:  as the preferred medium is usually oil for a traditional portrait, the lead time is 5 weeks. This allows for the painting to be done and a coat of varnish medium to be applied for protection before it leaves the studio. However, if it is for an urgent gift, we can discuss options of acrylic paint or you could arrange to have it varnished at a local studio.

Pet Pawtrait Examples