Author: isadora

Christmas Gifts for Pet Lovers

Posted on by isadora

It's time to start thinking about Christmas gifts, especially if you want to give a unique, custom gift such as a hand-painted pet portrait. I already have half-a-dozen orders in for Christmas. I love those early orders, because they give plenty of time for me to spend making their portrait just right!

I have many options available for the pet-lovers on your Christmas list. Check out my Pet Portraits page for a variety of styles of custom-painted portraits for everybody on your list. I offer everything from traditional pet portraits, to bold and colorful pet portraits, to tattoo-style paintings of you pet… even Day of the Dead style pet paintings! A custom pet portrait is a one-of-a-kind gift that is surprisingly affordable and sure to be treasured for years to come. My portrait options start at less than $100!

If you're looking for something a little different for the dog or cat lover on your Christmas list, try browsing around my Etsy shop. I have many ready-made gifts such as hand-painted tote bags with a variety of art on them, already painted dog and cat art, prints and more. Explore, and find a hand-made gift for everybody on your list!

Happy holiday shopping!

Click on any of the images below to order a similar style of pet portrait! You'll see all of the size and pricing options right on the page in my shop.

Pet Portrait Sale – Custom Pet Portraits 10% Off

Posted on by isadora

I don't do sales very often, but I'm doing one now… that means that my pet portraits, prints, hand-painted tote bags, hand-painted jewelry boxes, and original art are ALL on sale! Check out my Etsy store at www.artbyisadora.etsy.com to browse all of the awesomeness that you an save on.

For the month of April, everything in my Etsy shop is 10% off when you use the coupon code SPRING at checkout!

Check out some of the great items I have on sale. If you see something you like, click it and it will take you right to that item in my shop!

Memorial Pet Portraits in Three Styles – Custom Portraits Honor the Memory of Lost Pets

Posted on by isadora

I painted three memorial pet portraits this week, and as I finished the third, it struck me how beautiful it is that each customer had a very specific and personal idea about how they wanted the portrait created.

One wanted angel wings on their sweet boy, one wanted a more traditional portrait, and one wanted a very stylized portrait showing his beloved girl in the tall grass in which she loved to play, with a bird in the sky reminding him how she loved to chase after them.

It's such an honor to be asked to create these pet memorials.

It is never easy to lose a pet. They are members of our family, our "fur babies" as I call my own dogs. I think a beautiful custom portrait that will last for generations is a lovely way to honor their memory.

In addition to the three styles I mention in this article, I have more portrait options on my Pet Portraits page.

Ello – New social media platform!

Posted on by isadora

Ello

This post is for all of you creatives out there! I’ve recently discovered a new social media platform that’s entirely for creators, and I really like it so far. Here’s how they describe the platform:

“The Creators Network

Ello is the only network designed for creators, by creators. A robust and growing community of artists, designers, musicians, illustrators, photographers, architects, GIF makers – creators, who understand that our process, practice, values and passions can push the world forward in a better direction.

Unlike the status quo advertising platforms that masquerade as social networks, Ello is not in business to harvest as much of your personal data and sell you as many ads as possible. As a Public Benefit Corporation, Ello has a legal mandate to never sell ads or personal data to third parties.

We believe your content and following are yours. We won’t throttle your stream or nickel and dime you to reach your following.”

So, if you’re a fellow creative, I think it’s worth checking out. While you’re there, you can follow me at ello.co/artbyisadora

Now selling on Vango Original Art

Posted on by isadora

I'm happy to announce that you can now shop for my original artwork on Vango!

Vango is a website dedicated specifically to original artwork. It's a great way for buyers to shop for quality pieces outside of a brick and mortar gallery while supporting indepent artists such as myself. Shopping on Vango allows the artists to continue beautifying the planet with their creations, while allowing you, the art lover, to decorate your living space with hand-made goodness.

Please swing by my page on Vango to see my latest creations!

vango

Five Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Pet Lovers

Posted on by isadora

August is around the time I start getting inquiries for Christmas orders. It may seem a bit early, but here's a secret… I LOVE the early holiday shoppers! It gives me that extra bit of breathing room to work on their portraits before the big holiday rush.

Here are a few great ideas for holiday gifts for the pet lover in your life!

Dog portrait Christmas Gift

Colorful Pet Portrait

Giving somebody a portrait of their favorite pet is an amazing holiday gift. It shows forethought, planning, and it is completely unique. Plus, it's handmade, so there is ZERO possibility that somebody will give them the same gift. Plus, it lasts a lifetime. Every time they see that portrait on the wall, they'll remember how thoughtful you were to give them a gift that touched their heart, because there is nothing a pet lover appreciates more than something related to their beloved dog, cat, horse, iguana, parakeet… you get the picture!

Click here to order a pet portrait.

