Today we’d like to introduce you to Brie Pereboom
Hi Brie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When my friend’s dog passed away, I wanted to do something special for her to commemorate her pet. I had spent much of my childhood and teenage years drawing portraits of my family dog, trying to get his likeness just right. When I saw the photo of my friend’s late dog, I thought I’d give it a try, to paint his portrait.
I had seen other artists use wooden plaques as the canvas for their art and I liked the idea of the portrait being a stand-alone piece, without requiring a frame. My friend’s pet portrait was received really well. After I shared photos of the hand-painted portrait, I began getting requests from other friends to paint their pet’s portraits, as well as creating more memorial gifts.
Since then I’ve added smaller wooden plaque options, in ornament and magnet sizes, as well as paper portraits, in various sizes. Even though I find it incredibly stressful to deliver a portrait that will capture the personality of my clients’ pets, I am deeply honored to be thought of and trusted with these very special portraits.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Each time I show up to paint a new pet portrait, I question whether or not I’ll be able to capture the essence of that sweet soul. I put a lot of pressure on myself to create the very best portrait that I can and I learn so much with each new painting. My process has grown and changed over the years and I’m always looking for ways to improve.
My hope is for each recipient to feel like their pet has been seen through this medium. I hope that their pet’s portrait can serve as a reminder for how special they were and how much joy they brought to their home. My dogs have all been such an integral part of our family. Having reminders of the sweet angels that have blessed our lives, feels like a really lovely way to honor them and the way they brought us all together.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Recycling, up-cycling, and reducing waste were all things that I wanted to consider in making and shipping the wooden pet portraits. I started collecting branches and small stumps to cut down for the wooden plaques. I also started saving packing materials and boxes that I could reuse for shipping containers.
While the environmental impact is definitely something that I’m passionate about, I think the real “special sauce” about my portraits is my attention to detail and my love and connection to dogs. I know how special our pets are to us. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a human child, which only increases the deep love and adoration that I pour into my dogs.
I love every single, squishy inch of them, from their nose to their tail. I miss the sweet details of my late golden retriever, Olive. From her darling lips, to the one freckle in her right eye, to her beautiful brown eyes that peered into your soul, our pets are the faces that greet us every day, for better or worse; they love us through all of life’s trials. A dog’s unconditional love is one of life’s greatest joys, which is why losing them is one of life’s greatest heartbreaks.
Being able to dedicate several hours to creating a unique, one-of-a-kind, hand-painted pet portrait for someone who loves their dogs as passionately as I do, fills me with an immense sense of purpose; it makes my art feel really meaningful.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Five years ago, I met this guy named Mike… It was December and we had only been dating for a few weeks. He came from a family of very talented artists and he asked me to paint a pet portrait, as a Christmas gift for his sister. I was very intimidated, but also honored, and very flattered that he wanted to support my art. I told him shortly after that that I had raised my rates, which was purely conversational and not a suggestion, by any means. Without even being asked, he paid me the difference from my original rate, for the pet portrait. His sister loved the gift, but what was even more exciting – is that “that guy” and I continued dating and we got married, a few years later!
Mike has supported me and all of my artistic endeavors since day one. This sweet man still commissions pet portraits from me to this day, even though I don’t always get around to fulfilling his personal requests for art in our home. He sees the value in my work and he trusts me to create unique gifts for the people in his life. He has encouraged me and held my hand through some of my hardest days.
I’m so blessed to say that he is one of my MANY encouraging and loving supporters. My parents are both creatives who have always supported my many artistic outlets. My friends are also INCREDIBLY talented, in numerous different mediums and fields. Being able to work, create, collaborate, and connect with so many wonderful artists makes creating and learning that much more enjoyable.
If you’re looking for a unique gift for your loved one, or yourself, I would be honored to create a hand-painted pet portrait for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.opalhourphoto.com/pet-portraits/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opalhourart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@opalhour
