Mona Lisa, move aside. It's little Tommy's turn, says Pooja Bhula as the trend of pet portraits picks up
Once upon a time, portraits were a matter of status, both for the muse and the artist. Even Van Gogh expressed his desire to be commissioned them, by painting and showcasing his self-portraits. Though today, not many fancy having their pictures framed on the wall, pet portraits have become a new way for owners to indulge their animal friends. Dogs sure share the biggest piece of the pie, but there's demand for portraits of cats and horses too. Here are a few artists (exploring this niche) and styles to choose from:
Painting pooches
Gumi Malhotra has been painting wildlife, especially tigers, for almost 20 years, but had her first exhibition only last November to raise funds for Charlie's Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) that save strays. Amazed by her water-colour depictions on handmade paper, several pet owners approached her for portraits of their pooches. "I've completed 20-odd orders. I'm trying not to take more as I want to do an exhibition on cows, goats and other animals that we view merely as a commodity. But it's difficult to say no, because many want them as a remembrance of pets that have passed away, or to gift them to their loved ones," says the 52-year-old, The Bengaluru-based artist, who takes about a week to complete one portrait, generally asks clients to send different photos of their pets to be able to see them from different angles and likes detailing the eyes. "That's where their essence comes through," she says. While the animals look life-like, the diffused background and fluid brush strokes give them a lovely painterly quality that's characteristic of water colours. In recent times, she's also getting requests from horse owners. A good chunk of her revenues are donated to CARE.
Where: Gumi Malhotra - Paintings (Facebook Page)
Wallet: Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000 (depending on size, detailing and other aspects)
The pawfect sketch
MBA, courses in food and nutrition, fashion, graphic design... 27-year-old Madhuree Ahuja tried it all, but finally found her calling in sketching wildlife and pets. "I never wanted to do human portraits. Having grown up with a lot of pets – cats, dogs, pigeons, parrots and more – I've always had a profound interest in animals," says the Mumbai-based, self-taught artist. She asks people for minimum two high-resolution reference pictures and unlike most portrait artists, who use paints, she prefers artist-grade pencil colours. "You'll be amazed at the result; it allows lovely strokes for the fur. The quality shows in the sketches." The portraits turn out quite sharp and from afar, can sometimes pass off as photographs. She uses backgrounds, toys and other elements that form part of the pets' day-to-day lives, for that personal touch. Ahuja generally takes 10-12 days to complete one portrait and doesn't start on a new order, until she's completed the previous one. Therefore an advance notice is advisable.
Where: madhureea@yahoo.in. Services also available at Pawfect: The Pet Salon and Spa (98206 25092)
Wallet: Rs 8,000 and above (based on size and detailing)
Doodling Memories
Just as tattoo-painting artists generally see a beeline of excited kids at parties, at pet events, Mumbai-based illustrator Omkar Mahashabde's stall is usually buzzing with those who want to get stories of their pooches doodled. "One day, a couple of years ago, on seeing photos of a friend and his pets, I thought 'wouldn't it be interesting to doodle pet memories? They would make for lovely personalised gifts'." After he doodled a few for friends, he was invited by canine trainer and behaviourist Shirin Merchant, for a pet event in Pune. Following which he received several other invitations. He usually asks people to narrate anecdotes, incidents or special memories of their pets and composes them on paper in 20-25 minutes with sketch pens, micro-tip pens and water colours. Most people WhatsApp him photos of their pets, and while at events, he can actually meet them too. "Although you never see the exact identity of the subject in doodles, I like to bring out their unique features," he adds. If rather than framing the artwork, you'd prefer to have it on mugs or T-shirts, he also does digital doodles. While the events he's been invited to have all been organised for dogs, outside of them, he's also received a few orders from cat owners.
Where: omkar.mahashabde@gmail.com; 9819163488
Wallet: Rs 700-800
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