Custom
Pet Portraits

Paws By Zann

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HELLO.
My name is Zann

I paint pets out of my home studio on Vancouver Island, and host the Shaw TV show “Painting Pets with Zann“. My oil paintings and pet portraits ship all across North America. So if you’d like to get a  handmade oil painting of your pet or find unique animal art, you’re in the right place!

Galleries

Hand-painted pet portrait art, made by me in Canada

Dogs

GALLERY
Dog Paintings

Cats

GALLERY
Cat Paintings

Portraits & Memorials

GALLERY
All Pets

Available animal art

GALLERY & SALE
Available Art

HOW TO ORDER

Pet Portraits from Photos
Canadian Pet Portrait Art
Pet Portraits on Canvas

1. Send ME A PHOTO

I paint pet portraits from photos, so to get started, send over your favourite!

2. Pick your size

Next, I’ll work with you to make the composition just right based on your image.

3. Give Feedback

Then you’ll get updates as paint, so you can see the whole process—usually 1-3 weeks.

4. Enjoy!

Your oil portrait will arrive ready to display and brighten your day.

See Pricing
Reviews
Tim Dice
Tim Dice2021, USA
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We were so thrilled with our first pet portrait that we commissioned a second for my brothers family dog when she passed. Zann is a consummate professional who works quickly and then checks in at every step for feedback. In short, I could not give a high enough commendation.​
Brooke C.
Brooke C.2017, Canada
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With every detail carefully placed right down to the look in their eyes, Zann certainly captured their individual personalities! Similarly, their unique husky facial "masks" are right on point. So I'm very impressed with the craftsmanship, professionalism and overall experience I had with Zann.
Vivian T.
Vivian T.2017, BC, Canada
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Zann’s attention to detail shines through every stage of the process, from planning (for example, computer mock-ups of your painting) to the final piece, she would always send me updates and made sure everything was to my liking.
Kylie Rae Dahlstrom
Kylie Rae Dahlstrom2021
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Zann did such an amazing job on the memorial portraits I commissioned of my chihuahuas. Above all, the realism and detail she put in brought them back to life and I am so happy with the final result ❤️ these portraits will be treasured forever!
Jim Allen
Jim Allen2021, USA
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My wife and I were so impressed seeing our finished paintings. We absolutely love them! Zann is such a talented artist, her ability to capture individual features and personalities in the paintings is just amazing. Because of the great communication provided, we never felt left out of the process. Needless to say, we are very happy with our portraits.
Larry
Larry2021, Canada
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Zann created a portrait of our beloved Saluki as a surprise for my wife’s birthday. She was so easy and nice to work with, and listened intently to create what I was looking for. Then her professional training and innate talent took over and she created a beautiful, accurate likeness of our dog with a background that totally suited him. In other words, an oil portrait for a lifetime. So I sincerely recommend Zann to immortalize your pet.
Andrew Spak
Andrew Spak2021
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Zann was great to work with because she really has a desire to be sure that what she creates is what you want to see in the painting. So easy to communicate with and very quick to respond. I cannot recommend her highly enough!
Davin K.
Davin K.2021, USA
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Zann did a portrait of our two beloved pups (who have passed). It is magnificent, and brought back so many memories. It will be a treasured piece for our family.
Bill A.
Bill A.2021, USA
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I wanted to have a portrait done of one of our past dogs, so after looking at Zann's work on line and her you tube video I contacted her to get a painting. Zann kept me informed during the whole process. Then the painting turned out incredible, and is a wonderful memorial to Lune. So I will not hesitate to have Zann do another painting for us in the future.
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CONTACT

So you want to get a custom pet portrait painted but you’re not sure where to start. Well I’d love to hear from you! Use the form below or email to get in touch.
pawsbyzann@gmail.com

FAQ

Like good pizza, good art takes time. My standard pet portrait sizes can be complete and ready to ship within three weeks, but please note that oils take a few days to dry and even a rush order will require drying time. 

So if you have a particular deadline in mind, feel free to reach out to see if I can work with you to make it happen!

First off, I can definitely put multiple pets in one portrait!

Furthermore, if you can find a photo with all the pets together to use as a primary reference, then there’s no extra charge. In other words, pricing is just based on size.

But if they’re all in different photos and need to be arranged into one piece then I charge a 10% composition fee. Furthermore, adjusting the lighting to make different photos look natural together can be a real challenge. So one photo is better if possible.

Custom pet portraits are priced by size. So for specifics check out the full list of available sizes on my pricing page.

More FAQ's

GET IN TOUCH

CONTACT

PET PORTRAIT BLOG

Check out the painting blog so you can see inside the pet portrait process. To start off, there are a lot of videos and painting demos. Then you can take a look at reference photo and sizing guides. And these are a great way to see the before and after when I paint a portrait of your pet from photos. Lastly, get in touch when you’re ready to order!

Lifes a Beach reverse
painting pets with Zann Hemphill

Painting Pets with Zann Episode 1

In this episode we’re painting a little white dog named Harley, in the Paws By Zann studio. Painting white dogs provides a wonderful opportunity to play with lighting, and allow light and shadow to create interest in the piece.

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Zann Hemphill local pet portrait artist
About Zann

Pet Portrait Artist & Oil Painter

My journey as a pet portrait artist first began in Vancouver, BC, where I worked with local pet owners who wanted to capture their best friend in on canvas in a realistic pet portrait style. Then since moving to Vancouver Island, I’ve worked with more pet parents in Nanaimo and Victoria, and have expanded my online presence. Now my animal portraits brighten the walls of pet-loving homes across Canada and the US—likewise in California, New York, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Mississippi and others.

To sum up, painting pets from photos has allowed me to make a career of my two favourite things: art and animals. Dogs, cats, rabbits and horses, I paint them all.

More About the Artist
Facebook Youtube

pet portraits: Painting videos

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Paws By Zann on YouTube

To share more about how I work, I’ve put together a series of videos featuring custom pet portrait paintings. You can find a more complete collection on YouTube, but these go through the basic steps I follow to ensure each painting comes out looking just right.

My oil paintings are all created using traditional media and techniques. To start, I render a basic sketch of my subject, and then work up layer by layer, paying careful attention to lighting and form. It’s important to get these basics in before getting distracted by detail, or the final piece tends to fall flat. If you have questions about how I would approach painting a portrait from your images, do get in touch! I’d love to go through the process with you and talk about the many different options.

Get in Touch