Pet Portrait in Memory of Corinna, the Yellow Eyed Cat

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oil Portrait painting miniature of Cat by Rebecca Luncan

Corina, oil on aluminum, 2.25″ x 2.25″

 

It’s never too late…

Sixteen years after Corinna passed, she is still fresh in the mind of her favorite person. I have been very honored to be given this commission to create a memorial portrait that pays tribute to a sweet and loved little creature.

An image taken in the mid 1990’s and lots of very helpful tips about her unique colors from Aaron, helped me bring her to life on my small disk of aluminum. She has such unusual eyes and fur and I loved mixing such a lovely combination of colors. As the painting began to unfold, I couldn’t help but imagine petting her soft little nose. Thanks you for the commission, Aaron. I hope that this painting helps bring fond memories of your loved little Corinna to you often.

From Aaron:

Oh Rebecca, it’s wonderful! That’s Corinna. Expression, subtle pink color, eyes, everything. You did it! I’m blown away. It’s more like her than any photograph. I can see, or feel, that it has a little extra love in there. Thank you.

 

Big Henry, meet little Henry! A French Bulldog Portrait Painting Miniature

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French Bulldog portrait painting miniature by Rebecca Luncan

Henry at his new home

My latest french bulldog portrait painting traveled across the country and has arrived in his new home.

I’d been looking forward to working on Henry’s portrait and it went almost too quickly! The wait list for one of my painting is currently about eight months. Though it seems like a long time, the anticipation is part of the fun both for clients receiving the paintings and for me to get working on them. What better way to spend your day than to look at that cute little face? I already miss him in the studio.

I found three miniature antique plaster frames and they are to be used for the portraits of two dogs (Oliver and Henry) and a cat (Corinna). For my pet portraits, I mostly work from photos taken by my clients, so I can take commissions from just about anywhere in the world. These three little paintings will split ways and make their independent journeys to California, Pennsylvania and Virginia. If you’re interested in a portrait of your own, please visit my Commissions page to learn about the process or contact me to get started today.

French bulldog Pet portrait painting by Rebecca Luncan

Henry
oil on aluminum
2.25″ x 2.25″

 

From Sandy:

Just received my portrait of Henri. It’s so small and so perfect! I love it.

Thank you again, Rebecca

Pet Portrait of Wilson, quite possibly the most charismatic dog in Washington

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Pet Portrait Painting of Wilson the Golden Retriever by Rebecca Luncan

Portrait of Wilson
oil on aluminum
11″ x 14″

I was asked to make a painting of Wilson as a surprise Christmas gift and I loved the assortment of high quality images that I was given to choose from.

Photography is a skill to be mastered just like any other, and his owners have certainly been working hard to perfect their craft. Wilson is a willing muse and he is quick to give the camera his winning smile when asked. He is clearly a very happy and well loved pooch and I enjoyed the opportunity to capture him in oils from images taken when he was out hiking, one of his favorite things to do.

Check out his Instagram account where you can see an assortment of adorable photographs while you follow him on all sorts of adventures.

From Andrew

“I wanted to…let you know that the painting was the perfect gift. Olivia absolutely loved it! I can’t thank you enough for the work you did on it. It goes without saying that you have some very happy customers (Wilson included!)”

Trio of Rabbit Portrait Commissions

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Miniature painting of house rabbits, Setting Sail, by Rebecca Luncan

Setting Sail,
oil on aluminum
4.25″ x 3.25

Remember when I said I had a dozen more mock up’s for rabbit paintings?

Thanks to Nicholas Dorman, painting conservator at the Seattle Art Museum, I was able to squeeze a few more paintings of rabbits into my busy schedule last year. As you may know, I currently split my studio schedule equally between personal and commissioned artworks and these paintings were a combination of the two!

The paintings were commissioned for his wife, whose maiden name is Rabbitt and their two children, whose middle names are also Rabbitt! I sent him all of those rabbit mock up’s that were on the back burner while I was working on a new monthly miniature project and he picked his favorite three. I feel so humbled and honored that he wanted to add some of my paintings to his collection when he gets to travel the world with the museum to conserve so many amazing paintings.

