about this site
An end ... and a beginning
In 2015, I first started “Animal Magic” as a pet portrait site, offering to carry out commissions for portraits of dogs, horses, and other animals. I also displayed galleries of my paintings and drawings. The site sat there quietly for the next several years, gathering very little attention, and finally met its end when the theme I had been using was no longer supported.
Then there was nothing – apart from a small, sad error message.
To revive the site I had to ask my internet providers very nicely if they could just get the pages – any pages – back up again. Meanwhile, I had a look at the little I had left. I decided that I might as well re-make the site in a completely different way.
Not your usual pet portraits
I still offer visitors the chance to commission their own pet portraits; if you are interested, please see the form here.
A word on my portraits. In the years since Animal Magic first saw daylight, there has been an exponential growth of pet portrait artists on the internet. Many produce amazing photorealistic work, perfect down to the last whisker. I am impressed with what they do, but I work differently. I do produce realistic pictures, but I start by drawing or painting freehand, so the resulting work looks a bit rougher and less polished – but I hope it will still capture the character of your animal.
I also work largely from photographs, but I like to have a selection for reference, even if I end up working mainly from one reference. In addition, I like to produce sketches from life if possible, as I find I learn so much more from seeing the animal in real life.
To see more of my work, please visit my galleries.
