So this is the time of year when you start seeing Christmas decorations trickle into the stores, and you find yourself saying “Christmas all ready.” It sneaks up on us fast and before we know it we are in the midst of Christmas, fake snow and everything. This is also the time we start thinking about what to buy our loved ones and it is always a nice feeling to get an early start on buying Christmas presents. Some of you may have found my website while looking for gift ideas. Paintings make a great gift, especially custom paintings. They are unique and very personal. It is always nice to receive a gift that had a lot of thought put into it. If you are thinking about giving a pet portrait it is important to order early. They take about six week to be completed, but the holiday time is the busiest time of year so it is always good to order early (like now) to ensure that you will have your portrait done by Christmas. So when you start thinking of gift ideas, get creative especially if you have a pet lover in your life, and think about the gift of art. They will have a personalized painting they will keep forever.
How to Adopt a Dog or Cat
August 12, 2008 at 3:34 am (Adopting Pets)
Tags: adopt a cat, adopt a dog, how to adopt a pet, pet addotions, pet adoption center, pet organizations, save a cat, save a dog, save a pet
Pet Adoption Options
When it comes to adopting pets, there are many options. People have different reasons for adopting a pet, and often this reason influences where they look for their new friend. For some people, whether the animal is a purebred or not is important, so they will pursue breeders. Others are interested in saving an animal from the fate of a life without a loving family. These people will typically search animal rescue organizations or animal shelters. Both purebred and mixed breed animals can be found at these organizations, as well as older animals and animals that need special care. This guide will help you explore your options when considering the adoption of a new family pet.
Choosing a Breeder
You’ve decided that it’s time for your family to have a brand new pet. Everyone is ready to play with it, feed it, clean it, and care for it every day. You know that you want a purebred, and you’ve researched the genetic and behavioral disposition of every breed, and you know the breed that’s best for your family and your lifestyle. The final step is to find a good breeder.
First, avoid pet stores. It is a known fact that most pets that are offered in pet stores come from mass breeding facilities more commonly known as “puppy farms” or “pet farms.” This is not a business practice that you want to support. It’s best to do the ethical thing and avoid them at all cost.
There are several methods you can use to evaluate breeders. Initially, obtain a list of referrals of reputable breeders from your veterinarian or local dog shows. Always visit where the breeder raises the dogs or cats, and bring the following checklist in order to determine whether the breeder is a good one.
Does the breeder:
- Raise the animals in a home, as part of a family?
- Have animals that appear healthy and excited when visitors arrive?
- Maintains a clean area where the animals are raised?
- Shows you the animals parents when you visit?
- Knowledgeable about the breed?
- Can produce records of veterinary visits for the animals?
- Provides references?
- Offers guidance for caring for your new pet and for the particular breed?
Purebred Rescue
An even better option than buying a new animal from a breeder, is to invest in saving a purebred living at a purebred rescue group. Purebred breeding groups are wonderful organizations that accept purebred animals that are typically abandoned, found as strays, or from local animal shelters. Purebred rescue organizations typically have a great deal of knowledge about the breed they work with, and usually offer a great deal of guidance for adoptive families.
When you purchase a purebred from a rescue group, you can feel good about having saved an animal from living a life without a loving family. You can find local rescue groups in your area through the newspaper classified section. A great resource for rescuing purebred dogs is to search through the contact list at the American Kennel Club (http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm). Another great resource for both cats and dogs is AllAboutDogsandCats.com (http://www.allaboutdogsandcats.com/Dogs/BreedRescue.html), which provides a list of hundreds of national breed rescue clubs and organizations.
Animal Shelters
An animal shelter is the best source where you can find a family pet. Family shelters are home to many wonderful animals who mostly are only there because of the humans who previously owned them, not for any fault of their own. Often life changes, unrealistic expectations, or other reasons force families to give up their animals to animal shelters. Half of these animals end up euthanized because there simply isn’t enough space. This is why, obtaining your family pet from an animal shelter is the greatest thing you can do, and it is something you can feel very good about.