Setting Sail, pictured above, was inspired by a pose my rabbits struck in the studio. I like thinking of this one personifying Nick and his wife contemplating their adventures. Nick’s art history background influenced the other two paintings he chose for his son and daughter. The paintings were inspired by historical works by Hans Hoffmann and Matthias Withoos. I replaced Hans Hoffman’s hare and Matthias Withoos’s mushroom with my house rabbits who share the art studio with me.

Take a look at my Monthly Miniature: Rabbits gallery to see my rabbit miniatures.

 

Miniature rabbit painting, A Rabbit in the Forest, after Hans Hoffmann. oil on aluminum by Rebecca Luncan

A Rabbitt in the Forest, after Hans Hoffmann, oil on aluminum, 4.25″ x 3.25″

Rabbit Painting

A Forest Still Life, after Matthias Withoos – March, 2016, oil on aluminum, 4.25″ x 3.25″

 

From Nick:

Thanks so much! I love the paintings…They really are beautiful.

From his wife:

We absolutely love the rabbitt (rabbit) paintings! Thank you so much!

Pet Portrait Miniature Birthday Gift

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Oliver, pet portrait miniature oil painting by Rebecca Luncan

Oliver, oil on copper, 2.25″ x 2.25″

What could be a more perfect gift for someone you love, but a miniature painting of someone they love?

Many of my commissioned portraits are given as gifts. And while I enjoy creating each and every painting I make, those made for an unsuspecting recipient are made with an extra element of excitement and joy in the air. The charming Oliver was carefully captured in oils as a gift for his owner’s birthday. His owner’s sister, who commissioned the painting, was a big fan of Ollie, and I’m very grateful for the commission.

Learn More

See the pet portrait miniature of Oliver’s first coat of paint in one of my On the Easel blog posts featuring works in progress. I work in a traditional lean to fat method that ensures my paintings will survive for hundreds of years and this first thin coat is essential to the process. To see more finished paintings, please take a look at my pet portraits gallery and my human portraits gallery. And if you’re interested in commissioning a portrait for of your own, take a look at my commissions page to learn my process and contact me to get started!

From Lisa

“I LOVE him!!!! Ollie looks perfect. Thank you Rebecca for all your patience and guidance. You are a talented artist with a true eye. And best of all I KNOW my sister will love it! It’s a given….”

And here’s what her sister posted in Instagram:

Portrait Commission Testimonial

Pet Portrait of Lucy in time for the Holidays

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Labradoodle pet portrait oil painting Rebecca Luncan

Lucy, oil on aluminum, 3″ x 4″

The portrait painting of the white Labradoodle, Lucy, has made it’s 2,000 mile journey in time for Christmas

I enjoy the searching process in a commission: finding out what my patron likes in my work, how they see themselves or their loved one, how I see them, and how I can portray that. The back-and-forth collaboration that finally materializes in a painting is such a rewarding experience, and I am so thankful for each person who gives me the opportunity to do such satisfying work.

From Carrie:

I absolutely love it! Thank you so much. I can’t wait for my parents to see it!

Later she let me know that her parents loved it too. Thank you, Carrie!

Snow Rabbit Painting is Open for Bidding!

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Snow Rabbit oil painting miniature by Rebecca Luncan

Snow Rabbit – December 2015, oil on aluminum, 3.75″ x 5″

 

December’s Monthly Miniature painting auction is now live!

Half of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to Special Bunny and Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation. Please visit my Facebook event to bid and to follow the auction over the next week. The auction will close on Sunday, December 13th at 5:00 PM Pacific time.

Thank you for your interest!

Charity Auction for December’s Monthly Miniature Rabbit Painting

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Snow Rabbit In progress oil painting

Snow Rabbit – December, 2015 in-progress, 5″ x 3.75″, oil on aluminum

Get your bidding cards ready, this painting is going up for auction December 7th!

Painting the Monthly Miniatures has been an amazing journey. Each month I’m creating one new painting of my rabbits, and I love how each new painting ends up inspiring new ideas for the next two or three paintings.

I’ve been humbled by all of the support from everyone out there. Each painting has sold, most within 24 hours of being released (sometimes in minutes!). For the paintings to go to loving homes is such a huge blessing. My heartfelt thanks to all you Monthly Miniature owners out there.

Why an auction this month?

First, since they’re selling so quickly, I thought it would be nice to give more people the chance to purchase one of the little paintings.

