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Painting Betty, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

by In Commission, Pet Portrait Tagged , , , , , , , ,

A Gift of Love (and Velvet)

This portrait began as a surprise commission from my uncle-in-law Kevin, a gift for my uncle Bill who has been a lifelong supporter of my art. When I was a teenager, he gave me my first canvas and when I had a solo show in Barcelona, he flew across the ocean to attend. He’s also a devoted dog lover who has shown and bred first Dalmatians, then Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, for much of his adult life.

Kevin reached out with dozens of reference photos of their colorful and happy pack of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels so I could choose a subject for the portrait. I’m very farmilar with these dogs. Years ago, when my beloved mutt, Buster, was diagnosed with cancer, my uncle had a surprise waiting during my visit home: a Cavalier puppy named Mona. Of Keving’s photos, I chose Betty who was one of Mona’s siblings. Betty was a Blenheim like her mother, Abby, who had an exceptionally sweet personality: friendly, loving, and easygoing. Like most of her pups, Betty inherited that same gentle and affectionate nature.

Framed Oil painting of a Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Betty, posed on a red velvet cushion atop a wooden table with a dark background by Rebecca Luncan
Portrait of Betty, 5 x 7″, oil on aluminum

A Noble Breed with an Artistic Past

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has long been a favorite subject in European art, especially during the Baroque and Rococo periods. Named after King Charles II of England, who was often seen with a spaniel at his side, these dogs were beloved for their companionship and elegance. Early depictions by artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough often show them lounging on silk cushions or curled up in the arms of nobility.

In Portrait of Betty, I chose to paint her nestled into a red velvet cushion atop a wooden table, set against a dark background. The composition nods to historical portraits of dogs from the 18th and 19th centuries, some of which I once helped install while working in the exhibition design department at the Seattle Art Museum. I was especially influenced by the refined dog portraits of Gainsborough and the charm of Manet’s “A King Charles Spaniel.”

Edouard Manet, A King Charles Spaniel, c. 1866

Portraits, Photos, and Remembering Mona

This painting of Betty was especially meaningful to me not only because of the family ties, but because it brought back so many memories of my Mona. I haven’t yet painted her portrait and it’s been on my mind ever since we lost her a few years ago. I did take a series of photos of her for a portrait and she is featured throughout my Portrait Photo Guide, which gives tips for photographing dogs.

If you’re considering a portrait of your own pet, that guide is a great place to start. I also offer more detailed info about the commission process and pet portrait samples on my site. And if you’re considering bringing a Cavileer King Charles Spaniel pup into your family, I highly recomend it! Click to learn more about the breed.

This portrait of Betty is a tribute not only to her and the tradition of spaniels in art, but also the real-life devotion between one of my very favorite humans and his dog.

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A Portrait of a Beloved Cat

by In Memorial Pet Portrait, Pet Portrait Tagged , , , , , , , ,

This painting of Kiki was a surprise gift commissioned by my friend Natasha for her husband, Dustin. We planned everything in secret, and I created several mock-ups before she chose the final composition—a round 4 x 4″ oil painting on aluminum with a soft grey-blue background.

Natasha and her family live nearby, so instead of mailing the finished portrait, they came to the studio to pick it up. I packed the finished portrait in a gift box for the final reveal. Being there in person was a special event. I rarely get to witness someone seeing a portrait for the first time, since most are sent off with only an email or photo in return. I saw it all: the surprise, the recognition of an old friend, and the love that lingered long after the box came open.

Remembering Kiki

Kiki had been with Dustin since before he and Natasha got together. She passed away in 2019, but her memory is very much alive. She had a strong, no-nonsense personality with a silly streak. She loved playing fetch with hair ties, sunbathing in the backyard, and fiercely protecting the other cat from their dogs. She was always gentle with their son, Sébastien, though she refused to give up her spot on the changing table when it suited her.

