Thank you for your patience over the past few days. I became completely consumed with an unexpected volunteer project to help a shelter and was entirely too drained to post here. I missed you all greatly and am happy to be back.

Today’s giveaway, our final holiday 2012 giveaway, is the ‘piece de resistance’ valued at $300! It is a custom 11 X 14″ pet painting by Kari of Pet Portraits. These pieces are so intricate and unique that I thought it best if Kari explain here style and approach…

How would you describe your artistic style?
My artistic style, that’s a tough one! I try not to over think it, my pet portraits are almost exclusively commissioned so there has to be a more realistic and representational element to them than some other work I do but I try to keep them as loose and expressive as possible, my goal is not to re-create the photograph I work from but to give the recipient a fun and sometimes quirky representation of their pet. Definitely colour and texture play a big part.

What materials do you use?
I paint in encaustic – melted hot wax tinted with pigment on wood panels. It is an extremely immediate medium. 
What inspires your work?
I’m inspired by the personality of the pet, if I’m able to meet them in person I do, if not I ask for as many different photos as possible so I can get a real sense of their character; my biggest compliment is when the recipient cries!

To enter all you have to do is…
COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST! Tell us what you are most looking forward to this holiday. Is it great food, great company, snowball fights, secret family traditions, new traditions?

For an extra chance to enter, simply post a photo of your pet on our Facebook page! It’s always a pleasure to see your furry faces!

And for a third chance to win just tweet the following: “I entered the @Pawsh_magazine giveaway #10 for a chance to win a $300 pet portrait https://pawsh-magazine.com/2012/12/pawsh-holidays-giveaway-10.html”

Contest entries for Giveaway #10 close at 10pm on December 23rd and the winner will be drawn at random (again, once ALL entries have been properly tallied and accounted for). The winner will be announced on the blog on Christmas Eve!

GIVEAWAY #8 + #9 WINNERS: Giveaway #9 — congratulations Cindy Perks! Giveaway #8 — congratulations Donna Desilets!