"Bandit" (oil on stretched linen; 12" x 9") sold

sold

"Bandit" was commissioned by Patricia for her friend who lost this handsome cat last year. He was fourteen. It is my first tuxedo cat portrait and I enjoyed painting it.

"Maggie" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

For the past two months, I have been busy working on a new class ("Experiments in Watercolor") I am teaching at the Art League School in Alexandria, VA. Although I have produced many paintings, few are uploaded to my website, not alone blogged about. My apologies.

I will just share one small commission portrait. "Maggie" was commissioned by Tissy for her parents, who lost this beautiful Australian cattle dog. Tom and June were overwhelmed with emotions when they saw it.

"Bentley" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

"Bentley" was commissioned by Lisa who is going to gift the portrait to her stepson. Bentley loved swimming in the lake and going for walks. The reference photo had him with a golden halo around like an angel, which I accentuated. He passed away recently. He will be missed.

"Sami" (oil on stretched linen; 9" x 12") sold

sold

"Sami" was commissioned by Bridget and her siblings who are gifting the portrait to their parents for Christmas. Sami passed away in the fall at the age of 14. She loved people and attention. If you weren't petting her, she would whine and paw at you until you were. Sami also loved the lake more than anywhere else. Whenever she was outside at the family's cottage, she would sit on the dock (as in the painting) staring at people until someone came over to throw sticks into the water for her to fetch. Sitting at the dock like that came to be her signature pose and Bridget wanted her portrait to capture it.

"Beowulf" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

"Beowulf" was commissioned by Michelle who wanted to gift his owner with his portrait. Beowulf, who recently passed away, was a grand champion Bernese Mountain dog. He sired hundreds of offspring. Michelle has two of his girls. He was a wonderful boy. He was obedient and the ruler of the pack.

"Laurie and Mable the Boston Terrier" (oil on stretched linen; 14" x 11") sold

sold

"Laurie and Mable the Boston Terrier" was commissioned by my favorite client Patricia. Laurie, her administrative assistant, is going to be thrilled to receive the double portrait with her beloved Boston Terrier!

"Hobbes" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

"Hobbes" is for Robin. Hobbes, an American shorthair, had globe-like eyes with such an interesting mix of color. And he had age freckles in his nose. Robin has had many cats in her life. It's been four years since he passed, but none of them will ever be as cherished as Hobbes.

"Binx" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

"Binx" was commissioned by David. Binx is a 8-year-old Siamese and she loves outside (David and his wife have 7 cats and she is the only one that goes outdoors). She is a typical loving, cuddly Siamese. She loves to sleep under the covers when they go to bed and stays there the entire night.

In the reference photo, Binx was lolling under the Christmas tree with a scarlet tree skirt amidst gifts, as if she was inspecting them. I love the luxurious feel of the portrait!

"Henry and Lucy" (oil on streched linen; 8" x 10") sold

sold

"Henry and Lucy" is for Natalie who commissioned the double portrait for her husband. They are two adorable dogs with different personalities. I hope the portrait brings the family years of joy!

Henry is seven years old and is a Maltese. He is such a sweet gentle old soul. He is very mellow and loves to sleep on the couch and sit in the sun. He is good with their four children. If given a treat, he will wag his tail and give you lots of kisses.

Lucy, three years of age, is also a Maltese. She is very energetic; she thinks she is a child and always getting into trouble. She loves to be hugged all the time. She is loving and will jump on you and put her face in your neck and give you tons of kisses. She loves to run around, bark and play with all of her toys. She will get her dog kibble and throw it in the air.

"Sadie" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

sold

"Sadie" was commissioned by Molly for her boyfriend. Sadie, a 14-year-old mutt, loves boating. I think I captured her happiness!

"Oscar" (oil on stretched linen; 10" x 10") sold

sold

"Oscar" was commissioned by Mary for her parents. Oscar, a boxer, is only a year old and super rambunctious. He is the light of her parents' eyes.

I don't know if my readers know, but I get most of my pet portrait commissions from Etsy. Here are the sentiments expressed by Mary: "I have looked at a lot of artists on the Etsy site that commission pet portraits, but yours are my absolute favorite! ... I love the boxer picture that you have shown on your site. You really captured the playful yet sweet personality that all boxers have!"

