Good morning!
I’ve gotten a bit lax with my newsletter scheduling and I’m blaming it on the heat but I’d also like to get back on track. This week though, I’m giving you a peek behind the curtain and sharing why snack time is delayed. This newsletter is usually late because I’ve decided to spend my week going to Muji and reorganizing a cabinet in my home, but the reason today is more visually interesting (though I will say I did a fantastic job and it could be fun to share my drawer organizer process too).
Earlier this year, I was talking with a friend about the free-fall after leaving a day job and joked “when do the pet portraits start up again.” Well, here we are. I have the common and irritating habit of thinking that progress is linear (and that I am smart/all-knowing enough to know and see and appreciate when progress is happening). When I day-dreamt about leaving my full-time job, I imagined a skyrocket. And there was a skyrocket-y vibe that gave me the confidence and push to leave in the first place (along with heavy piles of anxiety and deep entrenchment in seven years of office politics that I was ready to let go of), but that rushing feeling leveled out and real growth is gradual, sometimes a little invisible, and sometimes abrupt in surprising spurts. All to say, when I first made that half-joking comment about returning to pet portraits it had shame attached to it. A backslide flavor.
When I moved to New York after college ~9.5 years ago, I had two part-time jobs and I made pet portraits on the side of my side jobs as a way to make extra cash.
There’s a typo on this postcard, but this is sweet. I sent dog treats (and boldly a chocolate for the human) with each piece. I really got into the branding of it all. A year later I closed up shop when I finally landed the REAL, full-time CAREER job I had been working towards. That memory is such a New York seared-in-my-brain one. I was on the subway home when I got the offer email and I ran six blocks to my apartment happy crying the entire way (I happy cried again when I decided to leave this job years later). That broke the seal on me showing raw emotion in public. My favorite crying spot in my childhood home was a rock on the edge of a wooded path in my backyard. Now it’s various trash cans, a yoga class, or a soft patch of grass in a park filled with 125+ people.
I’ve grown and learned a lot since 2014, and yet here we are back at pet portraits.
But it doesn’t feel like a backslide. It’s surprisingly engaging and fresh and I’m desperately trying to apply this realization to more areas of my life. It might sometimes feel like I’m revisiting seemingly young or already explored phases, but I’ll always meet these moments with new perspective and—I’ll say it! Wisdom! Nothing is linear/forward motion in the ways I imagine or craft them to be. It’s usually more exciting—and sometimes a lot shittier or crunchier—but ultimately more enriching than I originally envision. That’s my sugar sweet (but also true) POV for the week.
And now for some BTS content as promised.
To set the scene, this is my desk. It’s usually a liiiiitle more tidy, but when I’m working it’s a charming little explosion.
And the special thing about this desk is that I lugged it with me from my childhood home in MA. It’s where I played Sims all weekend and it used to be covered in magazine clippings of the One Tree Hill and O.C. cast and I don’t think I will ever part with it. I believe it’s Pottery Barn ~1999 and they don’t make desks like this anymore!!
My twist on pet portraits this time around is the accessories; inspired by this duo I created about a year ago:
I want to revisit these two, they’re fun.
When I take pet portrait orders, I ask for accessory requests and if anyone draws a blank I suggest they share their pet’s favorite activities or most notable traits and I can take it from there. I’ve found that a dog/cat’s (I haven’t gotten any portrait commissions outside of these two categories—send me some lizards!) persona is very apparent even from just one photo, but these additional details really bring the animals (and their owners) to life. It’s so much fun to see what folks come up with.
Some of my favorites:
(if you ordered a portrait in this latest batch, I’ll be mailing them out mid-week next week and will send you an email when it’s shipped!)
I sadly and shockingly don’t have pets of my own, so this work is such a treat—and leaves me with inspiration for my future sweetie:
The other big development since I last did pet portraits in 2013-2014 is that I love cats (one specifically, but I think that counts. Read about that development here).
Pet portrait commissions are closed for the summer, but keep your eyes peeled at the end of August. I plan to open up some spots then! I post those openings on instagram @ariellaelovic / @thecheekyblog.
NEW YORK FRIENDS: I will be at Strand bookstore with the brilliant writer/illustrator/author Olivia de Recat to discuss her new book Drawn Together! Join us this Thursday, July 28th. Tickets here.
This post warmed my heart so much ! You better believe I will be trying to get a spot when you open them up for a portrait of my cats Summer, Capitaine and Tupac!
Big love your way !xo