My Story | How Loss Led Me to Pet Portraiture.

Pets & Their Place in Our Lives

Growing up, I've always had pets.

My childhood cats, Max & Paddy (yes, my parents named them after Phoenix Nights), were with me all the way through my life until I was sixteen. To me, I couldn't imagine a life where I didn't have two fluffy friends waiting for me when I cam home from school, or having to watch where I put my food down in case my cats thought it was for them. 

Looking back now at the comfort they provided me as a child, I realise that pets have such an incredible place in our lives. They're not just animals living in our homes, but friends, companions, and members of the family.

Farewells to my Feline Friends

When I was about 16, Max started showing signs of aging. She was sleeping a bit more, and we had to give her special arthritis tablets in her food so she could get about pain free - though the clever little thing would somehow always find a way to remove the tablet with the skill of a ninja to avoid eating it. 

Max sleeping peacefully amongst my Lego

Eventually, it came time to say goodbye to my lifelong furry friend and sadly, Paddy passed away peacefully a couple of months later. We buried them in our garden and even had a little memorial service for them.

After they passed away, there was a few months where we had no pets living in the house. No scampering footsteps trotting through the kitchen, no snoozing ball of fluff on the couch. It was then that I realised how much a pet made our house a home. They were truly such a special part of the family, and I knew I wanted to remember them in a creative, timeless way. That's when I discovered pet portraiture.

Keeping Their Memory Alive in Pencil

I knew I wanted to capture their personalities in some way, and had always had a passion for art, so I decided to employ my love of drawing and create a pencil illustration of my beloved feline friends.

The mindful, intricate process of capturing each whisker and bringing the life to their eyes was an incredible experience, and once I was finished drawing, I knew I wanted to do this for other people too. There was something different about this drawing of my cats, rather than looking at a photo, because it had been carefully crafted with love and their personalities shone through.

Since getting my cat, Macy, I have produced countless drawings and paintings of him, appreciating every detail and filling my walls with photos of his furry face (which he loves to admire).

Macy likes to oversee every pet portrait I do, as you can tell here!

My Journey So Far

I decided to start doing pet portraits as a way to capture the personalities and uniqueness of other people's pets, injecting love and care into every piece of art to make it truly special. Along with memorial sketches for lost pets, I began producing portraits simply as a way to bring a smile to the faces of pet owners by capturing the essence of their beloved pet through my art. 

This was one of my first commissions for a pet memorial.

Each one of my custom pet portraits is crafted with every feather, fur and whisker in mind, to create a truly personal and meaningful work. So I suppose my reason for becoming a pet portrait artist is that I understand how much of a role our pets have in our lives, and I want to capture the unique charm of every one in a timeless piece of work.

The Journey Continues

Since setting up artswerkbysoph, I have had some lovely feedback from clients and people who have stumbled across my portraits on social media. Hearing from fellow art and pet lovers inspires me to continue creating pet portraits as I carry on sharing my work and making my amazing customers smile.

I was thrilled with this positive feedback from a happy customer!

Check out my Instagram (@artswerk_bysoph) where I post daily updates of my work & life.

My journey as a pet portrait artist is far from over, as I continue to develop my skills, build my social media & meet talented artist and wonderful customers. I'm going to carry on making each portrait as unique as each pet.

Get Your Own Custom Work

If you would like to remember a lost, beloved pet, or you're looking for a unique gift for the pet-lover in your life, whatever the reason, a custom pet portrait artwork is the perfect way to capture your companion for a lifetime.

Order yours today by heading to the 'Custom Pet Portrait' collection of my store. I can't wait to create something truly special for you and your beloved pet.

- Soph x