Painted Pawtraits


		The Painted Pawtraits Gallery I hope you enjoy browsing this gallery of my recent works. I have included the photos that the pet portraits were painted from, as well as comments about the works. You can click any of the portrait images to download a larger version into a new window. A lot more of my work is on display on the artfind website. Please click here to view.

		Sofie the Blue Heeler Acrylic on canvas, 12x16" For this painting I wanted to capture the smiley expression of the young blue heeler in the primary reference photo, and the soft, velvety effect of the blue merle fur. I decided to use an additional reference photo so I could get a clearer picture of the colour of her eyes and the detailing of the fur around the eyes. I chose to leave out the tail in the finished painting because I felt it would detract from the face and may have ended up looking like it was sprouting out the side of the dogs head.


		Mickey the Chihuahua Acrylic on canvas, 8x8" Out of the several photos I was given of Mickey, the striking shadows in this photograph made it the clear choice to work from. In addition, I decided to use a further reference photo for the eyes as I felt that the eyes in the primary reference photo were not typical of a Chihuahua. The strong shadows gave the painting impact and personality. Testimonial - 'I can't thank you enough for the beautiful portrait you painted of Mickey. You have captured the likeness and essence of my puppy so that his image fairly leaps from the page.' D.L.



		Dudley the Pekingese Acrylic on canvas, 9x12" In this painting I aimed to show the fluffy, friendly quirkiness of the Pekingese. It proved to be very difficult to get a clear photo that showed enough detail of the dark face, and so in the end I worked from these two photos, with occasional reference to photos of other, adult Pekingese for clearer definition of the eyes. Testimonial - 'I am thrilled to have a portrait of my Pekingese puppy. It is a charming portrait, really capturing the essence and character of him. I will treasure this painting and feel Tatiana is a very talented animal portraitist.' G.B.

		Vic the English Pointer Watercolour on A4 paper For these two watercolours I chose to exaggerate the contrast and the golden highlights in the essentially liver coloured fur to enhance the elegant form of the dogs face. The extreme smoothness of the fur called for a ‘washy’ handling of the watercolour, rather than a brushy, ‘furry’ effect. Testimonial from Vic - 'Wow! Is that me? As an English Pointer I know quality when I see it and I love this'


		Tuffy the Cat Acrylic on canvas, 27 x 30cm I loved the regal pose of this long haired tabby cat, and decided to focus on the front half of him only. I resisted the temptation to try to paint every single shade of brown and ginger on him, instead focusing on the overall blended effect of his semi-long hair. Testimonial - 'Our cat came alive on canvas! Tatiana grasped Tuffy’s particular expression “I’m waiting for Jelly meat!” so well. He is our treasure, and the painting will be with us forever. Thank you so much.' E.H.




		Mila the Miniature Schnauzer x Fox Terrier Acrylic on canvas, 8x8" For this painting I wanted to capture the appealing expression and unique fur quality of this young mini schnauzer x fox terrier. Testimonial - 'Every time I look at the picture of our dog Mila I have the feeling she looks straight back into my eyes; she is so real on this painting! I love how her gorgeous and cheeky facial expression got captured so very well. I am amazed of the fact that an animal can be 'alive' on a painting and I will look well after that treasure.' B.R.



		Gus the Pony Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 51cm This painting shows the importance of simplifying the background to emphasise the pony's portrait, making it a beautiful piece of art.



		Bailey the Border Collie Acrylic on canvas, 12" x 12" Bailey is an agility dog who was brought out from the UK with his human family. This painting reflects his rather thoughtful expression, while the square format frames his face (and ears!) perfectly. Testimonial - 'M is extremely happy with her painting and it is her pride and joy. It has prime position in our lounge' J.H.