A Painting Full of Love

This kind of project is why I love what I do—capturing not just a likeness, but a loved one. Creating a portrait is always meaningful, but being there to witness someone connect with their pet through my artwork was a rare gift.

“It looks perfect! Thank you so much :). I can’t wait to see it in person!”
—Natasha

If you’re interested in commissioning a portrait as a gift, please note that I’m typically booked about a year and a half in advance. However, I offer gift vouchers for those who’d like to give something sooner or involve the recipient in the design process.

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Princess, the Siamese Cat

by In Commission, Pet Portrait Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Seattle to Sydney, and Into a Frame Worthy of a Queen

Last year, I had the joy of painting a miniature pet portrait of a truly majestic Siamese cat named Princess. The finished piece traveled halfway around the world—from Seattle to Sydney—where it now lives in the home of her loving human, Danielle.

This commission was special from the start, not only because of Princess’s striking presence, but also because I was able to use one of Tom Matthews’ coveted handmade Dutch ripple frames. These handcrafted tondo (circular frames) are rare treasures, and if ever a cat deserved one, it was Princess. The final painting measured just 5.25″ x 5.25″, but the presence it carries is much larger.

Capturing Princess: A Commanding and Intimate Gaze

Princess was depicted in a regal pose, lounging on a rose-colored blanket with a soft floral texture. Her creamy fur and striking golden eyes stood out against a muted green-gray background, giving the whole piece a sense of depth and calm.

From Danielle:

“I’m overwhelmed with how exact her portrait is, it’s just like she’s having a conversation with me through the portrait, just as you planned.”

Those words are the highest praise. That quiet sense of connection is exactly what I aim to capture in every portrait.

siamese oil portrait painting by Rebecca Luncan

A Lovely Collaboration

Danielle was a dream client: warm, thoughtful, and deeply connected to her cat. Working with her to bring Princess’s portrait to life was a true pleasure. From our initial conversations to the moment she saw the final painting, the process felt collaborative and full of care. If you’re curious about how my commission process works, you can learn more here.

It’s always an honor to be trusted with such a personal commission. Portraits like these are more than just likenesses—they’re tributes to beloved companions and the lives they shared with us.

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Scottish Terrier Pet Portrait

by In Pet Portrait Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

The reference for my pet portraits are usually images provided by my clients. And the better the reference image, the better the painting will turn out. This terrier pet portrait is a wonderful example of that. 

Tilly provided me with around 20 very high quality images and her vision of seeing Arthur in a red chair or on a red cushion. What made their images exceptional was great lighting and the angle she used.

Most of their images were taken outside, or with a very strong outdoor light source from a window as we see in the final painting. Good lighting is incredibly helpful in capturing accurate color, detail and texture in my subject. This is much easier to accomplish with dogs and horses than it is for cats and rabbits. But it’s a great example of how much a window can bring in the much needed light. 

Tilly also captured Arthur from his eye level in most of the images. This makes for less distortion and creates a more intimate portrait.

See my page with tips on photographing your dog or your cat.

Original Image
terrier mock up for pet portrait
Digital Mock Up
scottish terrier pet portrait oil painting miniature by Rebecca Luncan
Final Painting

The Process

You can see in the above images, how the original images are altered to design the composition. I work with background shapes and colors to compliment the subject. It’s also important to move the viewers eye around to each area of the painting, while keeping the focal point on the personality of the subject. You’ll notice that I moved the line of the chair from above, to below his nose, adding to the feeling of Arthur’s alertness. 

There are slight changes from the mock-up to the final painting, but these are minimal. As I work, the colors and form of the subject come together and I allow intuition to guide my brush. My main goals are to create a beautiful work of art and to capture my subject. Though it’s very close to the photo, I always try to make it better than the reference if possible.

While painting, I also look at the other images occasionally to help double check for accuracy.  I softened the contrast in his fur and made the background less saturated, which seemed to separate Arthur from his background and give him more dimension. It also made his eyes appear brighter not to match the background so closely. The final touch was to make sure to capture the little tuft of hair that stuck straight up in almost all of the other images (my client mentioned this tuft so I knew it was important to have it in the portrait). 

