Tag Archives: commissioned pet portrait

A Favorite Painting Sold, and the Story of Two Portraits

"Borzois", pastel, 20" x 26" © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

After 20 years, this painting of two rescued borzois finally went home with a loving owner. In 1998 when I met with their person to photograph them for a commissioned portrait she had an idea of just their faces, but as I watched the two racing around the sunroom with such joy, all that light […]

Commissioned Pet Portrait: Family of Seven, in Pencil

Igor, Matthew, Zoe, Biscotti, Angel, Noah and Toast, 18 x 24, pencil, 2005 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

A portrait of seven cats all in the same image, in a composition that makes sense for all of them and shows all their individual best remembered features, is a challenge, but a fun one. The request from the beginning was that they be in pencil because several of the cats were gray tabbies and […]

Commissioned Portrait: Rocky and Bullwinkle

Rocky and Bullwinkle, 12 x 18, pastel © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

I’ve had just a few portraits of cats and dogs together and Rocky and Bullwinkle is just about my favorite mostly because of the play of light that we decided to use. The light and shadow and the colors from the brilliant sunlight turned a kind of a typical portrait into one that is really […]

Commissioned Portrait Specials for Mothers, Fathers and More

"The Washburn Trio", pastel, a Mothers' Day gift, 1998.

In everyone’s life is at least one special person who shared a love of animals, and in that person’s life there is often an animal companion who is or was very special to them. Read about Shadow, Casey and Ralph and a special Mother’s Day gift from 2006. Mother’s Day is in two weeks, on […]

New in Feline Artwork, Bandit Will Steal Your Heart

"Bandit", pastel, 18" x 14", 2004 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

SOMETIMES WE DON’T realize until years later that a series of odd circumstances has an intention beyond our control; often this involves the entry of one of our most cherished animal companions into the sphere of our life, and our entry into theirs. ~~~ One of the Great Rescues families, Bandit is one of my […]

Commissioned Portrait: Henry, in Two Styles

I was commissioned to do a portrait of a beloved family and community cat for the holidays—twice. Often I’ll make prints of a portrait to share with family and friends of the original recipient, but in this case my commissioner wanted to give one portrait to Henry’s family, and also have one for herself. She […]

Commissioned Portrait: Annie, the World’s Greatest Dog

When I painted Annie’s portrait I didn’t yet know that she was the world’s greatest dog, but I could tell she was sweet-tempered and good-humored, and she was very beautiful. Her commissioned portrait was a Christmas gift from wife to husband. I get a little choked up when my portraits are gifts, and as I […]

A Small and Simple Portrait, “Chloe”

"Chloe", charcoal and pastel, 5 x 7 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

This portrait is a break from the usual larger, full-color and highly detailed portraits, just to share a little moment and focus on the expression, the face, the most-remembered part of just about any creature we love, human or animal. I had a number of photos, but none were close-up enough but this pose, though […]

Sadie, Marley, Cici and Ashes, Settling Into Their Portrait

Sadie, Marley, Cici and Ashes, 2016 family portrait

I’ve been working on this “family portrait” for a while, moving the cats around and resizing it and I think this is finally the best composition to fit these four very different postures. This is the second group portrait I’ve done for this family including all the current cats in the house in one portrait, […]

A Great Rescue and Commissioned Portrait: "A Wonderful Gift"

SOMETIMES A CAT has so many connections to other cats or people or circumstances or places, but then this Peaches’s life was intertwined with her rescuer’s before she was even adopted. Sometimes the cat and the person are simply meant to be together. . . . . . . . Here’s how Peaches was rescued… […]