I was quite touched last month to be commissioned for the piece below. Being an avid animal lover and having recently lost a pet myself, I could full appreciate what this pet portrait would mean to the little dog’s former owner. I was contacted by the daughter of the family, who told me that the portrait was to be a gift for her mother. “Boots,” the little dog who had passed away, was a family pet but definitely her mother’s dog. She sent me several photos of Boots, but the one I liked best was of him just curled up in bed, looking up at the camera. It was a great shot of his face and personality - and especially his eyes.
As I worked on the drawing, I spent a lot of time just looking at the photograph, particularly into Boots’ eyes. I knew I had to get the eyes just right; after all, since pets cannot talk to us, most of our communication with them is through their quite expressive eyes. The eyes are the thing I think we recognize first as pet owners. They are what we gaze into to say, “I love you.” I think they are the thing we remember most when our furry family members pass away.
“Boots” Commission
Colored pencil on Bristol board.
