Gretchen Almy Designs: COMMISSION Process

11/27/2006

COMMISSION Process

Please call 508.889.2519 or email: gadesigns@comcast.net for current pricing guides.

Mediums offered:
GRAPHITE COMMISSIONS
OIL COMMISSIONS
DIGITAL COLOR RENDITIONS
FINE ART & PRINTS
EQUINE & CANINE PHOTOGRAPHY
CHILDREN PHOTOGRAPHY
CUSTOM HANDBAGS, PILLOWS & OTHER GIFTS!

Please call 508.889.2519 or email to sign up for on site Photo Sessions at the barn or home.

All commissions begin with a photo. I prefer to work from my own photography when possible. My waiting list is approximately 8 - 12 months, but please consider having your photos taken in Spring, Summer and Fall when horses' coats are the best & shed out. Please call or email to setup an appointment. All photos are archived and may be used for your pencil, oil or digital color portrait at anytime. Once a photo has been chosen I ask for a 50% deposit before starting the piece. Rates and time line vary depending on size and medium, please call to inquire. My goal and expertise is to create an exacting portrait which will reveal the true personality of your animal. Once complete I will send a digital photo for approval. Once the portrait has been approved I ask for the balance due before shipping. Picture framing is available for an additional cost(I do all of my own framing). I also offer many gift items with your portrait as well: Handbags, Pillows, Note cards, Ceramic Tiles, to name a few. I look forward to working with you to create a memory to last a lifetime!

FYI
All photos taken on the showgrounds in which I am a vendor are FREE of charge.This includes photos for custom Handbags.

Contact Info:
Gretchen Almy
508-889-2519
Middleborough, MA
gadesigns@comcast.net

ABOUT ME

Welcome to my website!

Contact Info:
ph: 508.889.2519

NEW email: galmydesigns@gmail.com

discontinuing: gadesigns@comcast.net

Gretchen Almy of Middleborough, MA, is an accomplished equine and canine portrait artist with collectors across the US.

Her specialty is the ability to capture the animals’ unique personalities in highly detailed graphite portraits and oils. Originally from Connecticut, she spent her summers at the family farm, in Westport, Ma. It was there that she took her first riding lessons from her aunt at the age of five.(scroll to bottom to see photo!) Many years later, what her parents had hoped was just a childhood hobby turned into a lifetime passion and vocation. She continues her love of riding on a ½ lease Dutch Warmblood, “Stradavarius.”

Ms. Almy has managed hunter jumper farms along the East Coast, wrangled horses in Wyoming, and is currently riding Dressage in Middleborough, MA. Having spent most of her life working with and around horses, Ms. Almy has always had an affinity and uncanny connection to the animals she has had the pleasure of knowing. “Portraiture is not about a ‘pretty’ painting of a horse or dog, it’s about capturing the soul of each animal you paint. It’s about combining my infatuation of animals and my artistic talent to give something very special and personal to a client. I’m able to offer more than just a correct photographic rendition in oil or graphite. By working closely with my subjects and their owners, I’m able to create a representation of the horse or dogs’ individual personality and expression. Each piece comes to life on the paper or canvas.” She believes "if you don’t capture the eye, then you don’t capture the true soul of the animal."

After losing one of her most beloved supporters, her father, she decided to leave her career in product design and explore her lifelong passion of art. “Life is short, I’d rather pursue something I love and receive inspiration on a daily basis. He always encouraged me to follow my passions and for that I am very grateful.”

Ms. Almy has a BA in Fine Arts from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, VA and spent a semester studying art in Florence, Italy. Through her company, Gretchen Almy Designs, located in Middleborough, she offers more than just portraiture in graphite, oil, digital color renditions, and candid photography. Gretchen produces an extensive gift line with a variety of styles and products to interest even the most discerning of tastes. She also creates product designs for a nationally known greeting card and t-shirt company, licenses her work, is a freelance graphic & logo designer. She is also constantly exploring her own unique style of equestrian art that meshes a bit of abstract expressionism, bright colors and lively brush strokes to capture the equine form in a way like no other. Her work has been shown locally as well as in Boston.