This beautiful and unique colorful pet portrait features a gorgeous Rhodesian Ridgeback dog named Venus, with a ghostly lion appearing in the background. It is an acrylic painting on an 8″ x 10″ stretched canvas, and was finished on February 16, 2022. This portrait is a very unique interpretation of the pet, and the lion was requested by the owner. It was interesting to create a more fantasy style portrait instead of something more traditional. The dog was black and tan, so I used basically the entire rainbow except greens to create the portrait. The tan areas were represented by bright oranges and yellows, with shadowed areas in vivid reds, magenta, purple, and hot pink. The black areas on the muzzle and ears and the markings above the eyes are mostly shades of blues and purples. The background is a cool gradient of blue, violet, purple and magenta to contrast with the mostly warm colors of the dog. The lion was created by adding several layers of transparent mixing white over the background.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is an African sight-hound breed that was originally bred to hunt lions. They originate from southern Africa in an area called Rhodesia, which is now known as Zimbabwe. They were bred by crossing native southern African hunting dogs with several European breeds, including Great Danes, bloodhounds, and greyhounds. They were originally called the Boer hunting dog by the Dutch colonialists which created the breed. They have a distinctive feature where the fur along their spine grows in the opposite direction, creating a “ridge” on their back. This ridge is only found in two other breeds, the Thai Ridgeback and the Phu Quoc ridgeback.
It was a great pleasure creating this portrait for the owners in remembrance of this beloved dog. If you would like a similar portrait of your own pet, please visit my Pet Portraits page by clicking the link above. There you can find pricing and more information on getting your own custom colorful pet portrait of your furry, feathered, or scaly friend.
Rhodesian Ridgeback Art Print
The original painting of this gorgeous dog is hanging in the owner’s home. However, you can purchase a fine art print reproduction of this artwork in my Print Store Online. It is available in a huge variety of sizes and materials. Paper prints, also known as giclee prints, are available in several sizes ranging from 6″ x 8″ all the way to 48″ x 60″. They come in 8 different paper types, and with hundreds of options for frame and mat colors and styles. Also select a canvas print, which comes in the same size options, and with your choice of frame thickness. The print also comes in metal, acrylic, wood, and even tapestry as options.
In addition to wall art options, this store has many other home decor and gift products, including greeting cards, phone cases, throw pillows, shower curtains, tote bags, carry all pouches, beach and bath towels, apparel, coffee mugs, spiral notebooks, fleece blankets, jigsaw puzzles, stickers, and ornaments.
