Alison in front of her painting 'Lord of Men I'

We recently came across the stunning paintings of artist Alison Elliott when she ordered a sheepskin pet bed for her cats and we got chatting about her work - specialising in painting animals, particularly horses and dogs.

With Fab Fleece Co, and many of our customers, being big animal lovers, we were intrigued to find out more…

Bringing subjects to life

The first thing that so striking and admirable about Alison’s animal paintings is their awe-inspiring realism. So it’s very telling that when we ask Alison to name an artist that really inspires her, she says the photographer Richard Bailey.

Indeed it’s hard to believe Alison's paintings are not photographs themselves, as they portray her subjects so realistically through attention to the minutest of detail.

'I want each subject to come to life…so much so that one can almost feel them breathing,' says Alison.

‘Sunny’, 2013. Oil on gesso panel, 10 x 15cm

‘Sunny’, 2013. Oil on gesso panel, 10 x 15cm

A love for her subjects

It is Alison’s attention to the minutiae of an animal’s form that sets her apart from other animal portrait artists. Through her paintings, you can see the deep admiration Alison has for her subjects, a love which is demonstrated by the intimacy and almost obsessional level of detail that she manages to achieve.

Animals have always been a favourite subject for Alison, ever since she was a student doing Art Foundation at Winchester, where she learnt the key skills of life drawing and photography.

As a painter, Allison is completely self-taught, learning the majority of her working process from books and magazines, reading and experimenting with different techniques and supports over the years. She uses traditional painterly methods, updating the techniques of the old masters for a contemporary audience.

‘Talent' 2017. Oil on linen, 105 x 150 cm

More about the process

Each painting starts with a consultation with the subject’s owner to identify the animal’s character. This usually involves both owner and animal visiting her studio for the initial photographs from which the paintings are produced.

Getting these initial images right is crucial to capture the clarity and colours that Alison needs to make an accurate representation of her subject.

Once a single photograph is selected to work from, Alison decides on the scale of the painting by projecting her chosen image onto a paper backdrop.

Stivalery BJ, 2017 Arabian filly. Oil on gesso panel 13 x 18cm.jpg

Focus on the subject and its detail

Like the photographer she admires, Richard Bailey, Alison strips her compositions down to just the bare essentials and focus only on the subject, ‘cutting it out’ from its environment. This minimal approach places the animal at the epicentre of the painting, with no peripheral distractions in the background to draw the viewer’s attention from the portrait.

Each painting takes four layers to get to the most precise detail, with each layer adding progressively finer marks using gradually smaller brushes. The fourth and final layer is a tweaking layer, done to bring out the finest of details such as eyelashes, highlights on hair and light in the animal’s eyes.

This process is the same for both miniatures and larger canvases, although of course the larger canvases take considerably more time.

‘Molly’, 2014. Oil on gesso panel, 10 x 15cm

A question of scale

Indeed the choice of size and scale of the portrait is another distinguishing hallmark of Alison’s painting. Many of her earlier paintings are life size – such as portrait of the horse Fledalji and Boy, her painting of a six month old Giraffe she photographed while in Australia - which are both presented at 1:1 scale.

These larger works create a huge impact on the viewer and dominate the space. However, Alison paints miniatures of smaller animals, mostly made to commission as portraits of much-loved pets and are usually sized between 10x12cm and 18x24cm.

The small works invite the viewer to draw near to appreciate the detail. Because of their size, they can be fitted into even the most crowded home.

Alison doesn’t usually frame her work but these miniatures come with a custom-made presentation box. This is for protection, so that clients can make the decision about framing themselves. It’s also a lovely way of wrapping up the commission as a package, especially if it is a gift.

Most recently, Alison has been focusing on her smaller and more accessible portraits of both dogs and horses. But whatever the size, she is dedicated to recreating her subject’s every detail and bringing them to life in paint!

If you are interested in seeing more of Alison’s work or commissioning a portrait of a much-loved animal, please see Alison’s website - https://alison-elliott.myportfolio.com