Huntsville artist creates custom pet portraits
Reading time: 4 minutes
Have you ever looked at a picture of your furry friend and thought “I really wish this was hanging on my wall”?
Stephanie Weaver, oil painter and owner of Huntsville Art Supplies, makes custom pet portraits to satisfy that craving.
From pet lover to pet portrait artist
It all started with her own dog: Sophie. Stephanie is a major animal lover and first combined her love of pets and oil painting in 2014.
She started by painting Sophie, and people began picking up on her talent. By 2017, she was charging commissions and officially referring to herself as a “pet portrait artist.” Now, Stephanie exclusively paints pet portraits. If you want a landscape oil painting she’ll do it — if there’s a pet inside.
Her collection up right now at Lowe Mill? “Pick Your Nose: you can pick your dog, you can pick your nose, but can you pick your dog’s nose?” There are 15 pieces each representing just a different nose, and you get to figure out which one is your dog’s nose. Are you up to the challenge?
Stephanie invites you to visit Huntsville Art Supplies in Lowe Mill Studio 269 and admire the art, take a class or pick out art supplies from her curated collection.
- Where: 2211 Seminole Dr SW Studio 269, Huntsville, AL 35805
- Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 11AM-7PM
- Instagram | Facebook | Website
How she turns furry friends into fine art
- It all begins with you (and the million pictures you take of your adorable pet). From all these photos, she pieces together your pet’s personality that will shine through her artwork.
- Then, you share images of your decor. Stephanie likes to pull in elements of color in your space to make it a truly custom piece. She also takes note of what your pet’s favorite toy, blanket or spot is and can include that in the final product. These paintings are chalked full of personality from start to finish.
- Once you approve of the image, she sketches it out. That goes through another approval (your feedback is very important to her) and she begins to paint.
- I’m sure at this point your anticipation is through the roof. Once the artwork is almost finished, she sends it over to you for a final confirmation.
- This is the step where Stephanie feels her paintings become set apart: the glazing technique. Her glaze, Kalka Gel Light, allows the marks underneath to remain unchanged but “ignite’s the glow within the cat’s or dog’s eye”.
Some final details and varnish and it’s your newest piece of custom artwork!
Backstory behind Huntsville Arts Supplies
Stephanie had a problem: she needed high-quality art supplies for her oil painting students and she couldn’t find any in town. Then Huntsville Art Supplies was born.
As time went on, artists in Lowe Mill voiced their need for specialty art supplies and Stephanie delivered.
She wasn’t always an artist though. When she was 26, she was craving a creative outlet away from her job as a Senior Program Analyst at UPS. As Stephanie puts it: “something that I didn’t have to sit in a meeting to do.” She met a lady in her class that was previously a VP-Operations for a large toy company who then quit and became a cabaret singer and oil painter.
Stephanie was inspired, and now 24 years later she is the owner of Huntsville Art Supplies and teaching students.
“[Teaching students] is the best thing in the entire world”.
Stephanie Weaver, owner of Huntsville Art Supplies
WATCH: Learn more about Stephanie + her pet portraits
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