There is some mystery, even to an experienced artist, about the intangible part of the portrait process. Painting is a meditative act, requiring total focus and presence to be successful. It takes a long time to paint by hand, and for all those hours I am holding in mind what I’ve learned from the patron about their animal, and getting to know them in a very intimate way, visually. Somehow that translates into a depth of feeling in the finished painting. That time spent in service of the animal’s spirit is a part of the process and a part of the value of the finished artwork.