I met Darla's owner a few years ago when I was visiting her restaurant.  She is a great chef!  We struck up a friendship and also an art consignment deal.  I exhibited my paintings in her restaurant.  A few years later when her beloved dog Darla passed she asks me to do a portrait of her.  Darla is 11 x 14 oil on canvas.

I met Elle at a friend's Christmas party a few years ago.  She was very friendly and sweet.  When she passed my friend ask me to do a portrait of her for Elle's father's office.  I was happy to do it.  Elle's portrait is 11 x 14 oil on canvas.

A Cat named Goat .......pet portrait 11 x 14 oil

I received a call from a potential client who found me on a web search for pet portrait artist.  She explained she has a friend who loves her cat so much that she would like to have a portrait of it to give to her friend as a special birthday gift. She had a deadline of 2 weeks.....whew, ok no problem for me usually.  As I've said before I'm a fast painter so I went for it.

She let me do my thing with the design, but the cat portrait is based on a photo of her friend holding Goat.  (By the way I found out that Goat means greatest of all time.)  This cat must have some attitude.  ok - I better paint a hell of a painting for a cat with a name that means "greatest of all time"!  As you can see I had a little fun with the design!

GOAT the cat is 11 x 14

Sally's sister Daisy - pet portraits by mike brouse

I painted Daisy's sister Sally, a terrier, about 7 years ago.  You can read Sally's story on this blog.  Daisy's mother contacted me again to paint her new dog Daisy when Daisy turned 5 years old.  Daisy is a beautiful purebred white labrador retriever.  I got to meet Daisy prior to painting her.  I try to do this if the client is local to the Boulder, Colorado area.  What a wonderful warm personality.  A real sweetheart!  I soaked her in and took some playful reference photos of her.

The portrait was a surprise father's day gift from Daisy's mother.  I try to make these paintings affordable for most people because they make such great gifts.   The 11 x 14 of Daisy was $350 oil on canvas.  Daisy's mother chose the background because it represents her back yard.  Daisy spends a lot of time back there.

Daisy is 11 x 14 oil on canvas

Chicken is Little (11 x 14 oil) sensitive dog portrait by Mike Brouse

I have been doing pet portraits continuously for about 14 years now.  I work from good reference photos of the pet.  I have done pet portraits in small and large sizes and for people all over the USA.  Kevin called me last week from Denver.  He wanted to inquire about 2 portraits of his sisters dogs for her birthday. My first thought was "very sweet"!  What a guy who loves his sister!  Then I asked when his sister's birthday is and he told me it's in 10 days.  Two oil portraits in 10 days..... and he wants them framed too.

Luckily I was between commission projects so I said I would try to make it happen.  I am a fast painter so I can usually finish a portrait in 6-8 man-hours, but it's pretty intense work.

So Chicken was first up.  Here he is as an 11 x 14 oil on canvas  - I charge between $350 - $475 for an 11 x 14 depending on how quickly the client wants the painting, and also if they want it framed or not.

Chicken the dog is 11 x 14 oil on canvas