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“Tammy has come to life in the portrait!"
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I lost my beloved tabby cat Tammy last August. I wanted to do something to remember her by, when I came across Naomi's site. I thought the portraits on her site were stunning. Naomi was so helpful and understanding and wanted stories about Tammy, to get an idea of her character. I have just received the completed portrait, and all I can say is I was blown away by it. Tammy has come to life in the portrait. Just as I remember her. I will treasure it forever.
Naomi is just amazing! She went over options made suggestions and gave me lots of options for my artwork before starting, checked in with me to make sure I was happy, and the finished product exceeded my expectations! She has an absolutely outstanding talent! Would highly recommend her.
My wife and I commissioned Naomi to draw a portrait of our cat who recently passed away. Naomi was very communicative and helpful when discussing reference photos for the pose in the portrait. She makes an effort to understand the personality of the pets she draws and makes sure it comes through in the portrait. The final result is absolutely incredible.
Naomi's portrait of my beloved cat was the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen! The detail was breath-taking and so realistic. Her talent is outstanding and I will definitely be getting another portrait from her in the future. After the sudden passing of my Beau, this gave me such a comfort. Thanks again Naomi!
Naomi drawing Beau the Bengal cat.
Portrait of Daisy, the silver tabby cat.
Portrait of Lucy.
Portrait of Lucy.
Portrait of Beau.
Portrait of Beau.
Portrait of Brownie.
Portrait of Brownie.
Portrait of Buddy.
Portrait of Buddy.
Portrait of Pia.
Portrait of Pia.
Portrait of Arlo.
Portrait of Arlo.
Before I begin drawing your cat, it’s key that I can learn as much about them as possible. I’ll ask you to give me an insight into their characteristics, their quirks, their likes and dislikes. Where did she come from? Has she been a member of your family since a kitten, or is she a rescue that had a hard start to life.
You can tell me stories, or send me photos that really sum up her nature. You can even send me a short video clip if you wish.
These key insights will help me to build up a wonderful picture of your cats’ personality, so that I can craft a portrait that captures their true likeness.
You know your cat better than anyone. The slow blink that means “I trust you”, the bread-loaf pose on a winter afternoon, the chirp when she spots a bird through the window, the way she settles into the exact spot you wanted to sit yourself. I love hearing about these little details before I begin drawing — they’re invaluable for capturing your cat on paper, so your portrait truly looks like your cat, not just a cat.
The same goes for the visual details. The way the light catches the green in his eyes. Whether her whiskers fan out or curl forward when she’s interested. The white sock on her back paw. The little ginger flash above his nose. The more you can tell me, and the better the photos you can send, the more closely I can capture what makes your cat uniquely them.
As well as sending me photos which demonstrate your cat’s personality, I’ll also ask you to send me some good quality photos which I can use to draw your cat. I call these ‘reference photos’. Your reference photos might be the same as your ‘personality photos’ of course, and that’s fine. Just bear in mind that reference photos will need to be of good quality; taken at high resolution, with sharp details and good lighting. You can view my photo guide for more tips on choosing suitable reference photos.
If Christmas is looming on the horizon, you’re probably searching for that perfect gift for your loved one. Or maybe they have a special birthday coming up. Whatever the occasion, if your loved one is besotted with their feline friend, then a beautifully hand-crafted cat portrait will make for a truly memorable gift.
I’m always very discreet with surprise portraits; I know how precious that moment of unwrapping will be, and the excitement of watching your loved one see their portrait for the first time. I’ll never post up images or details of your portrait on my website or social media channels until you’ve gifted it to your loved one. I’ll also check your delivery preferences with you. You may wish to have it delivered to your work address for example. All exterior packaging will be unbranded so as not to give the game away!
If you wish to gift a portrait for a special occasion, then it’s key to get in touch with me early. Often my waiting list can be several months long. In the event that I’m booked up, you may wish to purchase a gift voucher instead. These work especially well if you think your loved one would love to be involved in the creation of their artwork. Not only will they be able to tell me all about their cat, and choose which photos I work from, but they’ll have the added excitement of seeing photo and video updates as their portrait unfolds. For more information, please visit my gift vouchers page.
