Daisy Shepperd

I have been working as a pet portrait artist since 2003, and have only recently begun to use coloured pencil in my work. My own personal style really lends itself to coloured pencils as a medium, and I am constantly improving my technique and learning new ways in which to use them- they are just so versatile. When creating a portrait, I try to include every minute detail and using pencil makes it so easy to capture every wisp of fur.

I grew up in South London, in a wild house with a wild garden, where I spent many hours sketching the creatures that I would unearth under stones. As a child I was fascinated by animals and especially loved foxes, dogs and creepy crawlies.

I continued to study art at secondary school, but I was never interested in learning about Picasso or Monet- I just wanted to doodle! However, it was at school that I learnt to draw from life. I left secondary school with an A at GCSE and continued to study an A level, eventually leaving 6th Form with a B grade and a place at a reputable London Art School. Upon completing my foundation year I chose to study Illustration at degree level. It was at this time that I began painting and sketching my pet chinchilla, Alfie, and came up with the idea to paint pet portraits.

I decided to leave the course and pursue a career working with animals, so worked hard to get a place at a local college offering animal-related courses. After 9 months of volunteering and working as an artist/catering assistant, I am now studying at Merrist Wood College, Guildford. Studying the anatomy and behaviour of animals has given me a greater understanding of how their bodies work, which has helped me create increasingly realistic pieces. In the future I would like to do wildlife conservation work, and would like to publish a book of observation sketches of endangered wildlife.

Contact details:

Website: http://www.daisy-pet-portraits.co.uk
Email: daisy_pawtraits[at]yahoo.co.uk
Telephone: 01784433116