Please enjoy this bearded dragon! I’ve been on a real reptile kick lately. Maybe I’ll figure out scales one of these days if I keep experimenting haha!
How are you feeling about these dark backgrounds? Do you like them more or less than the white with a splash of colour? And how do you like the stars/shines? I’m a softy for stars and anything sparkly haha.
New Artwork – Bearded Dragon! Read More »
I’m continuing my experiments with black backgrounds this year, so please enjoy this Burmese python!
Besides the background elements, I also experimented a bit more with glazing different colours. This is something I’ve mostly avoided in my work, since layering the same colour tends to give the most vibrant result. But the colour complexity created by layering transparent colours is such a strength of watercolours that I’d really love to make it work in my rainbow style.
I’m also still struggling with scales haha! One day I’ll strike the perfect balance with them!
Learn to paint like this through my classes on Skillshare.
Burmese Python Watercolour Painting Read More »
Here’s something new I’m testing out. This year, I’d like to get more into making my own merch instead of having it produced in a factory. It’s slower, but slower can be very good! To start out, I made a batch of kitty magnets!
These are made from air dry clay using stencils I designed and 3d printed myself. Then I painted them with acrylic paint pens and sealed them with a high gloss varnish. They have neodymium magnets, so they’re VERY strong. If people like these, I’d eventually like to open custom slots for pet portraits, and maybe make some as pins instead of magnets.
You can find these guys here on my Etsy shop: https://squidtartsart.etsy.com/ca/listing/4443907407/handmade-clay-cat-magnets
New Merch Type – Clay Cat Pins! Read More »
Continuing on from the gecko pins I introduced last week, I’ve also made some kitty and axolotl pins! I try to have a variety of types of subjects so more people can find something they like.
These guys are 2″ across and look super vibrant in person. The axolotl looks a little more subtle since it’s such a long and squat design, and the round kitty is more of a statement piece.
New Pins – Axolotl and Fluffy Kitty Read More »
Following on from my last tokay gecko post, I decided to turn these viscous cuties into wooden pins! Now you can carry your angriest friend with you wherever you go!
(Their bumpy texture is a reflection of my terrible photography skills, not the pins’ quality. They look very vibrant and feel very silky in person!)
You can pick up one of these little guys RIGHT HERE!
New Wooden Pins – Tokay Geckos! Read More »
Because I still have geckos on the brain, please enjoy this natural coloured tokay gecko! I just cannot get enough of their beautiful blue, orange, and white markings. It’s really incredible these are their natural colours! I guess they’re just so bitey, nature had to put a warning sign on them haha!
You can grab stickers of these cuties here: https://rainbowpetportraits.ca/product/tokay-gecko-vinyl-sticker/
New Design! Natural Tokay Gecko Sticker Read More »
I woke up this year with geckos on the brain. (This is no different from any other year tbh.) So please enjoy this angry tokay gecko! Rainbow-ified, because this is me we’re talking about. I would love, love, love one of these stunning beauties; but I’d ALSO love to keep all my fingers. This sticker version will have to satisfy my gecko needs for now.
If you also need rainbow tokay geckos in your life, you can grab a sticker of this guy HERE.
New Sticker – Rainbow Tokay Gecko Read More »
Hello, lovelies!
This is my final piece for the year; my annual gift for our vet! I don’t usually do multi-pet portraits, and it was really fun to paint two flavours of lab in one piece.
I want to send a big “Thank you!” to everyone who has supported my work this year. It’s been an especially tough year in a lot of ways (personally and globally), and seeing you wonderful people taking a moment to enjoy my work is a strong highlight in my life. Thank you very much for being here and sharing your precious time with me. I hope you have an amazing end of 2025, and let’s go into 2026 with a hopeful outlook!
New Watercolour Painting – Lovely Labradors Read More »
If this painting looks a little familiar, it’s because it’s my third attempt at using a limited palette to paint my kitty, Sparc! Last year, I painted my senior cat, Scuzzy, using just pink and yellow; and I’ve been struggling to create a matching piece for Sparc focusing around blue. I’m not sure why it took me so long to figure out that I needed to use cyan and cool yellow, since that’s the opposite end of the triad… But we got there in the end!
The one thing I really hate about painting on wood is how poorly it scans. There’s a luminous quality to all watercolours in person, but on wood, it’s cranked up to really enhance the vibrancy. Despite that, the painting process is just sooooo fun, I can’t imagine giving it up haha.
Watercolour Painting on Wood – Blue and Yellow Cat Read More »
Here’s my latest experimental piece. To no one’s surprise, it’s a cat!
I really enjoy the contrast between colour and pure black, but I’ve never found a way to introduce black into my rainbow pieces without dulling the colours. I think black backgrounds like this might be the solution?? It’s definitely something I’ll be experimenting more with in the near future.
This piece was also my first painting with acrylic inks! I love using India inks, but the lacquer in them dries on the palette and can create crumbs in the finished painting. Acrylic inks dry in more of a film that doesn’t tend to crumble into the wet ink, so it was very pleasant to work with. Bonus points for maintaining the transparency and vibrancy of my other inks and watercolours!
New Painting Process: Rainbow Tabby on Black Read More »