Spalding artist Chloe White attracting orders from across the globe for pet portraits and landscapes

It may not be the kind of art she imagined doing when she was younger, but Chloe White says it is a dream come true to be creating pet portraits and landscapes for others to enjoy.

The commissions began flooding in for the 26-year-old, who has always been passionate about drawing and painting, after she shared a portrait she had drawn of her fiancé’s red Staffordshire bull terrier on social media.

Since then, Chloe, who lives in Spalding with fiancé Adam and their daughter Parker, has been creating more lifelike pet portraits as well as working on abstract landscapes, paintings of flowers and digital pieces, which she shares on a dedicated Facebook page.

“I’ve always loved art. If you ask my parents, whenever they took me out I would always be the one colouring in the restaurant menu! All through school I excelled at art,” recalls Chloe, who grew up in Gosberton Risegate and attended The Thomas Cowley School, in Donington.

“I was always creating – just for the fun of it. I wanted to go to university; I wanted to be a children’s book illustrator – I never expected to be making the kind of art I’m making now!

“I sold my first piece back in 2017 while I was still at college, but it really began to snowball after I shared the picture of Adam’s dog.

“Someone else saw it and got in touch to ask if I’d draw their dog, so I said I’d give it a go, and I just kept posting pictures of everything I was doing. My pet portraits are quite realistic looking, although you can tell they are drawn using pencils. I use lightfast artist quality pencils to ensure my portraits stand the test of time.

“I’ve only really used Facebook to promote my work, I don’t have a massive following, most of it is bought locally, although some pieces have gone out to Australia, Kenya and LA!”

After school Chloe completed a two-year art and design course at Boston College, before securing a place to continue her art studies at Norwich University. In the end she didn’t take the place up, choosing to stay in Spalding and start a family.

Chloe has juggled art and motherhood and is delighted that things turned out as well as they have. She’s been selling her artwork on and off for around eight years, during which time she’s also had to contend with the pandemic.

“Pet portraits are my main work – they’re the 9-5 job. I mostly work off photos supplied by the owners, but there have been a few times where I’ve gone along and taken some pictures of the dogs myself,’ says Chloe. ‘One in particular comes to mind – a Springer Spaniel which was running about, but I got a pretty good picture and the resulting work which featured two drawings is one of my favourites.

“I also paint landscapes. They’re really simple, but abstract and blended. I just want people to feel calm looking at them, even if it looks like there’s a storm coming in!

“I love doing big landscape paintings, something that’s a bit more dramatic. I’m trying to paint one for every room in my own house. It’s like having my own exhibition and then if I sell one, I can just paint another!”

This year Chloe has been working with BeBright Pre-School, in Spalding, too sharing different art techniques with children, which she is thoroughly enjoying. She’s also collaborated with several Spalding businesses on digital rebranding work and has worked with graphic designers to brand company vehicles, and other forms of digital advertisement.

She also creates digital family portraits as well as other types of digital work and more recently exhibited some of her pieces at The Sessions House, in Spalding, where she got to meet up with other local artists. Now her aim is to create some larger landscapes and get her name more widely known.

“My parents have always been so encouraging of my art – I remember when I was a child having a competition with my dad to draw the best apple, his was much better, but he gave me credit for my efforts! It’s just little things like that,’ says Chloe. ‘The aim now is to focus on bigger paintings and get myself out there a bit more but to be honest, to be a full-time artist is a bit surreal.

“I’d like to thank all my customers, family and friends who have supported my tiny business so far; I truly appreciate everything that has created this dream business and life.”

* To find out more about Chloe’s artwork follow Chloe White Art on Facebook and instagram.com/chloewhiteart