Welcome to my website!

 

My name is Lisa Pinto.

 

Without a doubt, animals are my favorite subject for a painting. I have great respect and love for all animals. It all started with my camera and the abundance of farms and stables in and around Red Hook, New York, the area in which I live. I snapped photos of cows in fields and dairy farms, pigs in pastures, horses in paddocks and stables, chickens and roosters running across a road, birds flying overhead, sheeps, goats, and llamas. County Fairs are a great place to get up close and personal with the animals, too. One of my favorite subjects at the Fair are the baby animals. They are so photogenic and make the perfect subject for a painting.

 

In addition to the animals mentioned above, I paint all types of pets. 

Cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, and even a pet snake! No, I'm not kidding.

For inspiration, I begin with a photograph of the pet in their natural environment, indoors or outdoors. Often, I take several environments and put them together to paint a story.  Then, to capture their personalities, I focus on the details of their eyes, facial expressions, and their moods. Animals have moods just like we do. The paintings are done in either watercolor, oil paint, or less often, acrylic paint.

 

What inspired me to start painting pet portraits was the immense love I have for my dog Marco, a Kerry Blue Terrier. He passed away in 2014. I am currently working on an oil painting of him from a photo taken in the prime of his doggie life. We miss him very much. Doing a painting of him is a way to honor his life and his memory.

 

A little background  information about me......

 

Growing up in Oceanside, New York, I was an artistic child. I painted, sketched, sewed, knitted, crocheted, made Papier Mache sculptures, and took piano and ballet lessons. My dream was to be a Fashion Designer and I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. For the next 10 years, I designed women's blouses and later went on to design handbags. When my two sons were born, I took a break from designing to raise them. When they were away at school, I concentrated on my paintings. For the past 15 years, I've been painting and selling Real Estate. It has been a good balance. I retired from Real Estate this year and am painting animals and pet portraits full time. It is joyful that I'm able to make art all of the time!

 

Some of my pet portraits are often done for people who have lost their pets from illness or old age. It is a beautiful way to acknowledge their love and loyalty. 

 

 

 

~ A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than you love yourself.  - Josh Billings