A Custom Portrait by Robert James Clarke
We were so pleased to recently help facilitate a custom commissioned dog portrait by gallery artist, Robert James Clarke, as a birthday surprise for a client’s husband. Robert typically works from photos when painting his custom dog portraits, so he was able to take full advantage of living in the same city as our client and her dog - a delightful King Charles named Leo - and meet them in person for photos. After settling on the perfect photograph highlighting Leo’s expressive eyes with his head tilted just so, Robert began working on both a drawing and the painting, sending updates to the client along the way.
As a nod to her husband’s beloved alma mater, UNC, the client requested a Carolina blue backdrop to accent Leo’s tri-color markings. A red “Leo” was added at the top along with a custom birthday message on the back of the canvas.
Leo’s portrait was a hit as a birthday surprise and though the gift was originally intended for our client’s husband, I have a feeling the whole family is enjoying having Leo’s portrait on the wall.
Email the gallery if you’re interested in learning more about commissioning Robert James Clarke to paint a portrait of your dog.
