Pet Portraits
We love our pets, don’t we?? Two years ago we made a frantic, late-night trip to the emergency pet clinic. Three hours later, we came home without our precious Gretchen. It was devastating. That’s why I jumped at the chance this winter to put together a class where my portrait techniques are applied to Pet Portrait Memory Quilts.
I’m a dog person with lots of dog pictures. However, in this class I wanted to address pet portraits for a variety of animals: cats, birds, horses, in addition to dogs. So, I put out the call for precious pet photos to my friends and colleagues and found myself with many more great photos than I was able to use for the class.
I made some adorable samples for the course. A few of them are included in this post. As you can see, for these, I simplified the compositions. I did this to teach the techniques and focus on specific art concepts. I’m hoping that students will learn the lessons and then apply them to more complex compositions.
I Inspired Myself
More complex compositions: now that sounds like advice I should follow myself. So, I went back through the photos and set aside a few more images for a new series. The exciting thing for me is that these new compositions will include more context and will tell a larger story. I’ve chosen some images that address the reasons we have and cherish our pets: loyalty, companionship, comic relief. . .
Last year, I completed Puppy Love. That will soon be joined by “Vigil.” This second piece in the series is still a work in progress, so stay tuned to see how this piece and the rest of the series develops.
Cat Lovers Stay Tuned
And, if you’re a cat person, don’t worry. A cat series is soon to follow.