We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nathan Rhoads. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nathan below.

Hi Nathan, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned to paint back in college as an art major. As an art major, I had to take many different classes in regard to art making: figure drawing classes, sculpture classes, photography, art history, as well as painting. I graduated with a degree and a well rounded understanding of the art making process. My passion then was painting, in both watercolor and oil. Looking back, I could paint, but I don’t think I was very good.

How did I learn to paint well? Practice. A lot of practice. A lot of what I do as a painter comes naturally based on hours and hours of doing it. For example… mixing color. This seemingly simple task to prepare your palette to paint can be very frustrating. I now mix colors with ease only because I have spent a multitude of hours mixing colors over the past 25 years or so of painting.

A skill that I think is most valuable in any creative endeavor, whether it be starting a business, learning a new art form, or anything creative is to be a curious, lifelong learner. When I decided to pursue pet portraits as a business, I had to learn, a lot. Not only the technical art-making practice, but how to build a website, how to make it easy for a client to place an order online. I had to learn how to leverage social media to promote my business, and a myriad of other things to get my business going. My advice for the most essential skill? Be curious. Be a learner.

Nathan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always wanted to be an artist, as long as I can remember. Even in kindergarten, I remember dressing up as an artist for Halloween. I wore a beret, a smock, and had a palette and brush along with a faux mustache and goatee my dad cut out of construction paper and taped to my face.

In 2014, I began handpaintedpetportraits.com based on a dare. It’s true. I like a good challenge, and I like to try things I’ve never done before. So, I dared myself. I had never before painted a pet. I grew up with a knack for art – and it has been my passion since I was a little kid. I have a degree in art, so theoretically, I could possibly do it, but never had. How much can you know about yourself if you are unwilling to try different things? Was I willing to step up to the plate and face new challenges head-on?

Yes, I accepted the challenge and the first painting I created was of my own rescued dog, Steve. Steve is Mr. Personality, fully manifested. He has spunk, he has gobs of energy. He does not abide by the ‘stranger danger’ rule. All strangers (people and dogs) are just friends he hasn’t met yet. When I take him to the dog park, he is the social butterfly. With his small stature, he tenaciously puts puppies in their place regardless of their size. At home, he’s right by my side, he follows me everywhere and cuddles with me so hard.

I knew Steve would be an excellent challenge for my first pet portrait because he has this amazing under-bite. Steve is an Italian greyhound / chihuahua mix. He has long legs, runs like a greyhound, has pointy chihuahua ears, and a slender, long greyhound head. He weighs in at about 13 lbs. and wears his heart on his sleeve with his big, brown eyes.

My goal in tackling this challenge was two-fold. First, to capture Steve’s likeness. I had drawn animals before, but never a pet whom I knew so well. Secondly, to also capture his personality, spirit or charisma.

For this seed of an idea to ever turn into a business, I knew I had to nail those two qualities: capturing his likeness and personality in paint. The end result? A dead ringer. It looked exactly like him and seemed to contain all of his spunk!

With a successful conclusion to the self imposed dare, I found my ‘why’.

Why pet portraits? With each commissioned pet portrait painted, and my ability to capture each animal’s likeness and spirit in paint, I am able to bring joy to pet owners everywhere. To honor each furry family member in paint. A memento that will be treasured for years and years. Often, clients come to me who have experienced great loss in the passing of their beloved pet. The paintings I create for those who have lost so much deliver untold comfort. In those specific circumstances, clients often cry when seeing the finished painting for the first time.

If I can bring joy and comfort, honor and fond memories through what I create with my hands using only paint and brushes, I consider it a job well done. That’s my why.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is to see my client’s face when they see the finished portrait for the first time. Often times, it is a look of amazement and bewilderment… With a comment such as, ‘That is incredible, how did you do that? It looks just like him’.

To me it is extremely rewarding when the pet portrait is a memorial piece, to honor a pet who has recently passed away. In these circumstances, tears often flow freely and they are happy to have the spirit of their pet captured in paint. It is most rewarding to know that something I created can bring them a little bit of healing in their sorrow.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My journey in creating pet portraits has been a bumpy one. My goal and dream has always been to do this full time. I have had seasons of this. The months leading up to Christmas time end up being my busiest throughout the year. But then in January through March, it is typically very slow. The rest of the year tends to be inconsistent to constitute full time work.

So, I have had to learn to adjust and pivot. I have adjusted my marketing plan to include bonus giveaways and discounts – to see what would gain some traction. I have also had to pick up other work too, whether that be freelance graphic design (I’ve been doing that for over 20 years), other painting commissions (besides pet portraits), to getting a part time job. I have always had a desire to make an income from my art, and that was a driving factor in pursuing commissioned pet portraits. I love the portraits I create for my clients and it brings me joy to see how much the painting affects my clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: handpaintedpetportraits.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/handpaintedpetportraits/
• Facebook: facebook.com/handpaintedpetportraitspdx
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/hand-painted-pet-portraits
• Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCSpPHWgiT24e4khmMxPftWA