Scottish based fine artist, Louise Donnelly, is a contemporary realist painter who specialises in the portraiture of animals. Originally from rural Co. Tyrone in N. Ireland Louise grew up surrounded and inspired by the love of animals and nature. This said, what truly set her off on a path of painting pets was that of Covid-19 and experiencing lockdown. During this period, she was struck by what a profoundly positive impact our pets had on our physical and mental health. Viewing pets as “our lifeline during Covid-19” she is most inspired when hearing stories of your pets and finding out about their perfect personalities and idiosyncrasies. To most capture this in her paintings she chooses to focus most of the attention in her paintings on the face and in particular the eyes of the commissioned animal or pet. Louise who works primarily in oils, employs the traditional techniques of the old masters in first creating an underpainting in tones of burnt sienna before progressing to the layers of colour, she states passionately that her favourite part of the process after coming to know the pet is “adding those finishing flurries – the highlights, the glints in the eyes and the crisp whiskers”.