If you have ever struggled to find a Christmas gift for a dog lover, you already know the problem that occurs every December. They have the mugs, the cushions and the novelty socks. What they do not have (yet!) is a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted portrait of the animal they adore. A custom oil painting of a dog, created from a favourite photo, is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give. It captures a personality, not just a likeness, and it will hang on the wall long afte

Golden retrievers are one of Britain's best-loved breeds. With that feathery golden coat, soft eyes and permanently hopeful expression, it's no wonder so many owners want to capture their dog in something more lasting than a phone photo. A hand-painted oil portrait of your golden retriever turns a beloved family member into a piece of art that can hang in your home for years to come. This guide covers what to expect when commissioning a golden retriever oil painting in the UK

As a pet portrait artist, I would say over 80% of my portraits are commissioned as a gift for a specific occasion. Whether it is a birthday, wedding anniversary or Christmas, a dog portrait does make the most lovely gift. A Portrait fo a golden retriever that was commissioned as a gift Why does a dog portrait make an excellent Christmas gift? Sentimental Value: Pets are family. Capturing a dog’s unique gaze, quirky ear angle, or characteristic coat pattern shows the recipient

There's a reason French Bulldogs are one of my favorite breeds to paint. Every time I sit down with a reference photo of a Frenchie, I know I'm in for a challenge I genuinely enjoy and this recent commission of Milo the french bulldog was no exception. His portrait was commissioned as a special gift for his owner. What Drew Me to This Piece The moment I saw the reference photo for this painting, I knew the ears had to be the star. French Bulldogs have these incredible bat ear

You have a thousand photos of your dog. You need one painting. Scroll through your camera roll and you'll find hundreds of pictures of your dog — mid-zoomies, asleep in a sunbeam, staring at you while you eat dinner. But how many of those photos do you actually print, frame, and hang on your wall? Probably none. That's the gap a custom oil painting fills. It's not about replacing your photos — it's about turning your favourite one into something that lasts, something with wei

An Oil Painting of a German Short Haired Pointer Dog As a pet portrait artist, my job is to take your photographs and translate it into something that will outlast all of us: a hand-painted oil portrait of your dog. If you've been searching for "custom dog oil painting," "pet portrait artist," or "commission a painting of my dog," here's what I want you to know about the process, the medium, and why this might be exactly the gift or keepsake you're looking for. Why Oil Paint

A blog post on memorial pet portraits- you can learn more about the commissioning process on my website A portrait of 4 pugs, who have all sadly passed away. As a pet portrait artist, I get a mix of people who are commissioning portraits for pets that are still with us, and portraits of those who have passed away. I find it hugely satisfying to be able to create memorial pet portraits, as it can help with the grieving process, and bring some peace to owners in what is a diff

Learn about a special Christmas commission, a portrait of the lovely Reggie, a Border Collie who is sadly no longer with us. In August of 2025 I was contacted by Reggie's owner, requesting if I could create a portrait of him in oil paint for his wife's Christmas gift. Border Collie Portrait- the planning Together we discussed the requirements of what was wanted from the portrait. Reggie's owner wanted a portrait that featured his "money slot" where his fur colours gave the ap

A blog post on one of my recent portraits a whippet called Forest! Whippet Portrait- The photo Forest the whippet's owner had taken a range of fantastic photos, and we decided on exactly which photo to use and what composition we wanted to go for. We decided on 10 inch square portrait, using the greens from the photo (it was taken in the garden) for the background. This would make him stand out nicely! I really like square portraits when the photo is suitable, I think they lo

I have had quite a glut of spaniel portraits to complete, so I thought it was time I wrote a blog post on them! Spaniel Portrait- Gabbie the pet spaniel who also occasionally works.. Gabbie's portrait was commissioned as a Christmas gift. Her owner wanted a photo to represent she was both a much loved pet spaniel, but occasionally went out on shoots. We decided it was best to take some nice new photos, and I sent over a range of my photography guides to help her owner in taki

Learn about the westie portrait I created of Sparky the West Highland Terrier completed in oil paint. As well as pastel pet portraits, I...

Learn about ordering your own pet portrait gift vouchers and an example of a pet portrait gift voucher, transformed into the perfect...

Barney is a very sweet labradoodle. He is a first generation cross and has quite an unusual coat, with a wiry fur and the most adorable...

Here's a little blog post on a recent Jack Russel Portrait I created as a pet portrait commission. I was asked to create a jack russell...

If you are thinking about commissioning pet portraits from photos, it can seem a little daunting. Here I break down the steps of what...

As a schnauzer owner, I adore creating schnauzer portraits, here are a few of the ones I have created! First up, is my absolute favourite portrait of Monty. He is my test subject whenever I want to ry something new and the reason I started creating pet portraits in the first place! If you haven't read about Monty and I before, I got him when I was suffering from very poor health, he has become such a huge part of my life. I decided one day I would like a portrait of him, so t

Christmas pet portraits make the perfect Christmas gift! Here's more information about booking a pet portrait as a christmas gift. To get...

As a pet portrait artist, I am commissioned to create portraits of a wide variety of animals. However, dogs are by far and away my most common subject. So, I thought it was time to do a blog post which is a little round up of some of the dog portraits I have recently completed. I do both pastel dog portraits and dog portraits in oil paint. The choice is yours! Dog Portraits on Velour Paper Monty the dog portrait I took the time to create a portrait of my own dog Monty. Creati

A blog post on one of my most recent and most favourite pet portraits to date. Most of my pet portraits are either of single pets, or if...

Italian Spinone Portrait- 2026 Update Here is another Spinone portrait I have recently created. This one is Emi, in pastels 8x10 inch size. Yesterday, I went round to take photos for two pet portraits that have been commissioned. I lived close by so it was easy to take the photos myself! I am yet to start their portraits but thought it would be good to document the process. Check back to see their finished portraits! Italian Spinone Portrait - About the breed Here is what the