It is a common misconception that the animals at animal shelters are all mixed-breeds, poorly behaved, or poorly kept. While this may hold true for a minority of them, many of the animals found at shelters around the country are actually purebreds, nicely kept, and very well behaved. Many shelters even offer adoption counseling, training classes, and even discounted or free neutering. Some great resources to locate animal shelters around the country include Pets 911 (http://www.pets911.com/), 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com (http://1-800-save-a-pet.com/), or Petfinder (http://www.petfinder.org/). Another good resource is the classified section of your local newspaper, or the yellow pages under “Animal Shelters”.
A Pet Portrait of Your New Pet
Once you discover that special pet that will become your friend for life, there is no better way to celebrate than to commemorate the beauty and overwhelming “cuteness” of your new family friend with a painted pet portrait.
Pet portraits are sweeping the country as a very popular form of recognizing how much your animal friend means to you and your family. Pet portraits can be especially meaningful because when you see a pet portrait on the wall, it is a statement that this animal isn’t just “another animal”, but it shows that your pet is a loved and cherished member of the family.
Keeping Your Pets Safe During the Summer
July 6, 2008 at 11:49 pm (Pet Tips)
Tags: cat caring tips, dog caring tips, groom your pets, hydration tips for pets, love your pets, pet safety, play with your pets, summer tips for pets
If you live in Souther California like I do you are probably trying to avoid the heat. It’s so important for pets to stay safe during the summer months, especially when they are outdoor animals. Many cats, dogs and even horses can be overcome by the heat. Here are a few quick tips to keep your animals safe during the hot summer months.
- Always have a shaded area for your pets to retreat to. This can be a dog house, igloo, overhang from the house, or a cooled garage.
- Keep plenty of water available. This is a must!!! Animals can’t live without water, and during the summer months their water bowls can dry up quickly from evaporation. Many pet companies now sell special outdoor water bowls that can be attached to your hose to ensure a fresh water supply all day 7 days a week.
- Grooming your pet. Most animals will shed naturally, but if you have a long-haired dog or cat, it can take awhile for them to shed out their undercoats. There are several brands of specialty desheding combs that remove loose hair. This is also great if your pet frequently comes indoors. This way they won’t shed all over the house.
- Check your pets food. Many times during the summer, bugs and other insects change their habitats as well. Ever get Ants during the summer? Make sure your pets food is not overcome with bugs, insects or any type of harmful bacteria. Make sure your pet has fresh food every day. Even if they don’t all their food, it’s best to throw out the left overs. Even small flies and other invisible bacteria can start to develop very quickly. You wouldn’t eat left over, day old food if it was sitting out all day would you? Especially not if it was sitting outside for a whole day!
- Love your pet. Loving your pet means keeping it healthy. Not only diet but exercise too. If you don’t have much of a yard for your animals to roam around in, take them to the local park or beach if you can. Some beaches restrict pets, so just do your research about local and state beaches before going. If you are going to a local park, again, make sure your pet has a water source and a place to cool down. It’s great fun to play with your pets at the park, but keep them safe too. Keep them at a safe distance from other Pets and small children, unless you know them or have your pet on a retraint such as a lease or harness. Just be courteous.
The most important part of taking care of your pet, is realizing that they are just like humans. They survive off the same essential things that we do, so treat them like you would yourself or a family member. Keep your pets safe during the summer and they’ll continue loving you just as they always have!!
Good Photos for Pet Portraits
April 30, 2008 at 1:53 am (Pet Portraits)
Tags: california, good photos, how to paint a pet portrait, los angeles, pet artist, pet portrait artist, Pet Portraits
I recently finished a painting and am getting ready to start a new one. I have a great idea for the painting and most of the props I need to work from. The pet owner is having me paint a picture of her Lhaso Apso with its favorite toy, but of course in a non-traditional setting. She recently sent me the photos of her dog and I realized I did not explain to her the desirable qualities a good reference photo needs. I pride myself on making the animals in the paintings as close to the real thing as possible, because of this it is really important to have a good photo. The photos that the lady sent me were mainly taken inside, from an ariel view. When I paint my pet portraits the view of the animal is almost always at eye level. Therefore when taking a photo of ones pet it is great to get down at their level when snapping a picture. If you are not a professional photographer which most people aren’t the best way to get a good picture is to take it outside. The colors and tone quality of the photo are much better than photos taken inside. Lastly it is good to have many different poses of your pet. You want to get a good shot of their face and a good shot of their body especially one that shows the pose the pet is going to be painted in. The pictures of the Lhaso were mostly taken while the dog was lying down in a blanket. The folds of the blanket hid most of the dog’s body making it hard to get a good idea of the true subject. The key is, the better the photos the closer the painting will resemble the pet.
