“Pet Pastels Unleashed” Celebrates Man’s Best Friend on Canvas

By Kara Dicker

Premiere portrait artist Lisa Ober lights up when she talks about instructing workshops.

“I love having people come to class thinking there’s no way they can do a finished portrait and learn that they absolutely can,” she says. “I really enjoy watching people amaze themselves.”

A founding and Signature member of Heartland Art Club, Lisa is a nationally recognized portraitist and instructor, whose workshops are known for their straightforward structure, complemented by the artist’s disarming enthusiasm. “Pets in Pastels Unleashed” (May 22-24) is a portrait painting workshop devoted to man’s best friend, and Lisa encourages artists at all levels to participate. “People who have barely picked up a pastel have created the most stunning pieces,” she explains, noting that her structured, step-by-step process is especially helpful for beginners.  “Experienced artists pick up tips and tricks, and that’s because I’ve made so many mistakes.”

Untitled, by Lisa Ober, pastel.

Gaining value from Lisa’s “mistakes” is nothing to minimize. The artist’s bona fides include a decades-long list of portrait commissions from political figures, famous athletes, and celebrities. As much as she loves painting the human figure, she’s a down-to-earth softie when it comes to four-legged companions.

“I did what I would call a pet portrait at age seven,” she recalls. “I have always loved animals, always had dogs, one cat.”

Not only does Lisa enjoy memorializing canines on canvas, but she also credits them for coming to her rescue during a pivotal moment early in her life. Lisa was twenty at the time, working for a home improvement company while studying graphic design and illustration at Washington University. The receptionist’s job was making her miserable. That was when a client from the company learned of her interest in becoming a professional artist. The client had dogs and asked Lisa for a pet portrait. From a set of pastels she purchased from Artmart, Lisa worked her magic on a pair of cocker spaniels. “They were thrilled,” she says of the client’s response. They let the word out that Lisa could paint. “Immediately, I had a lot of orders for dog portraits. It kind of snowballed from there.”Not only does Lisa enjoy memorializing canines on canvas, but she also credits them for coming to her rescue during a pivotal moment early in her life. Lisa was twenty at the time, working for a home improvement company while studying graphic design and illustration at Washington University. The receptionist’s job was making her miserable. That was when a client from the company learned of her interest in becoming a professional artist. The client had dogs and asked Lisa for a pet portrait. From a set of pastels she purchased from Artmart, Lisa worked her magic on a pair of cocker spaniels. “They were thrilled,” she says of the client’s response. They let the word out that Lisa could paint. “Immediately, I had a lot of orders for dog portraits. It kind of snowballed from there.”

An early dog portrait by Lisa Ober, at age 7.

According to Lisa, the popularity of pet portraiture is boundless. “It’s always been popular, from my perspective,” she says, noting that dogs are still greatly favored over cats and other pets when it comes to their immortalizing. “It’s one of the most lucrative things an artist can do if they do it well,” citing what she says is an endless supply of pet lovers.

In 2018, Lisa accepted an offer from a television production company to paint a portrait of heavy metal music icon Ozzy Osbourne with Rocky, his beloved Pomeranian. Ozzy and his son, Jack, were set to film an episode of their travel documentary series Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour at the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog, located in St. Louis County at the time. Lisa attended the surprise unveiling at the Museum, and her meeting with Ozzy led to four additional commissioned portraits of Osbourne Pomeranians.

Lisa credits her success in pet portraiture to “endeavoring to actually capture that particular pet.” “Believe me,” she says emphatically, “pet owners know,” adding that anything less is just a painting of a type of dog or cat. Lisa says that a pet’s uniqueness, as with painting humans, lies in the eyes. “I think it’s the most important feature,” she says. Lisa works from her own photography, which she shares with her clients before painting. “I ask my clients to choose an expression they like best. Then it’s a matter of observation.”

When it comes to medium, Lisa prefers pastels for painting pets, citing their ability to capture a range of colors and textures. “Just the nature of the medium lends to fur,” she says. “It’s immediately rewarding. You get instant gratification.”

Lisa says she looks forward to her workshop, in which students will paint from the same reference image. “I love seeing the results of the portraits,” she says. “Because even though they all look like one dog, you can see the originality of the artist come through in terms of application. Here we all are painting the same German shepherd, and yet they are all unique.”