I thought I would share where I get my satisfaction and kicks!

"Louie and Remy" (oil on stretched linen, 9" x 12") sold

sold

"Louie and Remy" was commissioned by Brad as a Christmas gift to his wife. Louie and Remy are French bulldogs. It was a tricky commission as I didn't have a good photo of Remy (on the right) to work with. So I ended up painting Louie twice in different poses. All I had to go by was that Remy is smaller and has more tan on his fur. I had to redesign the leather sofa they are sitting on too, so that it makes sense to the viewer. I think I pulled it off. What do you think?

"Porkchop" (oil on linen; 8" x 8") sold

sold

"Porkchop" is for John who commissioned the portrait as a surprise gift for his friend. It's been quite difficult to get the pictures from the owners sister. Porkchop is a four-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He loves tennis balls and water bottles. He also loves belly rubs and wants all the attention like her mom!

"Westie Love" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

"Cutie Westie" (oil, 7" x 5"; sold)

"Cutie Westie" is the first pet portrait I have ever painted, even before I started doing custom pet portraits. It was back in 2001 or 2002, when I painted my neighbor's cute westie, Phin. He is not a rambunctious puppy anymore, but I still see him taking a walk with his mom Vivian.

For some reason, the portrait remains one of the most popular pet portraits on my Etsy shop. A gentleman really liked it--the subject, background, and whole shebang--and asked me to copy it. Apparently it looks just like his westie. The reason why the two paintings look different is because of the variations in white balance. Next to each other, you have to look carefully to tell apart. Anyhow, the client is happy and so am I. Anybody who wants a copy of "Westie Love"? Lol.

"Peanut" (oil on linen; 8" x 6") gift

gift

"Peanut" is for Maggie who won my third Instagram pet portrait giveaway. Congratulations! This happy dog is about 4 years old and a mix of toy poodle, French bulldog, bichon frise, chow chow, and Staffordshire terrier. She enjoys doing agility and going on hikes.

If you are on Instagram, please follow me (@kimstenbergart) for beautiful art and giveaways. The next giveaway is the custom portrait of your child!

"Athena the Aussie" (oil on linen; 8" x 6") gift

gift

"Athena the Aussie" is for Roseline. Athena is a happy Australian shepherd who loves to wear bandanas. Roseline won the portrait in my second Instagram pet portrait giveaways. Congratulations! If you are on Instagram and owns a pet, please follow me (#kimstenbergart) for a chance to win a free pet portrait!

"Penny" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

sold

"Penny" is for Samantha, who commissioned the portrait for her friend as a surprise gift. Her aging cat loves being in the sun, so Samantha thought a portrait of the cat lying in the sun would be particularly fitting. I chose such a reference photo, but curled the tail so that it would fit in the picture and, at the same time, wouldn't lead the viewer's eye out of it. I love the way light plays on the plush leather seat on which Penny is lounging!

"Tonka" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

"Tonka" is for Lauren. Tonka, a Golden Retriever, has a title of "Grand Champion" show dog and is dad to many dogs, including Lauren's. For a while he was a service dog, too. He will be ten January, 2017. So, the portrait is the birthday present for him!

"Kisses" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

"Kisses" is for Lauren, who commissioned the portrait for her friend. Kisses, the 10-year-old Bulldog, loves all food. More than once she's even swallowed a tennis ball whole! She loves to snuggle, as her name suggests.

"Jelly" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") gift

gift

"Jelly" is for Nicole Yates. I have been developing my Instragram account of pet portrait paintings. Nicole is the luck winner of the first pet portrait giveaway that I ran for fun in October and November. Congratulations! By the way, if you are on Instragram, please follow me @kimstenbergart for a daily dose of beautiful art and occasional pet portrait giveaways!

Jelly is a very energetic one-and-a-half-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Her nicknames are "Jelly Belly" and "Jelly Bean". She's a friendly puppy to everyone she meets and loves cuddling up with as many blankets and pillows as possible. She loves being the center of attention, running around the yard with her puppy friends, and finding any reason to be given a treat.