Portraits of rich people's pets
Tom Palmore, known for his huge canvaseswith very detailed portraits of pets, wrote paintings for almost 30 years. His work can be more than 2 meters in width, and the cost of works ranges from $ 25,000 to $ 35,000 per canvas. The main source of orders for Tom is word of mouth. Tom takes on portraits of any animals (except humans), but he always chooses the background himself.
Duncan in Space, 2001
Thomas performs about 20 orders a year. This is more than what real-life artists write. Tom makes a quarter of these works to order.
Before completing the order, Tom visits the subjectwork - a pet - with a professional photographer. Based on photographs and his own impressions, Tom prepares a preliminary sketch, selects the background and then, in agreement with the customer, begins to write. Only through preliminary negotiations, where the proportions, positions and basic elements are specified, the customers are not so shocked by the results of Tom's work.
Stash, 2001
Zelvis, 1996
Tyrone, 1982
Some customers want a picture not with their owna pet, but just with some kind of beast. So, for example, a couple traveling in Alaska was so fascinated by the otters that she ordered Tom a picture with a sea otter. Ducks did not figure in the order and became a surprise.
Sea Otter with Precipitation, 1997
Baby Billy, 1993
This is an image of a friend's bulldog, Thomas, likemost of his work is very massive. The picture is more than a meter in width and more than a meter in height. The work cost a lot. Thomas says that not all animals are suitable for his paintings. The portrait of a sea elephant would have cost incredible money, because Thomas simply does not like what this animal looks like.
The Collapsed Tiger, 2004
Queen Rodeo Double Two, 2004
In a monograph dedicated to his work,Palmore says that the eyes are the most important part of his work. "I drew more pupils over decades of creativity than I can count.No matter how well I painted feathers or wool: the animal will not look alive and interact with the environment until it makes the eyes what they should be," says Pallmor.
Max Likes Cats, 1998
Although Palmore has dogs, he seldom paints them. "It seems strange, but the truth is that if you draw a portrait of your own pet - you want to leave it to yourself. And I must remember that I paint portraits to sell them, and not to leave myself," says Palmore in the monograph.
Peace Kingdom, 2002
Red Panda, 2002
Palmour's favorite orders look something like this: "Hello, we saw mountain gorillas here in Africa." Could you draw a gorilla for us as an adult male? " So you do not have to take into account the specific features of a particular pet: a speck on the nose or protruding teeth due to a child's injury. Freedom of creativity is always important for the artist. If the work does not like the customer - he can always sell it in the Palmore Gallery.
Butch and Ginger, 2010
The portrait of these two dogs has a reference to Claude Monet's Lilies in the background.
Franchi, 2002
Tom lives in the middle west of the United States, on a ranch full of animals, which he takes with him if he moves.
Paintshorse Mike, circa 1990
Works in original sizes can be downloaded here.