Dog portrait Christmas Gift

"Pocket Sized" Colorful Pet Portrait

Slide one of these mini portraits into somebody special's stocking or tuck one into a little gift bag for a BIG surprise! These small, custom pet portraits are absolutely adorable and are perfect as gifts or as "pocket portraits" to fit easily in your favorite pet lover's cubicle at work, bedside table, or even into a suitcase to take that pet's image along during travel! These little beauties have all of the same quality as a larger portrait… they're just smaller! What a fun, unique and thoughtful gift.

Click here to order a mini pet portrait.

Dog portrait Christmas Gift

Surreal Style Pet Portrait

If your favorite pet lover leans towards the more unusual things in life, this is a gift like no other! These custom portraits are a fusion of my contemporary painting style with the amazingly beautiful Mexican Day of the Dead style for a truly unique piece of art featuring your beloved animal. It is a dreamy and surreal take on portraiture that is sure to please the dog or cat lover on your Christmas list!

Click here to order a surreal and dreamy pet portrait.

Dog portrait Christmas Gift

Tattoo Style Pet Portrait

Does the pet lover on your list like a little rock-n-roll mixed in with their art? Then this tattoo-style pet portrait is just the ticket to ace your Christmas giving this holiday season. These 8" x 10" portraits are painted in fluid acrylics on hand-made rice paper with a gorgeous emulsion of sea shell powder that gives it a lustrous surface. They are custom portraits created from your photos in a really special and unusual style, with the pet's name hand-painted right in the banner. Nobody will be expecting this amazing gift!

Click here to order a tattoo style pet portrait.

Perfect Christmas Gift for Pet Lovers

Pick Any of my Other Hand-Painted Gifts for the Win!

Maybe a portrait just isn't what you want to give. No problem! I have a wide selection of hand-painted gifts in my store that are ready to please the most discriminating pet lover on your shopping list. From hand-painted tote bags and pillows, to prints, jewelry boxes, and even some original paintings already painted and ready to hang on the wall, I've got you covered. Stop by my store and browse around!

Click here to browse through my online store.

Custom Pet Portraits Make Great Gifts!

Posted on by isadora

Best Gifts for Pet Lovers

When it comes to people who adore their pets, you know what kind of gifts they treasure most. Gifts that relate to their pets! Even better are personalized pet gifts. The challenge can be finding items they don't already have, and ones that will last a long time.

The best gift for the dog, cat or horse lover in your life (or bird, reptile, you name it!) may be a portrait of their pet. Looking at the responses I've received from some of my clients who have commissioned a portrait of a friend or loved one's pet, it's a surefire win in the gifting department!

Click here to order a portrait!

"When I saw the painting for the first time I was amazed and knew my wife would love it… [it] even brought her to tears. This one painting symbolizes so much for me, my wife and our puppy Rey…"

"Beautiful. I couldn't think of a better way to honor the memory of my dog… I love it!"

"Such wonderful paintings! I can't wait to order more!"

"Perfect gift for a family that recently lost their pet."

If you'd like to order a portrait, the process is easy and fun! Click here to view available sizes and pricing details. You can also give a gift certificate for a portrait to allow your friend or loved one to be a part of the process as I create the painting.

Bottom line: the perfect gift that will last a lifetime is a click away. How easy was that?

It’s getting hot, hot, hot!

Posted on by isadora

Social media expansion for my art is in full effect!

Summertime here in southern Arizona is no joke! As the temperatures soar well above 100 degrees, I'm finding myself enjoying time at the easel that much more (if that's even possible!).

 

I'm also doing some of those little things I always mean to do, but just never seem to get around to doing, like working on establishing myself more on social media, and creating some fun ways for people to feel more in touch with my art and process.

 

That said, I've created an Instagram account for my art at instagram.com/artbyisadora where you can see more of my work, plus fun features like time-lapse videos of my art being created.

 

You can also always follow my other social media pages, such as my Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest pages.

 

Thanks for keeping in touch, and if you are also in the heat this summer, stay cool!

How to have a custom portrait painted of your pet

Posted on by isadora

Ordering a custom painting of your pet in three easy steps!

Having a portrait painted of your pet is a fun and easy process! Just follow these three easy steps:

  1. Choose the style of portrait you'd like. Options range from colorful and contemporary, to stylized and dreamy.
  2. Take some great reference photos of your pet. A few tips are to get out into natural light, or take the photo by a window, and get down to "pet level" for the photo (often this means sitting or kneeling down on the ground to take the photo). Send quite a few photos to give me lots of images in my "tool box" from which to work!
  3. Let me know all about your pet. I want to know the quirks that make your pet unique, and stories that illustrate your pet's personality are fantastic! Again, this gives me a nice, full tool box while I'm working on your portrait! My goal is to make the painting or drawing "breathe" with the life of your pet, and every detail you provide adds to my ability to do so.

That's it! The rest of the process is up to me. I'll send you sketches, color swatches, and will keep you in the loop along the way.

Please let me know if you have any questions at all. I look forward to working with you to create a piece of art your family will cherish!