I have a wide range of size options available for your artwork so there’s something to suit everyone. Selecting the right size for your cat portrait will need a little more thought than simply ‘what will fit on my wall’. Obviously, this is an important consideration, but there are a few other things you might want to think about…
For example, is your cat a giant bundle of Maine Coon fluff, or is she a petite Cornish Rex. Your cat’s physical size can have an important bearing on the dimensions of your portrait, as you may wish to go for something that’s life sized.
What are your favourite features of your cat? If you love his gorgeous captivating eyes, and his cute eye whiskers, then I’d recommend a head and shoulders portrait. Or if you adore her unique fur markings and want to show off her beautiful figure, a full body portrait might be more fitting. I’d always recommend going for a larger size if you’d like the full body option. The bigger the size, the more detail I can work into the drawing, creating an exceptionally high level of realism.
These are just two examples of points you may wish to consider. For a full run down, please read my size guide.
Your cat portrait will be hand-drawn in pastels using only the finest archival-quality professional art materials, made to last a lifetime. Pastels suit cats beautifully — they let me build up the soft layers of fur and capture both ends of the spectrum, from the smooth gleam of a short-haired Bengal or British Shorthair to the dense fluff of a Persian or Maine Coon.
Cat fur also has a wonderful complexity that pastels are perfect for. Black cats aren’t simply black — there are blues, browns and warm rust tones hidden in the shadows that the right pastels can reveal. Tabby markings shift and ripple with the light. And then there are the eyes — usually my favourite part to draw. Pastels let me capture the depth, the iridescence and the soft sheen that brings a cat’s expression to life.
For a more comprehensive list of the materials I use, visit my art materials page.
To beautifully finish your cat portrait, I’d always recommend having it professionally framed. The right frame and mount really do let the artwork breathe and bring out the colours in your cat’s fur and eyes.
If you’re local to Cornwall, I’m happy to arrange framing with my trusted local framer. If you’re further afield, your portrait will come with framing and care advice so you can find a framer near you. You can also find more guidance in my framing guide.
I’m based in a beautiful part of the world called Cornwall, in the UK. Some of my clients are local to me, but most are based further afield - I regularly ship cat portraits throughout the UK and over to the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately I’m currently unable to ship to the EU. My prices details delivery costs for the UK and USA. If you live somewhere else, please get in touch and I’ll happily provide a personalised shipping quote.
My waiting list generally ranges between two and four months, with longer waits in the lead-up to Christmas. If your cat portrait is for a specific date - a milestone birthday or an anniversary, perhaps - please get in touch early so I can let you know what’s possible. I always do my best to accommodate where I can, and if the timing is tight, a gift voucher can be a lovely way to give the gift on the day and let me create the portrait at the right pace afterwards.
If you’re commissioning a memorial portrait, whether for yourself or as a gift for someone who’s recently lost their cat, please let me know when you get in touch. I’ll always try to find a way to prioritise these where I can.
Once you have your cat portrait, professional prints let you enjoy it in more than one place. Perhaps a print for your office, or one to send to a family member who loved her too. My print service makes this easy - see my pet portrait prints page for ordering details and sizes.
One thing I always promise: prints of your cat portrait will only ever be available to you. I never produce mass-market prints of any pet portrait commission. Your cat’s portrait is yours and yours alone.
Every breed and crossbreed. I’ve drawn Bengals, British Shorthairs, Ragdolls, Maine Coons, Persians, Norwegian Forest and Cornish Rex among others, and I’m equally happy painting moggies and crossbreeds with no breed at all.
Yes - these are some of the most rewarding cats to draw. Pastels let me build up the subtle shifts of colour layer by layer, whether it’s the rippling stripes of a tabby, the patchwork of a tortie, or the bold blocks of a calico.
Absolutely. Long-haired cats are a beautiful challenge - the dense, layered fluff means careful pastel work, and the results can be really stunning.
Yes. Many of the cat portraits I create are in memory of a much-loved cat who’s no longer with us. I’ll work with you sensitively to choose the right photos and create a portrait that does them justice.
Any cat owner will sympathise. I work entirely from photos, and I’m happy to look through a selection to find the right one. My photo guide covers what makes a good reference photo - sharp eyes and good lighting matter most. If you’re struggling, send me what you have and I’ll let you know if there’s enough to work with.
You can find some more generic information on my how it works page. This details how the whole process works, from ordering your bespoke portrait, right through to receiving it on your doorstep.
