Artist of the Month - Trish Waller
Grace MiddletonThis month, we’re excited to feature Trish Waller, a local pet portrait artist inspired by the dogs she meets every day. In this blog, Trish opens up about her creative journey, the tools and techniques she uses, and the meaningful stories that bring each portrait to life...
Q. Where have you found inspiration lately?
A. As a pet portrait artist who also works with dogs as a day job I find myself constantly inspired by all of the gorgeous dogs that I meet every day! The huge variety of breeds out there means that no two projects are the same and I am constantly challenged with different facial features, fur types and markings. I especially love drawing dogs that I know well or have a heartwarming story behind them.
Q. Is there a piece of art or project you’re particularly excited about right now?
A. Currently I have just began my first charcoal project of my dads border collie from when he was a young pup. Charcoals are a completely new medium for me as I usually create digital art but I am thoroughly enjoying the process and very pleased with the results so far.
Q. What kinds of tools or references do you like to use when creating artwork?
A. I work soley from reference images that are sent to me so it is most helpful when they are high quality and clear images with lots of detail. However, I have recently taken on a few projects using lower quality or older images and have found the process of filling in missing detail that can't be seen very satisfying, especially when I receive feedback from the owners about how impressed they are with the likeness and the level of detail.
Q. Which artists or artworks—either from your life or from art history—have influenced you, and why?
A. My dad is a hobby artist and I have always admired his work. We have different styles as he works primarily in watercolour and produces beautiful landscapes but I have always been so impressed by his natural ability and the speed at which he can bring a piece together. It feels great to share my own art with him especially as my creativity and artistic skills will have been passed down from him in the first place!
Q. What advice do you have for new or aspiring artists?
A. I still consider myself to be a relatively new artist as I have only really been dedicating a lot of time to my art over the past couple of years. My main advice as a newcomer would be not to doubt yourself and to trust in your abilities. As primarily a digital artist I feel that this can receive a lot of judgement and criticism as to how genuine and "real" this type of art is, especially with the development of AI forcing a lot of art in to question. I simply use my tablet as a sketch pad exactly as if it were pencil and paper, and I do not use apps or filters to produce anything for me. I enjoy the convenience of being able to bring my art with me anywhere and to be able to produce as many copies and make adjustments at ease. Like any art form it has benefits and challenges of its own but it works for me and I take comfort in knowing the patience and skill required to produce what I do.
Q. Professionally, what has been your biggest achievement so far?
A. Early last year my partner and I took a leap of faith and moved from London to Exmouth which caused a short break in employment. I was able to fill that time with producing art and had a backlog of commissions which I had never expected. I create these portraits because I love it, but to be able to make a small amount of money and to rely on that at a time when I needed it truly felt like an achievement.
Q. What is your first memory of creating art?
A. I have always been artistic since I was a young child. One of my very first vivid memories of drawing something that I felt proud of and quite impressed by was when I doodled Sonic the Hedgehog from a Sega mega drive game box. This may sound quite small and silly and not necessarily "art" but to me it was the first time I felt like I may actually have a skill and I wanted to explore it.
Q. How do you spend your time when you’re not creating artwork?
A. My art is only a part time hobby for me so when I am not at work this is usually how I spend a lot of my free time, otherwise I will be out with my two terriers exploring the stunning Devon countryside.
Q. What work do you most enjoy doing?
A. Due to my passion for dogs I love all of the art I create, but I especially enjoy doing portraits that are a little goofy or fun in some way! Recently I drew an upside down Staffordshire bull terrier which was a little unusual but so much fun to do and has inspired me to want to create a series of "upside down dogs" of different breeds, which I hope to find time to work on soon.
Q. What is your dream project?
A. Although I am very dedicated to creating meaningful commissioned portraits for loving dog owners, I would really like to create my own art series that I could one day exhibit locally.
You can explore more of Trish’s creations on her Instagram, and don’t miss next month’s Artist of the Month, where we’ll celebrate another talented creator making their mark through art.