Illustrator Felicity Gardner with some of her work. Photos: Supplied.
Flinders illustrator Felicity Gardner is making tails (and tongues) wag with her latest artistic venture — hand-drawn “pawtraits” that turn beloved dogs into charming cartoon caricatures.
What began as a playful market experiment has quickly become a howling success among Illawarra’s dog-loving community.
Felicity, a freelance illustrator with 15 years’ experience, launched her “pawtraits” service at Kiama Seaside Market and Shell Cove Woofstock in June, discovering an unexpected enthusiasm from dog lovers.
She said the idea was sparked when she began attending Illawarra markets a month prior, noticing an abundance of dogs.
“Every single market is like a 50/50 ratio of humans to dogs,” she said.
“I’ve done dog drawings for my friends before on the side, and that was a real lot of fun, but it was always just done digitally using my iPad.”
Felicity said she had mostly done human caricatures for clients and special events.
“I realised drawing dogs is less offensive than drawing people … and you can almost Disney-fy them into cartoon characters,” she said.
“I can see that this is a hit. People seem to be very interested and loving it.”
Her process is simple: she hand draws from a photo, creating the personalised illustration as owners enjoy the market with their dogs, solving the challenge of keeping excited pups stationary.
“It’s always good to meet the dog in person, but you don’t have to have your dog there,” she said of some sharing a favourite photo of their pet instead.
Pawtraits are not the only time dogs have appeared in her artworks either.
A published children’s book author, she co-authored The Complete Guide To A Dog’s Best Friend with her husband a decade ago.
In March, the book based on her late dog Banjo was selected for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Australia list, where Australian children part of the network can be gifted the book.
“That one explores our love of dogs in a big way,” she said.
“That was the first pet my husband and I had together before we got married. He was our world before children.”
Felicity said she viewed market appearances as more than just sales opportunities.
“It’s been a really great way to bring people into my store and look at the rest of my art,” she said.
“Even if they don’t buy anything, it’s been great just to have a conversation with people about it and build interest.”
Among her artworks is a series of posters focused on the Illawarra coastline.
“I’ve been creating these vintage-inspired travel posters, and within those posters, I’m really trying to focus on not just capturing that landscape and that environment, but in particular the marine life that lives there,” she said.
“With every poster, I try and make sure I am capturing the right animals that do visit those spots.
“I want to bring some attention and awareness to not only how beautiful these spaces are, but who we share them with.
“These are home to some amazing creatures, and I’m endlessly fascinated by them.”
Felicity receives strong interest in the posters, with many sharing a special memory or connection to the places depicted.
She’s even fielding requests for other Illawarra locations to add to Port Kembla, Minnamurra River, the Shell Cove gravel loader, Kiama Downs’ cathedral rocks, Kiama’s ocean pool, Kiama Blowhole and Shellharbour’s Bushrangers Bay.
View Felicity’s next market dates via her Instagram account, with regular markets including Shell Cove, Gerringong, Kiama, and the Illawarra Market at Dapto. Pawtraits aren’t available at all markets. Her work is also featured at the Collective Beat in Kiama and Wild Fowl in Port Kembla.
Learn more about Felicity Gardner’s art.
