STORYSCAPE PORTRAITS: A Story Brought to Life
Kit, Ransom, Banks, and Jasmine running on the shore of their beloved North Carolina beach.
A portrait does more than capture a likeness—it tells a story. While a Signature Portrait highlights a subject against a simple background, a Storyscape Portrait goes deeper, placing them in a meaningful setting that reflects their life, personality, and memories.
What is a Storyscape Portrait?
A Storyscape isn’t just a portrait—it’s a fully realized scene. Whether it’s a dog sitting proudly in their favorite backyard, a horse standing in a misty field at sunrise, or a beloved pet framed by the place they loved most, these paintings go beyond a static image. They create a sense of place, emotion, and memory.
Each Storyscape requires extra care in design. Before painting even begins, I work with my clients to narrow down their vision, discussing locations, mood, and key details. This process often involves multiple mock-ups and refinements to ensure that every element—from the sky’s color to the smallest texture in the grass—feels just right.
Bringing Memories to Life
Many of the Storyscapes I create are deeply personal. Some celebrate a cherished living pet in their happiest place. Others serve as memorials, honoring a pet that has passed by placing them back into a familiar setting. And some beautifully highlight a breed’s origins or purpose.
Example 1: A Historic Breed in its Native Setting
Vinny is a gorgeous Bracco Italiano and his mom Nicole wanted him standing in an environment that harkened back to his breed’s beginnings in Northern Italy. While Nicole initially provided inspiration images of Italian villas, we eventually decided on honoring Vinny’s gun dog roots and placed him in the rolling hills of Italy. We tried several different poses before finding the one that displayed his power and grace to the best advantage.
The final painting of Vinny, the Bracco Italiano.
Example 2: Commemorating a Loved One
When Maggie the Cattle Dog passed away, her mom Rachael wanted a painting to memorialize her and her two friends, Walker the Border Collie and Lewis, the Chihuahua. There was a rock in a field where they liked to walk that seemed like the perfect place to pose them together. I worked with Rachael to get the perfect pose, sky, and lighting for her commemorative painting.
The final painting of Maggie, Lewis, and Walker.
The printed giclee surrounded by exhausted office assistants.
Example 3: Multi-Generational Family Portrait
Kelly had commissioned me to paint several of her dogs a few years ago and approached me to do an all-inclusive memorial painting of all their past and current dogs. We played around with several backgrounds and arrangements until we decided on the final one that incorporated their Missouri hills in all their autumnal glory.
The finished painting of the family.
The final framed giclee with acrylics. My largest painting to date at 30”x40”.
The Process: How a Storyscape Comes Together
Creating a Storyscape requires collaboration between the client and myself to ensure the setting is just as meaningful as the subject. Here’s how it works:
Concept & Vision – We discuss the subject and what kind of setting would be most meaningful.
Mock-ups & Refinement – I create multiple digital sketches to explore different compositions.
Final Design & Painting – Once the background and placement feel right, I bring it all together into a final, hand-embellished painting.
Why Choose a Storyscape?
If you want your portrait to do more than capture a face—to tell a story, to evoke a memory, and to bring a beloved pet back to their happiest place—then a Storyscape might be the perfect choice.
Interested in a Storyscape Portrait? Let’s start the conversation!