Chelsea Dog Day 2024 - Live Portrait Pop Up at PAIGE

Third time's a charm!

After being invited back to help celebrate this incredibly dog-friendly neighbourhood for a third year running, I was blown away with how many four-legged and two-legged members of the community came out to celebrate. For an Autumn day, the weather could not have been more perfect.

 

Location, Location, Location...

Could I have dreamed a more perfect spot than this? Right in Duke of York Square, with fabulous greenery, beautiful buildings, and a parade of dogs of all shapes and sizes as my view. PAIGE's London Store is a truly divine shopping experience, selling timeless denim and beautifully designed clothing staples for both Men and Women. To have so much space and light to work in was pretty amazing and I felt very at home right from the get-go. It's always fun to work in a window and watch passers-by do a double take - as I was wearing a PAIGE denim skirt and knitted sweater, I probably looked like a moving mannequin (only a lot shorter!)

Something New

Each time I work with a Brand, I always like to take into consideration their aesthetic and what a customer of that Brand would be interested in. For PAIGE, it was important that the artwork on offer was minimal and elegant, but with a contemporary twist. Opting for a black and white portrait meant a more clean and classic feel, but rapid mark-making and playing with outlines gave a nice sketchy finish. Ink and water can sometimes be tricky to work with (once the ink is down, there's no going back!) but the effects they create in real time are so fun to watch. 

I developed this style especially for PAIGE, but it was so popular on the day that I've permanently added it to my Commission Collection.

A5 'Pen + Ink' Custom Pet Portrait

 

 

For the Love of Dogs

Getting to meet my subjects in real life is the best part of the job, and I was so impressed with how well trained they were. Bruce the Cavapoo posed for photos and as always, George and Lulu were the sweetest model pups. One Toy Poodle named Reggie patiently sat on his owners lap and literally watched me paint his portrait - no pressure!

Seeing owners and their Dogs together and hearing all the little quirks and habits that make their Pet unique is such a joy. I was very happy that so many people were able to bring their Dogs along. They provided a lot of entertainment and the amazing team at PAIGE made sure they were very well looked after!

 

Looking ahead

Preparing for large-scale events like this is a lot of work for the Organisers and Retailers, and I'm very grateful to them for supporting Illustrators and Small Business Owners like myself. PAIGE was an absolute pleasure to work with from start to finish and I'm so thankful to have been partnered with them. 

I'm always looking to collaborate with new Brands and Retailers for Pet themed occasions, to bring a really unique and engaging activation to customers all year round. The feedback from people is incredibly positive, and live-painting definitely draws a lot of attention from passers-by! If you have a vision for a Pet Portrait installation and would like to discuss ideas, just get in touch via email or DM