Jill Wagner pet portraits at Breed Above in Ann Arbor

As some of you know, I LOVE doing pet portraits. I know its not “fine” art, but I get a special kick out of capturing the likeness of a sweet, furry friend and presenting the painting to its owner. They are always sooooo happy to have a personal piece of art to remember their favorite pet.

I’ve recently signed on with a wonderful new spa, salon, hotel and training center for dogs in Ann Arbor. Breed Above caters to high end clientele who adore their dogs and are willing to pamper them. They recently had a grand opening launch party and they asked me to exhibit a few of my recent dog portraits. I’m hoping to do commissions for some of their clients.

Have a dog, cat, hamster, or any animal that you’d like to remember with a pastel pet portrait? Contact me!

Pastel pet portrait of a white borzoi puppy.

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches    SOLD

I just delivered this pastel pet portrait of a cute little borzoi puppy. It was a special commission for a dear friend of my father-in-law. I loved the setting: a field filled with dandelions. It helped give a lyrical feeling to the pastel painting. Just right for the innocent little pup.

If you have an animal buddy, why not capture them in a piece of art with a pet portrait?

Pastel pet portrait of a reclining dog.

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches    SOLD

I was pleased to be able to create a very personal pastel pet portrait of this sweet little pup. It was a special birthday gift for my client’s friend. I worked from a photo and had never met this little gal, but her large, soft eyes indicated a quiet, docile disposition. Just the kind of dog I adore and a perfect subject for a pastel painting too!

Have an animal buddy that you would like to capture in a pet portrait? I’d love to help you out…

Pastel pet portrait of a Polish Lowland Sheepdog

Pastel painting 9 inches x 9 inches    SOLD

What a cutie! This little Polish Lowland sheepdog was an absolute joy to work with. She posed for the camera as if she had been a top model for years! I swear she knew what her “best side” was. We had a ton of great photos to pick from and her owner was especially taken with this view.

Creating a pastel pet portrait is always challenging when your subject is someone’s  cherished  buddy, but I think I caught this little pup’s likeness. And her owner seemed to like the outcome of the pastel painting too!

Check out her response and other client’s comments on their paintings here.

Pastel pet portrait painting of a chocolate labrador

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches   SOLD

I delivered this pastel pet portrait painting to my client yesterday morning. I think she liked it. When she saw it she hugged me and got all “verklempfed.” There is nothing like creating a piece of art that really connects with the new owner. Absolutely makes my day!

I spent the rest of the day painting plein air pastel landscapes of the the countryside north of Ann Arbor and will post some of those images in the next few days.

Looking forward to the Saline Paint Out on Saturday, July 25th. We will paint all around the Saline area and then have a reception at the Two Twelve Arts Center from 4-6pm with the paintings available for sale.  If you are interested, contact Taylor Jacobsen at

salinemills@provide.net

Pastel portrait of a golden retriever

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork or a commission

One more pet portrait to add to the group! Our dear friends have 2 golden retrievers and a blood hound. They are the sweetest animals around and their owners adore them. Every time our friends come to visit they bring our dog a little treat. To thank them, I did a pastel painting of one of their pups basking in the sun. Can’t you just tell what a lover he is by his big, happy smile?

Pastel painting of a brown lab

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork or a commission

My friend’s beautiful brown lab died a while ago. She was a really special dog and missed by the whole family– especially her husband. She asked me to create a pastel portrait of Yoshi  as a special gift for him. It was a challenge to catch just the right personality since I had never met the pup, but my friend says this commission is right on. I was so happy to do it for them!

Pastel painting of white maltese dog

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 10 inches      SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork or a commission.

My sister, Beth, was jealous of the pastel painting I did of my Australian Shepard, Roxy. She wanted a portrait of her  Maltese, Tucker. So I took a series of photographs to find just the right pose for the little guy. Hes a furry little thing with lots of personality and it was difficult to get him to sit still long enough to photograph him. I ended up combining a bunch of different references to get to this piece….And she likes it, she likes it!

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 10 inches SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork or a commission.

I’ve been thinking about doing a pastel portrait of my Australian Shepard, Roxy, for a long time. She is the sweetest, gentlest dog I’ve ever known and I wanted to try put her personality on paper. It was especially important to me to capture her “soft eyes” because they really say so much about her. In this pastel painting, I caught her in her usual position: alert, curious, yet submissive. Can you tell she has me wrapped around her little paw?

I’m considering doing more animal paintings. If you have a special friend you would like immortalized, let me know!

Pastel painting 4 inches x 5 inches   SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Finally finished the last puppy portrait commission. Each dog was very different in looks and temperament so I worked hard to create some commonalities between them with color and stroke. This pastel painting will be combined with the other 2 portraits in one mat and frame. I think it will make a great gift for my buddy’s dog-loving friend.

Pastel painting 4 inches x 5 inches   SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Here’s the second puppy. Who knew I would have such fun doing these little portraits? Each dog really does have its own personality and its interesting trying to bring it out and still have a strong composition, good color and light. Each one is like a little mini lesson for me.

Pastel painting 4 inches x 5 inches   SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

I’ve just finished this commission for a friend. One of her friends lost 2 of his dogs recently and his third one will be passing shortly. She decided to give him little portraits of each pet as a gift. It was really a challenge to paint a dog I’ve never met, especially at such a small size. I decided to be loose and colorful and not get too caught up in the details. I’ll post the other two portraits when I get them done…