What Is an Animal Self Portrait?
Ever wondered what animal you'd be if you weren't quite so human?
A commissioned portrait paints you, and/or someone you love, as the creature that lives inside.
A deer. A fox. A turtle. An elephant Sometimes a creature I've never painted before, arriving just for you.
Your story. Your spirit. Your essence, held in feathers, fur, or scale, in a magical realism world made just for you.
These aren't pet portraits. And they aren't traditional portraits. They're something in between, a doorway into who someone is today, painted in the language I know best.
The animal that shows up for you today is the one that represent you right now. If, in a few years, you feel a different creature emerging, commission another. We change. Our portraits can too.
How Your Painting Comes to Be
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Send me a note through the form below. Tell me a little about who you'd like painted, yourself, someone you love, an ancestor. All are welcome.
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A short call to feel each other out. I want to know your subject. You want to know me. No pressure, no obligation.
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I prepared a set of thoughtful questions that will help me feel into you and/or the person you want me to paint. Not just what they look like, but also about meaningful experiences, likes and dislikes, favorite places, and more.
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We might jump on a call if I need precision. Then, I share initial ideas and sketches. You give feedback. We tune it until it feels right.
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Slowly, layer by layer, over the course of 2-3 months. You get progress updates along the way.
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Signed, varnished, and shipped safely to your door, ready to hang, ready to hold. Not framed. I paint on a 1.75” deep canvas gallery wrapped. The sides will be painted and it will be ready to hang as is. You can also frame it if you’d like.
Timeline: 3-4 months from inquiry to delivery.
Investment
Every commission is made with technical skill, intuition, and deep presence. From the first mark to the last, each painting is layered slowly, with intention.
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Starting at $750
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Starting at $960
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Starting at $1600
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By quote
50% deposit to reserve your spot. 50% due upon completion.
What’s Included
Original mixed media + oil painting on canvas
Initial concept + sketch phase with 1-2 revisions
Progress updates during painting
Ready-to-hang (varnished, signed, wired)
Careful packaging + shipping within the US
Studio Letter announcing your painting's completion (with your permission)
FAQ
Absolutely. Pricing adjusts for complexity — we'll discuss during your questionnaire.
Can there be multiple subjects in one painting?
Do you ship internationally?
About 3-4 months from first conversation to painting on your wall.
How long does the whole process take?
Perfect. That's what the questionnaire is for. I'll help you find it, or intuit it from what you share.
What if I don't know what animal my person should be?
Can I commission an ancestor or someone who has passed?
Yes, absolutely.
Yes, and I hope you do. Some collectors will commission one portrait now and another in a few years, when a different creature has arrived. Both can hang together. Your becoming is welcome here.
On a case-by-case basis. Contact me and we'll figure it out together.
Can I commission a second portrait later if I change?
Ready to Begin?
If a commission is calling you, don't wait for the perfect moment. Send me a note. We'll take the first step together.