“Artemis, what are you getting Mommy for Mother’s Day?” I asked Artemis every early May. I, like you, take my responsibilities as a dog mom very seriously, but I know even the most well-trained dog won’t make you brunch on Sunday morning. In the past few years, Artemis and I have always gone out for brunch on Mother’s Day, sometimes with other dog moms, sometimes with friends without dogs, and sometimes just the two of us. But this year, we will not be going out for brunch on Mother’s Day. And you probably won’t be either.
But there is a gift that your dog can give you, and it can only come from your dog! The pet portrait. Nowadays, there are several options to get well-priced custom portraits of your dog that you can hang on your walls or place on a display shelf. Unlike most of the things you buy that are related to your dog, the pet portrait is just for you. We’re big fans of the dog portrait—when I was just starting out in the world after graduating from school, my first boss and mentor was celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown, whose gorgeous home in Montclair, New Jersey has a room with floor-to-ceiling dog portraits. Of course, I live in a studio apartment so I don’t have the luxury of a room full of dog portraits. But I have several portraits of Artemis in my home, and I intend to keep building my collection. Here are some of our favorite places to order a custom pet portrait of your own right now, without going to a portrait studio and getting your dog to hold still for several hours.
Hand-Painted Portrait on Canvas by Tayler Smith
Our photographer, Tayler Smith, is painting 8″ x 8″ custom portraits of your dog (or cat! or even you as a dog!) on canvas for $100 + $15 shipping. Send in a photo of your dog and choose your canvas color, and let her put her carefully honed skills of showing off your dog’s best features to work. Right now, she’s offering a $5 raffle to win portrait of your own.
We were gifted this 8″ x 10″ printed pet portrait, featuring Artemis in an actual Elizabethan collar and not the cone of shame, by our website designer, Loki Loki. All you have to do is upload a photo of your dog and choose the ridiculous costume that suits their regality. Got a pack? You can include up to three dogs in one portrait, and it’s less than $100!
Digitally Illustrated Portraits by West & Willow
If your home is filled with fiddle-leaf fig trees and minimalist furniture, you may want a more contemporary portrait of your dog. These digitally illustrated pet portraits range from 8″ x 10″ to 18″ x 24″, and you can even choose the color of the frame (black or white), or go without the frame for a poster version. Two-dog versions are available, and it’s all under $100.
Hand-Painted Portrait on Canvas by Morgane Chang
We met our friend Morgane Chang when she was working at The Wing, where we are founding members, but before that, she was working at BarkBox, where she illustrated their coffee table book. She still does custom dog portraits on canvas for anyone interested in commissioning one. It will run you into the hundreds, but you’ll never have another portrait like it.
Maybe you already have some photos of your dog that you love, but the only place they’re being viewed is on your Instagram. We love how Framebridge offers gallery walls with frames already picked out to complement each other. All you need to do is upload your photos, and you can view them on a mock wall before you order them. We used them for portraits taken by photographer Sylvie Rosokoff. A real human being reviews the order before it is sent to you. We got a nice note about how cute Artemis is in the package!
Header photography by Lauren Marsh