I have been asked this question so many times, and I still cannot answer this accurately. The honest answer probably is, it depends on the dog! The darker the dog, the more layers need to be painted and therefore the longer the painting takes. If I had to put a time on it, I would say that a painting takes between 4 and 6 hours.

This will depend entirely on how busy I am. I will always be transparent about the lead time and I will work to your deadline where possible. At any normal time of year my turnaround may only be a few weeks; on the lead up to Christmas, Mother’s Day and other peak times, however, the wait may be longer.

My framed paintings are packaged in eco friendly bubble-wrap in blank pizza style boxes (of all things!) and my unframed paintings are mounted so, packaged in strong board envelopes to keep them safe. I can post (and have safely posted) either option. I use reputable courier companies for shipping to ensure tracking is available.

The short answer is, as many as you have! If the photo is really good, I may only work from one… If the photos are not great quality, I may work from a few different ones, maybe taking head position from one photo and colouring from another.

This is a tricky one but something I have already faced several times. The same situation can apply if the painting is a gift and the photos are taken from social media, the quality can be fuzzy and difficult to zoom in on. Generally, I will look online for similar looking animals and work from a combination of your photos and online images to ensure details are captured as best they can be. I might also paint in a slightly “looser” style rather than my usual “realism” style.

You have the option to cancel your order until I start painting. At that point your £25 deposit will be forfeited to cover materials. I will send you plenty of photos as the process unfolds so that you can be 100% happy with the outcome. There is every opportunity for mistakes or inaccuracies to be corrected along the way, therefore, and I have never had an unhappy client due to this way of proceeding.

I take a £25 deposit at the time of booking your commission. The balancing payment and any postage charges are due prior to delivery, please. I accept card payments, direct bank transfer or cash on delivery.