E-Cards and Pet Portraits in Pastels

Every so often, an hour spent surfing the Internet turns up a nice little treasure! Here's one: beautiful realistic dogs executed in oil pastels, available as free e-cards from artist Sarah Theophilus. The artist offers a line of prints and greeting cards in addition to accepting commissions for pet portraits. Not only dogs, but cats and horses come to life in her chosen medium of oil pastels. I have always had a special fascination and love for animals, and been most inspired by the magnificent detail and sensitivity in the wildlife paintings of artists such as Carl Brenders & Steven Townsend. After painting all manner of subjects, turning to our faithful companions in the end was a natural choice for me. I delight in trying to bring out their spirit through the eyes, and create the texture of soft fur on a flat canvas. Born in the United Kingdom, Sarah Theophilus moved to Canada as a child and has lived on the West Coast almost ever since, "a beautiful part of the world where the very landscape inspires an affinity with nature."