My life as a full-time artist
Top 10 best gifts for cat lovers
If you are looking for a great gift for a friend or relative, and they have a cat, I’m sure something in my top 10 best gifts for cat lovers will help you in your pursuit of the perfect present….
Top 10 best gifts for dog lovers
If you are looking for a great gift for a friend or relative, and they have a dog, I’m sure something in my top 10 best gifts for dog lovers will help you in your pursuit of the perfect present….
Getting into Google’s good books: Top 10 tips to get on the first page of Google
When starting my own pet portrait business, there was so much to learn and there still is. One important topic that I have put a lot of energy into researching and implementing in my business is having a high ranking website. I thought, therefore, I would share what I have learnt so far….
10 compelling reasons to commission a hand-drawn pet portrait
There are many reasons why pet portraits are so great, but here are my top 10 reasons to commission one. 1) Special companions: Our pets are so special to us. They share our lives providing love, companionship, and loyalty in an uncomplicated way. Their presence can even…
Wildlife and other fine art prints
With so many exciting commissions coming in, it’s been hard to find time to move the print side of my business forward. However, I’ve had a number of people asking about prints of various pictures recently, so I really wanted to make some available as soon as possible. It’s not as simple as you might think though…
The perfect Valentine’s Day present for a pet owner
With Valentine’s Day coming up you might be looking for the perfect present for your partner. Beautifully realistic, hand-drawn pet portraits make wonderful gifts, but they also take time to create and artists usually have long waiting lists, so you may not be able to commission one in time for February 14th. There is, however, something that would make an equally thoughtful present, and could, in fact, be an even better option….
A happy half year of art!
It’s the start of a new year and since I’ve now been a full-time artist for just over six months, I thought I’d take the opportunity to look back at how far I’ve come since I set out on my journey in July 2022. Here are some of the things I’ve done…
The Little Red Robin
One of the things I wanted to do in my first year of running my art business was to help an animal charity in some way. I was was so pleased, therefore, to be asked by The Little Red Robin site if I wanted to gift a pet portrait to their “Make a Wish” competition to raise money for Many tears animal rescue…
Pet portrait Christmas cards
To stand any chance of creating some Christmas cards and opening my online store before December, I needed a laptop which could run Photoshop. There was no way I could afford one at this early stage of my business but thankfully, I live in Broadland District Council which, as I have discovered…
Pet portrait gift vouchers
With Christmas fast approaching, I thought I’d make some pet portrait vouchers available… They are such a great present, especially because they come in a presentation gift box so would make the perfect gift for the pet lovers in your life...
A challenging but rewarding month
September felt like a significant month and something of a proper start as a full-time artist. Although I went full-time in July, I had only just completed my A-levels, and in August I was away on holiday for a couple of weeks. They were still very busy months workwise, and I got lots done, but in terms of running my own business, September felt like the real beginning. I was excited to get going, but as it turned out, September was the hardest month yet.
Hot off the press—My new Epson P900 printer has arrived!
As my new art business gains momentum each day brings something new and exciting, and today my new printer arrived!...A massive thankyou to the Norfolk County Council Go Digital programme and support from Broadland District Council that enabled me to take this first step into the world of fine art prints.
Cute New Four by Four Mini Portraits
Today, I’m excited to introduce a brand-new size to my pet portrait range. I’m currently working on a couple of very large A2+ pieces but, at the other end of the scale, I’m sure there are those who would love a cute mini portrait of their pet or favourite animal. I certainly did, so made one of my cat Titus.
A New Website!
My new website is now live (yay!) and you can see it via www.SophieEllaFineArt.com. I built my first website as part of a Sixth Form project almost a year ago, so it was due a refresh.
It’s got my new colour scheme (teal and lavender), an improved layout, plus the option to open a store to sell prints of my work. I hope you like it!
Pet portrait Christmas presents
You may not be thinking about Christmas quite yet, but if you want to order a pet portrait as a gift it’s worth doing so soon. Pet portraits make excellent presents and although I’m now booked up until the end of November, I could still complete a couple more in time for December 25th.
A change of scene
I had a restful but productive holiday in Sussex recently where I completed a commission, sorted a logo, and ordered some sample gift boxes from Tiny Box Company. I’ve just got a delivery of some lovely metallic copper stickers too, so I’m now working on a colour scheme to tie it all together.
A-level results!
Today is the day…
I’ve been really anxious to receive my A-level results after 2 years of hard work. Especially for art!
An inspiring day out
I went out for a trip to Holt last Monday. It was such a hot day (record temperatures!) but the Norfolk countryside looked stunning in the summer sun.
Brainstorming my brand
I’ve been thinking this week about how to communicate the aspects of my art business that make it unique and personal to me.
A couple things that come to mind are…
The start of my life as a full-time pet portrait artist
Welcome to my blog!
With my A-levels now completed, I was very excited this week to start my career as a full time artist.