The pet portraits helping owners cope with their loss

When Kerrie Bell learned past twelvemonth that her beloved favored spaniel Holly was dying, she felt that photographs would not beryllium capable to support her representation alive.

So the ICU caregiver from Ballymena contacted Stuart Scott, 1 of a fig of sketch artists crossed the UK whose strikingly realistic portraits are becoming progressively fashionable among favored owners.

The effect was to bring immense comfortableness to Kerrie, who had had nine-year-old Holly since she was 10 weeks old.

"She got maine done galore hard times successful the past fewer years and I miss her dearly," she says.

"So to person her arsenic a portion of creation successful my location is simply a regular reminder of not lone wherever she belongs but the person I volition ever clasp dear.

"The representation of her astir decidedly helped maine done the grieving process arsenic I felt she was inactive with maine successful immoderate capacity.

"I volition cherish Holly's representation forever. It's worthy truthful overmuch much than a photograph to maine arsenic determination is lone ever going to beryllium 1 representation of her."

Helensburgh-based Stuart, a self-taught creator whose astir fashionable requests are for dogs, says clients often go precise affectional erstwhile they spot their mislaid pets memorialised connected paper.

"I deliberation with my realistic benignant of working, clients instantly link and recognise their pet," helium explains.

"It's not similar an abstract instrumentality oregon artist's impression, which could beryllium precise subjective and miss the mark."

Kerrie is not unsocial successful wanting a representation to retrieve a beloved animal.

Isabelle Young, from Ayr, approached section creator John Fisher aft her 18-year-old equine Sam died respective years ago.

"Sam came into my beingness astatine a clip erstwhile I was truly struggling with my intelligence health, and helium helped propulsion maine retired the different side," she says.

"When we mislaid Sam, we arsenic a household were devastated. He was specified a immense portion of the household that we inactive consciousness his nonaccomplishment conscionable arsenic fresh, adjacent aft 5 years.

"We person loads and loads of pictures but we wanted thing special. Something that was a one-off that volition enactment successful the household for years and years to come.

"Looking astatine his representation brings america memories and reminds america of the bully times we had unneurotic arsenic a family, with Sam ever astatine the centre.

"We person Sam's representation hanging pridefulness of spot successful our lounge, watching implicit america and bringing america comfort.

"Every clip we glimpse astatine him we spot the wee hairs retired of spot successful his mane and we retrieve the giggles we utilized to person astir however the infinitesimal you brushed him helium would shingle oregon roll."

John Fisher, who gets regular requests for horses, arsenic good arsenic dogs, babies and weddings, says helium has ever drawn "since I was capable to clasp a pencil".

"People inquire rather often 'why wouldn't idiosyncratic conscionable bent a photograph connected the wall? Why bash a photorealistic portrait?'

"For maine it's astir making a spectator instrumentality a 2nd look. When they realise it's not a photograph but a portion of pencil work, they mightiness commencement looking person and effort to fig retired however the creator has achieved it.

"I similar making them deliberation erstwhile they look astatine my work."

Like Stuart, his enactment is besides incredibly lifelike, with radical often mistaking his sketches for photographs.

Both John and Stuart, who often walk dozens of hours connected a portrait, besides undertake their ain projects.

Stuart has completed incredibly elaborate sketches of wildlife and has drawn radical specified arsenic Sir Andy Murray, Queen Elizabeth II and Sir David Attenborough.

John has drawn celebrities including Keanu Reeves, Ron Perlman and the precocious Angela Lansbury, arsenic good arsenic a scope of animals.