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!

The Ann Arbor Area Pastelists are having a show at Mallets Creek Library on Packard Road in Ann Arbor from March 19-April 28. We will be having an artist’s reception on Sunday, March 20th from 2-4 pm. If you have time, please stop by and visit us. I will have 2 artworks in the exhibit. Wonderful paintings by accomplished artists and munchies, too!

9-canvas watercolor family quilt painting

9 separate watercolor portrait paintings.     Finished size 36″ x 36″.     Not for sale.

I’ve been working on this project for a couple of months–which is a very long time for me. I usually paint very quickly because I have absolutely no patience and I want instant gratification. Kind of like a child, no?

But this piece was important to me and worth the wait. These are portraits of 2 generations of my family–myself, 2 sisters, husbands and children. I plan to expand it to 16 watercolor portraits and add my mother, grandkids and new nephews as they marry into the family. But I wanted to have at least part of the quilt finished and mounted on the wall for our family Thanksgiving which will be at our house this year.

Because, after all, this IS what I am most thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

(these 9 images were painted on the 12 by 12 inch watercolor canvas that has recently become available. I used only 3 colors throughout to harmonize all of the painting: alizarin crimson, utltramarine blue and cadium yellow medium. To finish and protect the paintings, I sprayed with Krylon finishing spray. No need for glass!)

Sample commission paintings of pet portraits

I have really fallen in love with painting pastel pet portraits. So, being the marketing freak that I am, I decided to create a printed card to advertise my services. The image above shows just a few of the very personal pieces I’ve painted in the last few months.

Pastel is a wonderful medium for this type of work. It is very soft and expressive, perfect for catching the special characteristics of dogs, cats, horses and other furry creatures. Each of these portraits are 8 x 10 inches but I am comfortable working larger or smaller depending on my client’s needs. I have been distributing the cards at pet stores, shows and grooming businesses and have gotten a wonderful response so far. If you know someone who would like to have a favorite pet or other animal made into art, please let me know!