Silhouettes By Hand

Pet owners can be an enthusiastic bunch. They love spending time with their 4-legged best friends.

Sometimes they prefer to have constant reminders of their friends, to visit with the family for all of history: portraits of their animals.

We aren’t the only generation to enjoy pet portraits – animals have been beloved and celebrated for hundreds and thousands of years. Cave paintings in France depict horses, over 17,000 years old. The ancient Egyptians especially revered animals so much that they created gods from their images.

Closer to our own  eras, middle class families portrayed their pets as family members, whether canine, feline, or even squirrel-line (?). (At left: Joseph Badger: “Rebecca Orne” 1757), and (William Thompson Bartoll: “Girl in Orange Dress with Cat”, 1840)

Profile images, too, create wonderful, inexpensive memories of your pet – always elegant.

Pet profiles by Silhouettes By Hand have been joyfully appreciated by pet owners – whether done live in person or by photo. The photos at right show a well-trained dog sitting for his own portrait at a live event. Silhouettes By Hand has portraited many dogs (and a horse!) live in-person, but only at events that have accepted live animals.

But why have a silhouette created, instead of just taking a photo?
Silhouettes are hand-crafted portraits, made by an artist in the unusual and personality-filled profile style of freehand scissoring. The cost is small (due to the relatively rapid portraiture), the elegance is immense. These portraits are perfect for gifts, or for displaying in a quirky, chic, or classic decor.

For those times that live portraits aren’t possible, photo-profiles have been turned into silhouette portraits – even from cell-phone pictures! Yes, customers have pulled out their cell phones to dial up a beloved photo of their pet – and within 2-3 minutes, they received a freehand-scissored silhouette portrait to add to the family pictures. One customer had me create several portraits, one a husband, one a pet, from printed photos – even while I was at a live event.

Are you ready for an artisan-created, tasteful, and unique gift for the holidays, whether for yourself, your loved one, or a treasured friend? This year, think “graceful”, artistic, traditional, and aesthetic: your beloved friend, classically represented in silhouette. The possibilities are endless: dogs, cats, horses, mules, giraffes – what’s your pet?

• Is there anyone who would appreciate a framed portrait, adding respect and honor to the thoughts of that dear animal?
• Do you have a whole herd (or pack) of favored animals? You can create a portrait of every one, frame them, and display them in a home, barn, stable, or other place of honor.
• Are you a horse owner or horse club, proud of your steed(s) -and wanting to promote the golden age of horsemanship?

Each animal has its own personality that, with the right photo, can portray that spirit even in silhouette.

The leftmost horse images [below] belong to KWalters, owner of KWalters at the Sign of the Grey Horse – a specialty jewelry business featuring  designs of the 18th century. Proceeds from the jewelry sales go to rehabilitating older, ill horses who still have life and hope in them. Her oval frames, also purchased here, were hand-lettered by Silhouettes By Hand with each horse’s name.

To discuss your needs, first visit the Mail Order page for information, and write to Lauren to talk about your special animal requests. (Frames available too). Bring gift-giving back to the family – your human and animal family, those for whom you care deeply.