Second, I’d like to engage my audience and get more exposure. I love painting, and the more people that know I exist, the better for my art career. So please spread the word!

Third and most important, 50% of the sale price of this painting goes to two local nonprofits who helped my rabbits and their litter mates. Read the story of my two long-eared muses and how Special Bunny and Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation helped them come into my life on my last blog post.

How to bid?

Bidding will be simple and take place on Facebook (but I will do my best to accommodate anyone interested who does not have an account). Bids will be entered directly in reply to a post featuring the finished and framed painting. It will be live for about a week, Monday December 7th at 8AM PST to Sunday December 13th at 5PM PST. Bidding instructions will be found under the “Notes” tab on Facebook, but basically each bid will look like:

Bid $100

If you are the winning bidder, please confirm your method of payment within 48 hours of winning the auction. I would like to get the painting shipped as soon as possible!

No Facebook account or want to be anonymous?

If you don’t have an account or if public bidding will ruin a surprise (or it’s just not your thing), contact me with your maximum bid, and I’ll post for you, complete with an Anonymous Bidder Codename. I will periodically update the leading bid by increments of $10, up to your maximum bid, and send you an update email if you aren’t on Facebook.

Payment Method

Paypal is easy for most people, but I happily accept checks and credit cards. Just make sure I have a current email and mailing address for you, and confirm your method of payment within 48 hours of winning the auction. If paying by check, make sure to get it to me within five business days to keep your winning bid status.

Will I continue to do auctions?

If all goes well, I may do another one next December, but expect all the future monthly Miniatures (at least January – November) to sell directly from the website as usual.

Questions?

If I seem to have missed something important, please contact me. Thanks for you interest, and happy bidding!

 

Commissioning a Pet Portrait: the Owner’s Connection

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Cat pet Portrait oil painting Rebecca LuncanCreating a pet portrait that communicates its personality is often a collaborative process with the owner that knows and loves them best.

Leo was an ideal model for a pet portrait painting. He’s a very sweet and patient kitty that loves to be photographed. I spent an evening with him and took dozens of photos and I thought I had several that captured his happy personality. But for Liz, his owner, there was something not quite right, though we couldn’t pin down what.  Two months later, Liz sent me more images of him, showing a very different kitty. His coat changes throughout the seasons, and it was now in full fluff! This was her Leo.

Leo, take one

Leo, take one

It’s often hard to describe the little details that express the personality of a loved one, but you notice when it’s not there. Most artists have you approve the final design before they being painting and if somethings doesn’t seem right, don’t hesitate to let the artist know. It’s much better to rework the initial design than have an unhappy patron.

Want to learn more about the painting process? Take a look at the underpainting for Leo and see more detail and in-progress images on Instagram. And if you look closely in the wood chips, you’ll find a little friend hiding on a leaf.

Please take a look at my commissions page for information about commissioning your own portrait and visit the pet-portrait and portrait gallery to see more examples of past commissions.

 

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My First Commissioned Horse Portrait Painting

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Shiloh, oil on aluminum, 18″ x 12.5″

Shiloh,  My First Horse Portrait

This portrait marks a handful of firsts: my very first blog post, the first painting I completed this year, and, most importantly, my very first commissioned horse portrait.

Lisa, Shiloh’s person, is a close family friend. She and my mom are next-door neighbors in my hometown in Ohio, and it was through that connection that this painting came to be. Shiloh lived just a few doors down from Lisa at a little stable tucked away almost in the middle of the neighborhood. Unless you knew it was there, you’d never guess a horse pasture was hidden behind all those houses.

On a trip back home to visit family, my husband and I met up with Lisa to photograph Shiloh. With their help, I captured the reference images I needed to bring this portrait to life.

Although I’d painted plenty of portraits of people and I’ve painted several animals before as personal work, this was my first time taking on a commissioned pet portrait. I grew up around horses (we had five when I was a kid!), but somehow I had never painted one until now. Spending so many hours with Shiloh’s likeness in my studio reminded me how much I love painting animals, and it’s opening a new door for my work.

The finished painting was carefully varnished, framed, and then shipped to Ohio.

I’m deeply grateful to Lisa for trusting me to capture her very special friend. I’m also thankful for her unknowingly nudging me onto the path of pet portraiture.

You can see more recent examples of my work in the Pet Portrait Gallery.