KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

A passionate animal-welfare activist and magazine editor, Erin Bradford still finds time to create custom pet portraits that are both graghic and personalized.

What started out as a hobby and gift-giving idea has turned into a small business for the 27-year-old.

“I couldn’t make a living doing this, but it’s fun,” Bradford said at her Little Rock studio apartment.

Her aesthetic is simple, modern, chic.

With her rescue dog Tai at her side, Bradford works from photographs of pets and portrays them in thin acrylic tones of gray, black and white that pop against vivid backgrounds.

“I wouldn’t know what to do if someone brought their animal in. And the graphic nature of the paintings lends itself to working from a photo,” Bradford said.

Some clients have background colors in mind, but for those who don’t Bradford said she has to get to know a bit about the person and the pet to figure out the most suitable color.

“Look at that bichon, what other color could it be but purple or pink,” she said, pointing to one of four canvases to be delivered that day.

“I want it to look exactly like your pet,” she said.”Every dog looks so different, and the people who own them are the only ones who can see that.”

“I wouldn’t want a picture of a rat terrier on my wall unless it was my rat terrier,” she said.

Bradford started doing the portraits for friends as Christmas gifts. They were such a hit, she wondered if people might pay for them.

“I’d been shopping on Etsy.com and saw that it was easy to set up a shop,” she said. “I thought what’s the worst that can happen: no one will like them and I won’t sell any and I’ll be out just a little money.”

But people did like them. She’s sold six on etsy in the past two months and has an order for five more.

“I was really surprised,” Bradford said. “I didn’t expect people to like them that much.”

She’s also sold several through Craig’slist and has donated paintings to C.A.R.E. for Animals. She’ll be submitting paintings for the C.A.R.E. and Pulaski County Humane Society fundraisers as well.

Clients order portraits on Bradford’s Etsy shop page, then email a photo of their pet. Bradford draws the image and paints proofs, which are sent to the buyer who makes any changes. Changes made, the buyer gets final approval.

“It’s a time investment for me,” Bradford said. “I go over sections three times, so I’m basically painting the whole thing three times. It’s very time consuming.”

On average, each painting takes Bradford five to six hours.

“I did the math, according to how much I wanted to be paid by the hour, and came up with $75,” Bradford said. “I can’t really see selling them for more than that because I think that’s a fair price.”

“And I wouldn’t make something I wouldn’t purchase,” she said.

With two bachelor’s degrees in art and English from Hendrix College, Bradford earned her master’s in English at Colorado State University.

“I have an art degree, but I don’t need one to do this,” she said. “I don’t think anyone needs an art degree to paint. The degree just gives you the courage to try it.”

Bradford’s been involved in animal rescue for years, volunteering at Little Rock Animal Services, Bryant Animal Control, the Colorado House Rabbit Society, and she is co-founder of The Arkansas Pet Rabbit Network.

“It’s great to have a hobby that involves animals,” she said. “They’re really my passion.”