They're our family.
Photo Credit: Dustin McKee
You and I know there's no such thing as
"Just a Dog"
(My big black lab is snoring under my desk as I type this.)
Pet portraits come in every size and style:
Digital Art... AI... washy watercolors... goofy and graphic.
But you prefer something a little more regal.
Timeless.
A portrait you will proudly lean on the mirror over your entry hall table as a part of the Ralph Lauren-inspired vignette you’ve designed.
I’ve lived my whole life in the south. My grandmother was even a southern writer. Southern vernacular and timeless style are a part of my DNA. So are my dogs. I haven’t been without a Retriever for my whole adult life where I transitioned from fine art classes in high school to painting houses as a designer in my twenties. That is where I honed my attention and appreciation of timeless home and interior design.
So how did I decide to paint portraits?
I’m going to be honest with you: Painting dog portraits was a complete accident and was not my chosen profession, BUT when I started this journey by giving portraits as gifts to my loved ones, I felt my heart grow. I became addicted to this service of pet memorials. If a friend’s pup had passed, I felt an innate pull to paint their portrait for them. It is my love language, and it feels important to extend my portraits to you—to help you honor the love and legacy of dog-ownership.
Hi, I'm Rachel George Cleveland
And that is exactly the portrait I painted of my own dog, Grady.
(And that’s precisely where it's displayed.)
Because I know first hand how significant
that love—and loss—is.
I'm telling you this because, although I’ve been an artist since Kindergarten and won a few awards in art shows before attending college, I am not a classically trained artist—and completely self-taught in my chosen portrait medium, watercolors.
I picked them up for the first time when I painted my first dog portrait, ironically enough. My portraits are not painted in the usual watercolor technique, but I use them more as if they are wet colored pencils—creating a unique style for a particular sense of style.
This is a personal journey for you and your companion.
you can close those other tabs
And if we don't mesh, thats ok.
But if you've read this far ...
Lets give your dog a portrait
HOUNDs at home
Behind every portrait is a companion with a story and a legacy.
And a story of how the portrait came to life.
Home is where your dog is.
In the blog you'll find these stories
and some inspiration
for a life of beautiful things and lazy dogs.
