Simple Ways to Celebrate Your Pet This Fall (And One Idea That Makes a Perfect Holiday Gift)
Liberty
Custom pastel pet portrait by Kimberly Provost, Burlington VT — a unique holiday gift for pet lovers
Fall is here, and it's the perfect time to celebrate the pets who make our days better — remembering that their lives truly enhance the quality of our lives and our emotional wellbeing.
As the season changes, I hope you can enjoy some special time with your pet. Here are some simple ideas.
Take a walk together.
Fall might be the best season of all for this. The air is cool, the leaves are turning, and your pet will have approximately one million things to sniff. This is the perfect time to let them follow their curiosity.
Take a few special photos of the two of you together.
The light in fall is something else — golden and low and flattering to everyone, including your dog. Not just photos of them: of you and them. Hand someone your phone. Sit in the leaves. Get in the frame. These are the photos you'll be glad you have when winter comes.
Spend a little extra time grooming or giving them attention and love.
The season is shifting and so are their coats. It's a good moment to slow down, brush them out, and just be together without any agenda.
Talk to them.
Our pets love to hear our voices. Kind affirmations and soothing tones make them feel secure and loved.
Buy them a special treat.
A little something for the season. They've earned it. Our pets help us in so many quiet, everyday ways — by keeping us present, giving us routine, welcoming us home, and offering comfort when words don't come easily. They make us laugh, they get us outside, and they remind us that love can be simple and steady.
Annaly | Pastel
Annaly is a beautiful mixed-breed girl with a name inspired by a special place: Annaly on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands—best known for the Annaly Bay Tide Pools (cool video), a natural treasure tucked along the island’s rugged northwest shore. It’s not easy to get there!
I was commissioned to paint Annaly’s portrait, and in the time between when the order was placed and when I began the final work, Annaly passed away. That made this portrait especially meaningful—created as a loving remembrance and a tangible way for her family to keep her close.
My Favorite Part? - The backlighting behind her shining through and bringing out the lovely pinks of her ears.
If you're searching for a meaningful holiday gift for a pet lover, a hand-painted portrait might be exactly what you're looking for — and now is the time to think about it. My holiday commission spots fill up every year, and I only take on a limited number at a time. A hand-painted portrait is the kind of holiday gift that means something — whether it's given in memory, in celebration, or simply because someone loves their pet more than they can say.
