Hi, I’m Cherie!
I’m a professional pet portrait artist and I love animals!
Growing up my household was always full of fun pets – dogs, cats, hamsters, Guinea pigs, birds, a rat and even a hedgehog. Granted my sister adopted most of them and she had a penchant for finding quirky animals. But they provided me with an endless pool of subjects to practice drawing. Throughout my life I’ve always created art in some form or another but drawing and painting pet portraits seems to be my calling – and I’m so thankful that I get to do this for a living!
I received my bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Virginia Tech in 2008 and I have worked in the arts industry in various capacities since then including as a 3D animation artist, photographer, and videographer. I switched gears in 2016 to pursue my dream of being a full-time studio artist.
I currently live in Sterling, Virginia with my husband and I am a stay-at-home mom to a very energetic three-year-old boy and a four-month-old daughter. I have completed over 530 pet portraits since they were born, mostly during nap times, nights, and weekends. And I hope one day to be able to sleep again! We unfortunately have no pets at the moment but seeing all of your amazing pet photos helps fill the pet void in my life (and my husband promises me we can get a dog as soon as we have a fence!)
The bond between a pet and their family is so incredibly special and the love that people have for their pets is truly inspiring to me. I cherish getting to know my client’s pets and being able to capture their unique qualities and quirks on canvas as a beautiful keepsake for their family. And I love seeing the joy it brings my clients to receive their completed pet portrait. I truly have the best job in the world!
