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Hudson - Memorial for the family Golden Retriever

Hudson holds a special place in my heart as I actually grew up with this handsome old boy xHudson was a classic golden retriever, everything you could ever want in a family dog: loyal, calm, loving and undeniably adorable. The softest soul you would ever meet. My parents brought Hudson home when I was at highschool. They had originally wanted to get a little girl, however Hudson was the only puppy not accounted for when they got there. After a week of falling in love with this big smoosh, t...

Macie - a memorial portrait for a hero dog

Macie was not only her families goofy and adorable lab, she was also a globally celebrated hero. At just 18 months old, Macie was called upon to save the life of a cat named Rory. Rory had eaten rat poison and was fading fast. He was in desperate need of a blood transfusion. While his family and vets rushed to try and find a matching donor for Rory, his vet stumbled across a little-know last resort... In speaking with the animal blood bank, she learned that in the absence of an appropriate ...

A pair in life, together forever

An A3 portrait ...

Red Dog - The best Kelpie companion

An A3 portrait...

Chelsea -capturing a soul dog x

I felt a lot of pressure to capture Chelsea in the way her mum remembered her. She was a relentlessly happy and loyal girl, always right there, with her open mouthed smile and wagging tail.As I was talking with Chelsea's mum about her little soul dog, she kept highlighting Chelsea's "helicopter tail", how she would zoom over to you spinning her tail in a frantic, joyful wag. As soon as I heard this, I knew I had to include her little tail in the portrait.Such a tiny detail ended up being her mum...

Marley 2.0 - The destiny dog

Marley 2.0 has a story that made me laugh, smile and tear up. Marley 2.0 was not her dads first Marley. Marley 1, was his goofy, slobbery, crazy companion for years. Living on his own in rural NZ, Marley and her dad were like batman and Robin, joined at the hip. When Marley suddenly passed, he was left completely heartbroken, and feeling totally alone. Weeks later, and after a lot of indecision around getting another dog, he stumbled across this golden girl online; unwanted and misunde...

Jameson - The resturant mascot

If you've spent a lot of time on Waiheke island over the last 10 years, you may well recognize Jameson. Jameson was the restaurant mascot at The Courtyard, a well-known Waiheke hang out spot, with an unreal view and beach access. He would spend his days rocking around outside, waiting politely for pats from the locals and baking in the sun like a little bread roll.He was so deeply loved, that when he suddenly passed in 2023, his portrait was booked within days by locals, and now hangs at the res...

Jeebus: A regal cat for a 40th birthday

Some animals are just born regal, and Jeebus was one of them - a long-haired grey cat with the bearing of minor royalty, painted as a 40th birthday gift for his owner's partner....

Milo and Maddie: two little dogs, one no longer here

Milo and Maddie came to me by word of mouth - a friends recommendation, which is how a lot of my favourite commissions begin. Two little dogs, painted together, with one of them no longer here....

Bear: The weight of getting it right

Not every portrait carries the same weight. Some are joyful, some are gifts, and a few arrive carrying so much meaning that I feel the responsibility in my hands as I paint. Bear's was one of those....

Monty, home again: a memorial dog portrait

Monty was diagnosed as terminal while I was painting him. Partway through a commission that had started as a celebration, it quietly became a memorial, and that changed what the portrait needed to be....

Moose: A Rottweiler x Blue heeler portrait worth the wait

Moose's owner had been looking for years. Years, searching for someone who could paint her partners Rottweiler x Blue Heeler properly and do him justice. When she finally found me, the pressure was on, and I loved it....

Koda and Narla - Two Samoyeds, white on white

White dogs are one of the most satisfying challenges I take on, and Koda and Narla were two of them at once. Both Samoyeds, all cloud-white fluff, painted together as a surprise for a husband's birthday....

Percy: a memorial portrait for a once-in-a- lifetime dog

Some dogs are once in a lifetime. Percy was one of those - a heart dog, the kind whose absence leaves a room a little quieter. By the time his family came to me, Percy had already passed, and I knew this portrait needed to do more than look like him. It needed to feel like him....

Leo: The Oriental Siamese and a request from the other side of the world

Leo found me from the other side of the world. A true Siamese, full of personality and confidence, and by all accounts a great talker - his family requested his portrait from the UK for a mum missing her best friend. Distance was no obstacle....