One thing about me, I will never be able to have too many pet portraits! Pet portraits are a fun way to bring joy into your home, while honoring your pet. We believe that pets are beloved members of the family and that having portraits of them around the house is a perfect way to showcase them to guests. We joke that our house is a Teddy museum, because there is evidence of him in every single room. Whether it is a framed photo, a portrait, or just his toys scattered about, our guests know that they are entering his home. He is the king of the house!
I started our Instagram account right when we got Teddy almost eight years ago and it has connected us to so many business owners, artists and friends worldwide. It’s been a great way to connect with others who are pet obsessed just like us. One friend we’ve made is Graeme Clark of OldManGrey. Graeme is a big animal lover and his mission is to illustrate the importance of pets!
Graeme is an Edinburgh based illustrator and designer. He is a dog dad to Pip and is married to Nicola . He’s an amazing artist who has been the illustrator in children’s books and creating his own merchandise. Around seven years ago, shortly after we got Teddy, my husband and I had to move to Japan for a few months with his work. We were devastated to have to leave Teddy behind with family because he did not have all the bloodwork needed to get over there quickly. Long story short, we found Graeme on Instagram and fell in love with his pet portraits. We contacted him to commission a portrait of Teddy and his favorite toy, his dragon Curtis. We came up with the idea to have the two in front of a Japanese temple, as a way to commemorate our time in Japan and to hang in our new home.
Graeme got to work and made such a cute portrait that has hung in our dining room in Louisiana ever since. We’ve followed him ever since on his journey as an artist and it has been such a joy to see him get new opportunities and grow his skill. This year, he contacted us and gifted us a new pet portrait to show off his new art style. This time, Teddy is with his friend Wralph Raccoon, and they’re in front of a Baton Rouge landmark. The portrait is whimsical and fun! It hangs in our bedroom hallway and I also have a special copy at my desk at work. We absolutely love this special gift!
Pet portraits are the perfect gift for anyone who is a pet lover. Graeme creates beautiful and fun art that you will cherish for a lifetime. If you are looking for a pet portrait, we give Graeme of OldManGrey 4 paws up! If we’re ever in Scotland, we must meet Graeme and his family, especially Pip :).
You can find Graeme’s website here, his Instagram here, and his Facebook page here. He’s even on Tiktok showing us fun behind the scenes looks into his process! Graeme has illustrated for children’s books like Haggis MacDougall and Bee and Bear.
