Arts & Entertainment

Art is a Pet Project for Lithia Resident

A local artist specializes in creating portraits of pets.

A Lithia woman has combined her love of animals with her talent for drawing to create custom pet portraits for pet owners.

Judy Strong has been drawing since she was 5 years old and received her first set of pastels from her grandmother who also was an accomplished artist.

"I immediately had an aptitude for drawing," said Strong. "So it's something I've done all my life."

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She attended the Ringling School of Arts for a year.

"It was great. It helped hone by abilities. But I had to drop out because of financial reasons," she said.

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Afterward, she got a job at Disney World creating street portraits for visitors. She subsequently worked for Disney for 15 years before accepting a job with a company that created posters for Disney. An air-brushed poster she created of the Magic Kingdom hangs on a wall in her home along with assorted Disney collectibles.

She then was hired as art director of Magna Graphics in Lakeland, a company that created air-brushed collectible license plates. Around the same time the company went out of business four years ago, her mother, who has multiple sclerosis, was no longer able to care for herself, and Strong gave up full-time work to become her mother's caregiver.

In between caring for her mom, she now runs a successful Web business creating pet portraits on a commission basis.

For the past year, she also has displayed her works at the Creative Native Gallery on Falkenburg Road.

"The gallery has helped me gain exposure locally," said Strong. "Even so, most of my commissions come from out of state, from people who've seen my Website and want a portrait of their pet."

Strong said she finds the process of drawing therapeutic.

"In a world like today with everything so uncontrollable, it's nice to sit down with a blank piece of paper and control what goes onto it," she said.

She lives on a 4-acre wooded lot near the Alafia River with her mother and 7-year-old dog, Tigger. From the picture windows of her art studio, she can watch various birds, deer, coyotes, wild hogs and other animals in their natural setting.

"I bought this property in 2004 because it was so isolated," she said. "Artists tend to be reclusive and, to me, this property is paradise."

Strong said she does her commission work more for the love of pets than money.

"I charge a quarter of what most portrait artists charge," she said. "It's truly not about the money. It's pure enjoyment of drawing. I want everybody, regardless of income, to be able to afford a portrait of their pet."

Strong, who continues to work with pastel pencils as her preferred medium, charges $60 for an 11- by 14-inch portrait and $80 for a 16- by 20-inch portrait.

"It's been going very well," she said. "In these bad economic times, people want to spend their money on something meaningful. And, for a lot of people, their pet is one of the most important things in their life."

Her clients generally e-mail her photos of the pet, and she creates the portrait from the photos.

"Once I'm done, I post the portrait on my Website for their approval. They don't pay me until they receive the portrait, so it's totally risk-free for the client," she said.

She works on her art in between caring for her 87-year-old invalid mother. As a result, it takes her about two weeks to complete a work.

"But, so far, I've never had anyone who was displeased with my work," she said.

Residents can view some of Strong's work when she and fellow artists from the Creative Native Gallery host an art show at Center Place, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon, June 2-29.

An artist's reception will be held June 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The public is invited.

To see samples of Strong's work, visit her Website at http://www.pet-portraits-deluxe.com/.

 

 


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