Jessie

When I started my pet portrait business in 2011, I received one of my first pet portrait commissions of a dog named, Jessie. The client ordered the painting as a surprise gift for her partner, and a back and forth gifting of my custom artwork between the couple ensued (adorable, right?). Not to mention, many, many, referrals.... I am so lucky to have such supportive patrons! Below are the paintings I completed for this particular couple at the beginning of my pet portrait career: 

Flash forward to 2015!! Lots has happened since I first received these early commissions (biggest understatement of the year). I received an email from the client who commissioned the portrait of Jessie:

...Sadly, Jessie passed away last week. She was a terrific dog - incredibly well traveled. [Her owner] took her everywhere - beaches, forests, mountains. I was thinking of having another small portrait done in her memory.  I'm thinking the same size as the others for Bo and Jessie. I thought perhaps the attached image would be good - it shows her lovingly looking up at [her owner] while we are on a gondola. Do you think this would make a good portrait?

I literally started to tear up when I read this. Four years really have gone by quickly! The description of Jessie's life was so beautifully written. A whirlwind of emotions hit me when I saw the photo of Jessie she wanted to have me paint. It perfectly illustrates the relationship between Jessie and her human, and the intense emotion between them. There is nothing that compares to that adoring, faithful gaze, and I couldn't imagine a better photograph to work from to commemorate her life. 

Here is my artistic interpretation of the photo:

I adapted the photograph to fit in my style and to match the other paintings, but I hope this photograph is framed and hung in a special place in their home, as the context (the gondola, and the position of Jessie next to her owner) is such an important part of this photograph. Rest in Peace sweet Jessie... I hope there is an infinite number of squirrels to chase, treats, and belly rubs over that rainbow bridge!

Pawblo Picasso® and the Calendar Factory!

"The Schnauzerberries taste like Schnauzerberries!"

Here's your chance to win custom Pawblo Picasso® artwork and other fabulous prizes while supporting a great cause!! I am donating 15% of my profits to the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Even if you don't find a golden ticket, you still receive an adorable calendar (cat or dog) while giving back to an incredible rescue organization. The calendars make excellent gifts for any animal lover and fit perfectly into a stocking ;)

Here's how it works:

I have several confirmed prizes and I will continue to look for more for which I will be creating "golden ticket" vouchers. These golden tickets will be put into calendars at random. If you order calendars through my website, you will have a chance to win one of these tickets, (your chances increase the more calendars you order). Just open up the calendars when they arrive and look for that gold shimmer!

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Thank you to everyone who has participated... All of the golden tickets have been found! Stay tuned for next year :)

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Here are the prizes so far:

$250 Gift Card for Rover.com (in-home dog-sitting and pet care) (FOUND)

3-Month Subscription of Dog Treats from 2 Dogs Treats (FOUND)

16x20 Custom Pawblo Picasso Acrylic Painting ($490 value) (FOUND)

8x10 Custom Pawblo Picasso Watercolor Portrait (FOUND)

(3) 4x6 Custom Pawblo Picasso Illustration (FOUND)

(2) Emergency Pet Pack (Courtesy of the Animal Rescue League of Boston) (FOUND)

Dog Goodie Bag (Courtesy of the Animal Rescue League of Boston) (FOUND)

Cat Goodie Bag (Courtesy of the Animal Rescue League of Boston) (FOUND)

If you are a pet-related business interested in sponsoring this campaign or next year's campaig, I will happily announce your gift via my social media pages and it will be an excellent marketing opportunity. The prize must be represented on a 4"x 5" voucher that I will print and attach to a golden ticket. The more businesses that participate and share this sweepstakes, the better the promotion works for everyone! I am happy to discuss how this will benefit your company....

please contact me: pawblopicasso@gmail.com

It's worth the wait!

I apologize to all of those who were hoping to buy a Pawblo painting as a gift for the holidays and have been deterred by the rush fee. I do offer gift certificates! 

Sure... I understand why a piece of paper is far less appealing than a finished painting, BUT, hear me out.... this is why it is BETTER:

1. It's hard to get good photos while being sly about it.

I've brainstormed a lot about ways to be sly about getting a pet photo from a friend or relative. It's too hard to do it without raising any suspicion. Especially if the photos you get are really bad quality and I request you to get more. Now you've asked your sister twice for photos of your dog so that you can hang them up in your office... That's not weird right?

2. Even if you get photos they may not be the best.

You have one shot at this painting and you really want to make sure it's the best photo. You may have the painting and realize over time that you had so many other photos that may have worked MUCH better than the one you chose. Don't live the rest of your life in regret!

3. Let the person who knows the dog best pick out the photo.

Their favorite photos of the dog (or cat or hedgehog or iguana... etc.) may not be the best photo for a portrait. Allow them to make the true considerations. The process is really exciting and I can involve them in that if you give them a gift certificate.

4. The process is really fun!

If you're giving this to your significant other, you can work to get the perfect photo of your pet together! This can be a gift for the whole family and you can all work together to give your input. If you're giving it to a friend or family member that doesn't live close by, use this as an opportunity to to collaborate on something over the distance and bring you closer together (figuratively).  

5. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

I have a lot of fun things you can order with the image of your pet portrait. Have you seen my throw pillows? There are iPhone cases, laptop and ipad skins, greeting cards, t-shirts, and tote bags. Is your brother's birthday only a couple months after xmas? Buy him an iPhone case of the painting you bought him for Christmas!  Done!

PLEASE consider buying a gift certificate for the holiday season. Email me for more info: pawblopicasso@gmail.com

Winners of the October HOWL-o-ween Photo Competition!

The October HOWL-o-ween photo competition has come to the conclusion! All of the photos were so awesome :) 

The winner of the first place prize with 319 "likes" is.... Rigoletto! He wins a free 8x10 custom painting. Stay tuned to see how that turns out!

 

The second place prize goes to Rex, Cece, and Luke with 284 "likes"! Their owner gets 50% off of any size custom painting! 

 

Finally, the third place winner is Vito with 108 "likes"! His owner with get 25% off of any size custom painting!

 

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who participated! Your efforts help make my business more visible and I sincerely appreciate it :) I look forward to working on these paintings! 

Pet photo competition winners!

We have reached the conclusion of our first competition!  It was pretty fun and I've definitely learned some things along the way for future competitions (stay tuned). In the end I decided to award the first, second, and third place winners.  

Coming in first place with 88 votes winning a FREE 8x10 portrait is Max! What a beautiful dog!

Coming in second place, with 68 votes, is Shorty! His owner will get 50% off any painting size! Shorty will look GREAT in painted form!

Coming in third place, with 56 votes was Maggie! Her lucky owner will get 20% off any size painting!  Maggie will make a wonderful model!

Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to everyone who participated!  Stay tuned for future competitions!!