Fun, Bright and Colorful-- with Love.
I began making pet portraits in 2011 when I needed to make birthday cards for my brother and father and was at a loss as to what to put on the front. I flipped through some magazines, found photos of a cat and a dog, and made the cards. I had so much fun making them and thus the seed for my shop was planted. I started selling to family and friends and Ittlebitty was born! I love selling through Etsy because it makes me feel great to be able to take the talent and skills that I developed in art school and directly touch people's lives. It makes me so happy when I find out how much someone loves their portrait and I get a sense of pride and honor in knowing that my work is framed and displayed on someone's wall.
I began with a drawing based approach, but over time began painting more and more. I use materials that I love--soft, yielding graphite for the initial drawing and fluid acrylics and ink that allow for freer brushstrokes and expressive lines. My favorite part is adding the finishing touches--painting in whiskers with an ultra fine brush or adding a dash of pearlescent pink ink to an animal's nose or tongue.
I find that pet portraits have a tendency to be cheesy or look like they're painted directly from a photo. I try my hardest to do the opposite and inject my portraits with a dose of quirky personality and love. Every background is carefully considered and unique to each piece. Sometimes I find myself painting over a background 6 or 7 times until I get it right--I want each portrait to feel as special as the pet it was commissioned to honor and I bring a high level of perfectionism to everything I do.
I look at Maira Kalman's illustrations and constantly reference her color combinations. I love pom poms, the Busy World of Richard Scarry, brightly colored confetti, and neon office supplies.
