We reached out to Chris Beetow to find out what goes into her creative process and what keeps her inspired. Speaking about the beginnings of her pet portrait career, the artist shared that she started by drawing doodles of her own pets—little comics that amused her. When others saw them and found them funny, they began asking her to draw their pets too. "This made me think that making pet portraits that went beyond likeness and somehow told a story about 'who' that pet was might be a really nice take and bring a different perspective to the genre of pet portraits. I wasn’t just making a portrait—I was telling a story."
When working on a commission, Beetow asks the pet owner to tell her about their pet’s personality, stories, background, and anything else that might help her understand who the animal truly is. "Everyone loves their pets, so when I can get details about their quirks, things they love, good and naughty things they have done, that is where I find the story to tell. I encourage owners not to hold back—novels are fine! The more I know, the more material I have to be inspired by and work with. I try to read the information before I even look at the photos of the pet. When I look at the photos, I instantly get a vision for the story my image needs to tell. If my first reaction to that idea is to laugh out loud, I know I’ve got something special."
While creative work brings a lot of joy, it also comes with challenges. For Beetow, the biggest one has been realizing that what she’s really capturing isn’t just the pet—it’s the feeling the owner has for them. "Perhaps for the first time, someone besides them [the owners] can look at the art and 'get it'—see why this animal is so loved and how important they are to the owner and family."
There have been many rewarding moments for Beetow. "Often, a portrait is a memorial, and when the owner sees the finished work for the first time, they will both laugh and cry because I’ve captured that spirit they felt was lost when their pet passed. It is pretty humbling to know that my art will always be there when they need that reminder of those wonderful moments they shared with their companion.
Not all of my portraits are memorials, however, and I often will get photos of pets sitting next to their portraits, and that is always a blast to see. Lastly, it is nice to see pictures of my art hanging in the homes, often from repeat clients, and seeing a whole wall covered with portraits of all their pets, past and present. I like to think that my work is always there for the owner when they need a smile, a laugh, and a little reminder of how important their animals are in their lives."
