Here it is, the 2021 year in review for Rebecca Wang Art! I have done 22 pet portraits this year, plus one original art. They are mostly dogs and cats, but I also my first chicken portrait this year.  I would have been able to do more, but I had to take a three month hiatus this year due to moving to another state. I still have been very productive even though this year has been very chaotic. The collage in the banner above does not include the black leopard painting, which is the one lone non-commissioned painting that I did this year. The painting of the two mixed breed dogs in the middle of the collage were actually two identical paintings of the same portrait, so I actually did 24 total paintings this year.

I am finished with commissions for this year, and I am already booking up for early next year. My next opening is in late April, so if you want a portrait of your furry, feathered, or scaly friend, now’s the time to schedule it! I also do gift certificates if you wanted to order one for a friend or family member for next Christmas.

These paintings feature the wide variety of styles and colors that I use in my paintings. A few of them were painted with natural colors and a colorful background. This style works best for gray or brown animals, but I can do this for any pet if you prefer. Three paintings have warm sunset colors for the background, and two have mostly yellow, which is not a common color scheme that I typically use, but I have grown to like it a lot. I tend to use a lot of cool colors, especially blue for the backgrounds. A couple of paintings have bright rainbow backgrounds. This style can be distracting, but I am able to make it work.

I have had three multi-pet commissions this year. These tend to work best on larger canvases, since it is difficult to squeeze in much detail in a small painting. As a general rule, for two pets, 12×16 is the smallest size that works. For three pets or more, 18×24 or larger is ideal.

Besides the chicken, I have a few other pet portrait firsts this year. There are a few breeds I have not painted before. They are the Silken Windhound, the English Bulldog, Yellow Labrador Retriever, Standard Poodle, Chocolate Labrador Retriever, shorthaired Chihuahua, and Beagle. I love the opportunity to paint new and uncommon breeds. I already have some scheduled for next year that are more breeds I have not done, so that will be fun! I hope I get more atypical pets, like reptiles, birds, and farm animals.

I only was able to squeeze in one original artwork painting (non-commissioned) this year. These artworks tend to do better in my online stores, so I am hoping to find time to create more unique art next year. On my list of species I would like to do are a giant panda, snow leopard, capybara, rhinoceros, elephant, and African wild dog. I would also like to do some more Chinese dragon paintings, especially different colors like a gold and red one, a green and gold one, and maybe even a rainbow dragon! How cool would that be!

Hope you all have a Happy New Year!

Rebecca