Meet Staffordshire pet portrait artist Katia Holmes

It was her own rescue dog Teddy that inspired her first portrait around five years ago and since then she has gone on to craft more than 400 pictures for customers around the world. With every commission she has continued to hone her skills and has also added wildlife and people to her repertoire.

Katia, who previously worked in the hospitality industry, developed her love of art after attending classes for two years in her home city of St. Petersburg.

"I had quite a stressful job with really long hours. I started doing art as a hobby to relax, there was such a nice atmosphere at the classes," she says.

She moved to Cannock - her husband Mark's hometown - eight years ago after they met while he was working in Russia.

When they adopted Teddy, Katia started crafting pet portraits for family and friends and was delighted to receive positive feedback.

Encouraged by Mark, she decided to turn her passion into a profession and set up her business, Pawtraits by Katia.

To make a portrait, the 42-year-old works from photographs, usually a favourite of the owners, one that means something to them and shows off their pet’s personality.

"If customers want to, they can send me a few different photos and we can choose the best one together," says Katia. "I can work with any photos they have. If a customer wants a portrait featuring two or three pets but they don’t have a photo of them together, I can create a custom collage," she says. "I can also add in their favourite toys."

Hours of work go into each portrait as Katia makes sure to capture as much detail as possible. "Their eyes are very important. They say human's eyes are a window to the soul and I think it's the same with animals, so getting the eyes right is very important to me," she explains.

Once a portrait is finished, Katia sends a photo of it to the customer for their approval. She is always happy to make any changes they request.

"Customer satisfaction is my priority. I want to know they are happy because this is their fur baby," she says. Her portraits are available in three sizes – square (20 x 20cm), A4, and A3 – and Katia also offers a range of framing options. “My customers come from all over the world, not just locally. I also offer gift vouchers, which make wonderful presents for friends and family,” she says. 

Katia has collaborated with esteemed local wildlife photographers such as Bob Whorton, Suzie Bradbury, and Ann Wright. "Their breath-taking wildlife photographs serve as invaluable references, adding a touch of realism to my artwork,” she explains.

She has also hosted two exhibitions at the Museum of Cannock Chase, including an event which took place this summer.

Continuing to improve and expand her skills is something that is very important to Katia. "I'm still learning - there are so many things to learn but when I compare the portraits I'm doing now to the portraits from when I first started, I can see a big difference. I put a lot more detail into them now and I've also been doing portraits of people,” she says.

"What I truly love about creating art is how much love and energy I pour into every stroke of my pencils.

"Each painting carries a part of me, and it’s incredibly fulfilling knowing that my work gives people not just a beautiful image, but also emotions and memories that they can cherish. That feeling is priceless to me," she adds.

For more information, see www.pawtraitsbykatia.com, www.facebook.com/pawtraitsbykatia or call or text 07858 468010.