I Immortalize Pets As Exquisite Miniature Paintings

I create intricate miniature paintings in watercolor and love making cherished mementoes of pets. This is my painting, "Best Buds" ~ Rachelle Siegrist

More info: artofwildlife.com

Miniature painting of two best buddies, a dog and a cat named Ivy and Calvin. Follow along with my progress as I paint these two sweeties!

Here I'm applying initial washes of color. You can see the drawing underneath which will eventually all get covered. I use more drawing on commissions to make it easier for the client to follow along. (Shown greatly enlarged)

The initial stages involve washes of color that are eventually built up into vibrancy over time using multiple layers

Here I'm working to block in all the initial color washes and you can start to see layers develop in this enlarged image. The painting is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches small.

I'm now using more washes as layers and brushstrokes to develop detail in the painting

After dozens of hours of painstaking work I've almost finished the painting. At this point, the client and my artist husband, Wes, also give feedback. I've been letting the collector follow the progress each day I made changes significant enough to really see!

Presenting the finished painting with a U.S. Penny for scale. Ivy and Calvin were such fun to paint!

“You and Wes are very special folks and I’m honored that you are painting my love. Ivy and I have a closeness that I’ve never had with any other animal. She has been both child and parent to me: helping heal when I’m sick, drawing me out, teaching me that I can love even more than I could have ever imagined. She looks at me with human eyes that both mock me and love me to the very core.” ~ Ivy and Calvin's Mommy

Can I capture your special friend in miniature?

Thanks for enjoying my creative process ~ Rachelle www.artofwildlife.com