How to Commission Your Own Portrait
I am not accepting new commissions at this time.
If you are interested in commissioning a dog or cat portrait for yourself or someone you care about, I have a very limited number of spots available. At this time, I am not accepting any new equine commissions.
Each portrait is created using high quality soft pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper, using high resolution photographs for reference. My aim is to create a portrait that you will love, and in order to do this, it is very important that I can work from good photographs. I can help you to choose the best photograph from the ones that you have, or you can use some of my photo tips to take a photograph of your pet as you wish to remember them.
The better the quality of the photo, the more detail I can create!
Wait List and Booking
The time frame to complete your portrait varies depending on my current workload. If you would like to purchase it for a specific occasion, please give me plenty of notice, as my commission list is fairly lengthy at this time. I will try to accommodate special occasions if my schedule allows.
If you would like to commission a portrait and be added to my wait list, please feel free to be in touch!
Photo References
It is helpful to be able to see things such as nose texture, individual hairs, whiskers, eye colour, and reflections in the eye. Please remember that artwork will never exactly replicate a photograph, as it is my artistic interpretation!
If you have photographs that you did not take yourself, please check with the photographer to ensure that you have permission to use them, as some photographers have copyright restrictions.
If your pet has sadly passed away, I will do my best to work from the photographs that you have. I prefer to see the photos prior to accepting the commission so that I can make sure that I can work from them to create something that you will love. If I do not think that I can create something special for you, I will decline the commission, as I always want customers to be happy with the final portrait.
Deposit and Creating Your Portrait
After I have seen your photographs, and we have discussed your portrait, a 25% deposit will be required. This will secure a place on my waiting list and can be done through PayPal or eTransfer (or another agreed upon method).
Deposits are non-refundable after I have started work on your portrait, except in the unfortunate case that I have to cancel your portrait for any reason, in which case I will refund your deposit in full.
When the portrait is complete, I will send you an email with the attached image of the portrait for your approval. When you are satisfied with the portrait, full payment will be required.
Copyright and Shipping
The copyright to reproduce and share digital images of the portrait is retained by me. Please contact me if you wish to have prints made, and let me know in advance if you would like me to wait until a specific date before posting on social media or my website.
Shipping is provided at an additional cost, depending on your location.
Pricing
If you would like to receive a personalized quote for your custom pastel portrait, please contact me. I will send you an estimate depending on the size and complexity of the portrait and framing choices.
The following list indicates pricing for a couple of options, but each portrait is unique, so size may vary due to content and composition. A custom quote will be required for any other ideas you would like to discuss and will be valid for three months after it is sent to you. Additional pets added to a portrait are an additional cost. Please note that prices are subject to change without notice.
*All prices are in Canadian Dollars.
The best way to care for your portrait is to bring it to your local, professional framer to have it framed with archival materials to last a life time.
I am always happy to help and give you the best advice I can on selecting photos or any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to be in touch if you have questions or would like to send me photos to discuss some possibilities without any obligation to purchase.