During the month of August in 2019 I partnered with Play All Day Doggie Daycare. We held a giveaway in their storefront for a free pet portrait. Entries were written on a piece of paper and placed in a fishbowl. At the end of the month we streamed a live video online of the winner announcement. Today we’re looking back at that giveaway, talking about the winner, and their completed prize painting.

The Play All Day Giveaway Winner is: Kim!

After the live stream of announcing Kim as the winner on Facebook, I was able to chat with Kim on the phone. Kim is an amazing dog mom who takes care of 6 dogs. She was incredibly kind and requested that we memorize her dear Nelly. Heartbreakingly, Nelly had just passed on that previous month.

About the Painting: Nelly

Nelly was a doberman mix with beagle. Her coloration was so unique. I didn’t have to change a lot from the reference photo because the lighting was soft and pleasant. The natural light from the window is casting cool tones onto the fur. This is especially noticeable on the white fur at the nose. What our mind tells us is white fur is actually blue in this instance. Because the lighting and color structure are consistent throughout the painting it doesn’t appear odd that blue paint was used. I did face some challenges because of this lighting structure. Nelly’s face is primarily a warm orange-y brown. So I was faced with, “what does it look like when cool light hits a warm object?”. To solve this there’s all these subtle color changes throughout the fur. The nuances of warms and cools all added up and resulted in a realistic portrait with depth.

I was able to send a picture of the painting to Kim before she received it. She said she was crying and so happy!
It’s heartbreaking everytime I do a painting of a pet that’s passed away. Knowing the impact that the painting has is what it makes it so meaningful and worth it. I’m so glad that I got to honor Nelly and that it meant so much to Kim.

Be sure to enter for your chance to win next time!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway! Future giveaways, blog posts, and artwork are posted on my social media channels. Keep up to date by signing up for my newsletter, follow on Instagram, and like my page on Facebook!