It has been a real honour to paint no less than eight beagle portraits, six of which hang proud in the home of this beagle owner.
I started paintings these portraits back in 2011, when a friend-or-a-friend came up with the idea as a birthday gift. I was only happy to oblige.
The beagle breed is a delightful dog to paint. They have very distinctive colouring, typically with the black saddle, white legs and chest, then tan colours on the head and around the saddle. They have a smooth dense coat, which has a beautiful lustre, which means there are lots of great colours around the folds and tucks, particularly on the head.
Beagles have bags of personality and while they are loving and gentle, that can also be really independent and have a stubborn streak. So, there is a lot of fun to be had when choosing the right picture to paint from, ensuring their own personality shines through.
I initially painted three of their hounds, but over the course of the next few years, new additions came to join the family and so I was commissioned to paint more.
The last two portraits were completed in August 2018, and are of Enzo and Alvin, which are Cyprus beagles.
Every year 1000’s of dogs are abandoned in Cyprus. Current legislation means that dogs are not allowed to roam the streets and so they are placed within shelters or homes. Because of overcrowding there is only a finite amount of time allocated to each of the pups. There is only one of two outcomes, the fortunate ones are rescued and adopted, however many others are less fortunate.
Both Enzo and Alvin were fortunate to find a loving home in the UK. You can find out more about the plight of other dogs abandoned on https://www.facebook.com/CyprusBeagles/
Below are a couple of photographs sent to me that show the six paintings on the walls in their home.
Get in touch
Enquire about a commissioned portrait, a custom painting or ask about one of the paintings in the ‘To Buy’ section of the website.
07779 271219 | info@maddiepaints.co.uk