From Tily

“This is perfect! Thank you so much for working so hard on it, I’m absolutely in love- I can’t wait to see it! (in person)”

For inforamtion on pricing, gift vouchers and timeline for your own pet portrait, please take a look at my commissions page.

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Rabbit Limited Edition Prints in time for Easter

by In Limited Edition Print Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Easter is just around the corner and I have several Rabbit Limited Edition Prints available in the shop. The connection of rabbits to Easter has always been a bit baffling to me, so I took some time this year to see what I could find out. Keep reading for information on the symbolism of rabbits through the ages and the origin of the rabbit as the egg bearer for this holiday. 

Rabbit mama and two baby rabbits in chair, oil painting on copper by Rebecca Luncan
The Joys of Motherhood Limited Edition Print $60

Rabbit, symbol of fertility and rebirth

In European traditions, the Easter bunny is known as the Easter hare. The hare has been a symbol for rebirth and fertility and has been included in rituals and religious roles for thousands of years.

Archaeologists have found hares that were given ritual burials alongside humans in fossils from as early as the Neolithic age (10000 BC – 2200 BC), a. They have interpreted the burials as a religious ritual, with hares representing rebirth.

During the iron age (1200 B.C. and 600 BC) when hares and chickens first arrived in Britain, some archaeologists believe they were seen as creatures of reverence, not dinner. Many examples of burials from this time period have been discovered without any signs of butchery. 

Portrait of a Gentleman & Portrait of a Lady, Limited Edition Prints

The Easter Bunny

It’s not too much of a stretch to find a historical symbol of rebirth associated with the Christian holiday of Easter. But the origin is believed to have begun with a German tradition in the 1500’s of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws”. 

After reading dozens of articles and historical documents, the start of the tradition still makes no sense to me! Eggs were forbidden during Lent so they were a treat to eat on Easter Sunday. There was a tradition in Germany to hide boiled eggs on Easter. The closest I could find as to how the hare delivered the eggs, was a story passed on through folklore.

When a woman hid colored eggs in the garden for her grandchildren to find, they saw a hare hopping away from them and thought the hare left them. The adults loved this idea and ran with it.

Now hundreds of years later, the idea is still running!

Who knows how it really started, but the tradition of the Easter hare caught on in Germany in the and has continued to spread ever since. He works much like Santa and brings children eggs, candies, chocolates (chocolate easter bunny’s are also a German invention!) and sometimes toys – if they’re on the nice list. 

Hope you have a Happy Easter!

A Rabbit in the Forest after Hans Hoffman oil painting by Rebecca Luncan
A Rabbit in the Forest after Hans Hoffman Limited Edition Print $60
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Portrait of a Rocky Mountain Horse

by In Pet Portrait Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

My latest commission is a portrait of a Rocky Mountain horse named Chief. He has a beautiful dual colored mane and he is such a sweet horse. I’m in Seattle, but have family in Ohio and travel back to visit (don’t know when the next visit will be at this point though!). I got to meet my client who lives in Ohio in person last year and spend a lovely morning with her and a mutual friend taking reference photographs. Horses are tough to photograph and horse people KNOW their horses so you have to get it right! It’s quite the experience to soak in this amazing bond. I hope these two have many many years to enjoy each others remarkably warm company.

Date of Delivery

This painting was due to be completed for Bobbie’s birthday. I was dismayed that it was my very first and hopefully last commission that wasn’t finished on time. I have a clause in my contract in the “Date of Delivery” section that states, “This completion date shall be extended in the event of delays caused by events beyond the control of the Artist.” 

My husband and I suffered nasty bout of illness in early March, followed by the challenging transition to working-and-schooling from home.

Being sick while caring for a 4-year-old was really difficult. My husband and I were both sick for the entire month of March, and we took turns resting while we did our best to keep Isaac fed and out of trouble. I wasn’t able to venture into the studio for the entire month and it threw a big wrench in the works for my paintings schedule. 

