Pet Portrait Painting for Marc Jacobs at Holt Renfrew Ogilvy
Live Pet Portraits on Marc Jacobs Handbags: A Unique Event Experience in Montreal
As a live event artist based in Montreal, I recently had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with Marc Jacobs, painting custom pet portraits on their iconic canvas and leather tote bags. It was a fun and exciting event that combined fashion with personal artwork, creating one-of-a-kind pieces for attendees.
When I was contacted to paint pet portraits for Marc Jacobs, I was asked to provide a sample of work. I’ve painted animals many times, but the only true “pet portrait” example I had was the painting I did of my beloved dog Teddy in the weeks after he died suddenly in March. The painting hangs in my living room and not to toot my own horn, but he is so well captured that it really feels like I still get to see him every day. (And why yes, before you ask, I do talk to the painting 😅😂) Despite being confident in my painting abilities, I was always a little nervous to paint pets onsite because frankly, I was scared to embarrass myself. But after painting Teddy, I felt a lot more comfortable with the idea.
Even with that as the history of my experience with painting pet portraits, I wasn’t expecting how meaningful this event would be. The overwhelming response to this event clearly shows that I am not alone in being an absolutely insane, over the top, unhinged, lovesick dog mom. We are everywhere. (And yes cat moms too, and even bird moms). People absolutely LOVE their pets. So much. I could not have been more honoured to immortalize so many sweet fur babies.
During the course of the event, my fellow pet lovers had the chance to bring in photos of their furry companions for me to paint, and some even brought their pets in store - which made my job 10x more fun, obviously. I connected with several people who had also lost their soul-pets, and created a few memorial pieces which was extremely special and touching.
The popularity of this event was unmatched - it was by far the most successful and buzzworthy event I have personally worked in the 7 years that I have been doing live art. If you're in Montreal and looking for a viral event idea, a pet portrait painting event is definitely something you should consider. If you’re looking to hire a live painter, or are just interested in commissioning a custom pet portrait, please feel free to reach out. I would love to work with you to create something truly unique!
I specialize in live event painting, including pet portrait commissions, which can be done on a variety of surfaces—whether it’s a canvas, a leather bag, or even live as a retail activation like this one. I was incredibly proud of the portraits I painted for this event, and I felt my work combined my love of animals with my passion for capturing a likeness with realistic detail.