Inspiration for a Pet Portrait
April 11, 2008 at 8:21 am (Pet Portraits, Traditional Art)
Tags: california, composition, human figure, inspiration, los angeles, oil painting, pet portrait artist, Pet Portraits
The other day I was driving down the street and saw a billboard for a show that had a dark image of an arm coming out of the earth covered in ropey vines. Then the best idea for a pet portrait came into my head. When I started painting, my work primarily consisted of people, which is really easy to find inspiration for settings since many artist paint people and the boundaries have been stretched pretty far to represent the human figure. When I first started painting pet portraits I was a little wary that my individual style might get lost. As time goes by I realize that anything you can do to the human figure you can do to an animal painting. By learning to think this way the paintings have become even more unique since you don’t usually see the household pet in a surreal setting, creating an amusing and interesting composition. So in the future don’t be surprised if you see a pet portrait that might reminds you of that dark image I saw driving down the road.
-Nikky Hughes
Pet Portrait Artist
Los Angeles
For more info, visit my full site at http://www.nikkyhughes.com
One of my favorite portrait paintings
April 9, 2008 at 9:18 pm (Surreal Portraits, Traditional Art)
Tags: custom portraits, glendale, los angeles, Nikky Hughes, oil paintings, portrait artist
One of favorite portraits. I’ve created some very subtle color and lighting effects in the skin tones. Comments welcome. I’d like to hear from some of the viewers about this piece.
Goodbye to “Art”
April 1, 2008 at 9:48 pm (Pet Portraits)
Tags: animal portraits, art in the hills, bird, cat portraits, dog, horse, Nikky Hughes, oil painting, pet art, Pet Portraits
I recently wrote about painting a portrait of my cat Art and his ailing health. Well last week the inevitable happened. We made the decision to put him to sleep. I had spoken with the vet and others who had to euthanize their pet about when do you know it’s time. Most said you would know, boy were they right. You love your pet and when they get sick you worry that they are suffering, but you also don’t want to prematurely end their life if it is still fulfilling to them, but when Art got to the point where he was physically having trouble getting up to eat or potty, I new the time had come. It is definitely one of the saddest things I have had to do. This was the first pet that I had gone through this with as an adult. We had pets when I was little but my mom had always hidden all the sad details about a pets passing making it easier for my young mind to handle.
Now that he is gone, sometimes my mind forgets and I think I see him out of the corner of my eye or I automatically look to his corner where he liked to lay thinking he will be there. I guess these things will lessen with time, but it is nice in the mean time to remember his presence. He was with us for eleven great years and know he will be a part of my heart forever.
Custom Dog Portrait of a Puggle
March 7, 2008 at 1:20 am (Pet Portraits, Surreal Portraits)
Tags: animal art, custom dog portrait, custom painting, custom pet portraits, dog art, Nikky Hughes
Some pet portraits incorporate both the owner’s needs and the dog’s personality. When I was commissioned to do the painting of the puggle in the yellow flowers we talked about many different aspects that we could add to the painting. The puggle loved lying in the flower bed and also like chewing on rocks, sticks and pinecones. This was a painting for her husband and the husband loved his dog but also was a big motorcycle enthusiast so I was able to find a way of adding all of these elements to create a painting that fit the dog and the owner.
Custom Dog Portrait in Oils
March 7, 2008 at 12:34 am (Pet Portraits, Surreal Portraits)
Tags: animal artist, custom animal art, custom art, custom pet painting, dog portrait, Nikky Hughes, Pet Portraits
When painting animal portraits I also take into account the personality of the person the painting is for. The painting of the pug on the lily pad has very little to do with the dog’s likes and dislikes and much more to do with the taste of the owner. The owner loved gardens and had recently been to Hawaii and had a great picture of a water lily garden. I worked on incorporating the picture of the lily pads into a painting including her dog so she had her beloved pet with a background she enjoyed aesthetically.