Once we finally recovered, I got back to painting and I have never been so thankful for my health, the sunshine and wonderful clients! Bobbie was so kind and forgiving and I’m very grateful. Wishing you all a very healthy spring.  ? 

IGOR Realist Art Opening at Winfield Gallery in Carmel

by In Awards &. Competitions, Exhibition Tagged , , , , , ,

Artist Rebecca Luncan at art opening with her family

Artist Rebecca Luncan at art opening with her family at Winfield Gallery in Carmel, California

The whole family flew down to California to attend the art opening for The International Guild of Realism’s 12th annual International Juried exhibition.

The prestigious Winfield Gallery in the heart of the Carmel Art District is hosting the exhibit this year, held from September 23rd through October 23rd. Artists traveled from all over the world to attend the opening reception. My appearance at this opening gave me the opportunity to meet wonderful artists, as well as the leadership of IGOR. It was also a great opportunity to make new friends that are as passionate about realism as I am. As you can see in the image above, my paintings were in great company. With over a hundred painting’s selected from different guild members, the subject matter varied, but the craftsmanship did not. See all of the works included in the exhibition.

human and animal figurative portraits by Rebecca Luncan

“Admiral Vox”, oil on aluminum, 8″ x 8″ and “Vigil”, oil on aluminum, 15″ x 15″

Two Paintings Accepted

I had two paintings accepted into the show and I was doubly privileged to also receive the “Creative Achievement” award. I usually treat my animal portraits much like my portraits of people and tend to keep them rather formal. Both of these paintings are part of two different larger series of work. Admiral Vox is part of my Into the Country series, which focuses on portraits of a wide array of animals all painted in a classical Dutch portrait style.  Vigil is part of a series of figurative paintings of my lovely sister in law, Molly.

International Guild Of Realism's 12th Annual exhibition

International Guild Of Realism’s 12th Annual exhibition

About the Gallery:

“Winfield Gallery was founded in 1989 by Christopher Winfield. Their principal focus is the representation of contemporary art by established, mid-career and emerging artists whose diverse practices include painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics and photography. The gallery hosts multiple exhibitions a year and maintains a deep commitment to promote our artists’ careers. Winfield Gallery collaborates with museum curators, produce catalogs and books, establish relationships with the press and continue collector education and development. The gallery creates an atmosphere that builds bridges between the creative work, collectors and art enthusiasts at all levels.”

Portrait of a Belgian d’Anver Bantam (aka Chicken!)

by In Materials and Techniques Tagged , , , , , , ,

Belgian d'Anver Bantam, oil painting on copper by Rebecca Luncan

Belgian d’Anver Bantam, oil painting on copper by Rebecca Luncan
4″ x 4″

 

A New Series brings new challenges and a new style of frame

I was excited to realize that this is not only my first painting of a chicken, but my first painting of any bird! It was a wonderful challenge to create volume from all those feathers, and I look forward to painting more birds. Anyone out there want to commission me to paint your special feathered friend?

The artist Rebecca Luncan and her painting of a Chicken - May 2016 oil on copper

The artist and her painting of a Chicken

Custom Frames for Into the Country

The multi-talented Daniel Carrillo, owner of Gallery Frames in Seattle, made custom frames for this series. If I can’t do it myself because of time or lack of proper equipment, Dan is my favorite framer in Seattle. I’m very thankful that there is a framer in town that can actually cut such tiny frames (most can’t!) with such a high degree of workmanship.

Custom frames by Gallery Frames for "into the Country" miniature painting series by Rebecca Luncan

Custom frames by Gallery Frames for “into the Country” miniature painting series

Besides being a fantastic framer, Daniel is also a very talented photographer. His recent work makes use of antique photography methods such as Daguerreotypes and wet plate collodion Ambrotypes. Take a look at his website to see some of his beautiful work.