Finished Portrait of Roscoe the Jack Russell Terrier

Portrait of Roscoe the Jack Russell Terrier by Hope Lane

I’ve completed my painting of Roscoe, fine-tuning all the detail into his fur, his eyes and his collar. He’s such a handsome boy. When I showed his painting to his “mom”, she noticed how much white there was in his face. I was concerned I’d gotten something wrong and that somehow the photo may have been misleading. But no, she said it was accurate and she just hadn’t noticed how he’s changed.

It’s funny how looking at a painting can make you see things in a different light. Paintings cause us to step back and bit–and notice things we may not have noticed before. As an artist, I find it much harder to paint someone or something I’m emotionally connected to. I had a tough time painting my own dog–and still haven’t done my husband’s portrait. When I painted my own self portrait for an art class, the only way I could do it was by trying to see my face only as a series of shadows and highlights. Of positive and negative shapes. It was a fascinating experience because if I started to see it as “me”, I lost my way in the painting.

Every time I do a custom pet portrait I remember that lesson–and take a great deal of pleasure in hearing from my clients that the painting truly resembles their pet.

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