PET PORTRAITS // ROLLING SHIPPING (ships BY JULY 1, 2024)// Photos due by APRIL 30, 2024
THIS LISTING IS FOR:
Custom Pet Portraits, with rolling guaranteed shipping by JULY 1, 2024. The listing title will be edited each time I reach a certain capacity and the "ships by" & "photos due by" dates will be updated. Whatever the listing title is at the time of purchase is what to expect.
◉ PLEASE NOTE: Purchasing this listing constitutes an agreement to all the terms included herein, and will serve as a binding contract for this custom work.
ALL purchases are FINAL. Custom work CANNOT be returned or refunded. Once the listing is purchased, the order cannot be cancelled. You will be provided with a PDF version of this listing, so that you have a copy of all the information to refer to after this order period closes and the listing is deactivated.
If you have ANY questions, email me before you commit to this purchase:
danamarie(dot)hosler(at)gmail(dot)(com)
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PORTRAIT GENERAL INFO:
◉ PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE LISTING BEFORE COMMITTING TO PURCHASE**
◉ If you are purchasing ANYTHING else today (besides Pet or Family portraits), please complete two separate transactions so that your ready-to-ship items can be sent in a timely manner. Otherwise, they will ship when your portrait does.
◉ All custom work orders are valid for a calendar year. Due to the nature of this rolling shipping system, please keep in mind that by holding one of the very limited spaces for your order, I am turning away other clients & work. Therefore, THERE ARE NO REFUNDS ON CUSTOM ORDERS, for any reason.
◉ In the event that you should fail to submit your photos and info within a year of listing purchase, you can request a shop credit in the amount of 25% of your purchase price (tax and shipping excluded).
◉ Further down in this listing, you'll find a breakdown of what types of photos I need in order to capture a whimsical but recognizable likeness of the subjects. If, after reviewing that info you are concerned that the photos you have access to might not be good enough (due to limited access to images-- it's a surprise, a subject has passed on etc), please email me at either of those addresses above, or use the contact from on this site, BEFORE you purchase a listing. I will be happy to review images for you (email me first and I'll tell you what to send me). If you are concerned about losing out on a spot in the queue due to this extra step, please don't! I hold back a few slots in each shipping group for just this reason.
◉ If you have purchased a PET PORTRAIT before, please note that I *no longer offer name banners*. ALL pet portraits as of earlier this year include your choice of floral wreath &/or crown, but the "add on" option for a name banner has been removed. I understand if this is a deal breaker for you, but due to ongoing difficulties with my hands & wrists, I just can't guarantee I'll be able to maintain the dexterity and control needed for that work.
*IF you have purchased portraits in the past, which do have name banners and you are looking to add another pet to the collection, please email me first to discuss options.
◉ You are responsible for reading & understanding the listing content and agree to all terms when you make your purchase. You will be sent a PDF version of the content of this listing for your records after purchase.
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WHAT TO EXPECT (fine print):
⭐️ CUSTOMIZATION & HOW TO ORDER ⭐️:
◉This listing is for ONE pet portrait. I can only fit one animal per paper. Each animal you would like to have drawn needs its own listing purchased. If you are ordering multiples which will be viewed or framed together, you can tell me that when you submit the info later and I will use similar colors/decorate elements to tie them together.
◉ Each pet needs its own listing (all portraits are for a SINGLE animal per page). You may purchase as many listings as you need.
◉ Portraits are available as either 5x7 or 8x10. For MOST portraits these will be in portrait orientation (tall), but occasionally the pet’s face shape means I have to work in landscape (wide) format; I will let you know if that is the case.
◉ If you will need your order of multiple pieces to ship to different locations, you must complete each of those orders separately so that shipping is paid in full for each order. I cannot split orders after the fact.
◉ You will be given the opportunity to make customization requests for colors, flower types or greenery, and what kind of adornment you want. Those requests are made via a questionnaire you/the client will receive later. This is also where photos will be uploaded. If you'd like to start planning now, the adornment options are: Floral (or Greenery only) Wreath, Floral (or Greenery only) Crown, or Wreath & Crown (in any combination of floral or greenery only). I *highly* recommend at least having a simple greenery wreath at the very least, to help "end" the pet's portrait so their head isn't just floating in white space.
◉ If you would like to see more examples of these portraits, please check out the instagram hashtag #MPApetPortraits
◉ I mostly draw cats and dogs, but have also done portraits of birds, bunnies, horses and occasionally unexpected creatures (a marmoset, a fish, an eland…) If you aren’t sure about YOUR pet, please email me in advance so we can discuss.
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⭐️ SHIPPING ⭐️:
Shipping and production time will operate on a ROLLING basis dependent on when images and info are submitted and approved. You/your recipient will be given an estimated ship date when your/their materials are received. Please refer to the relevant section above for specifics for your order type.
◉ Please keep in mind that these are ORIGINAL PIECES OF ART and they will ship, within the US, as insured mail pieces (in the event of loss or damage in transit) but this doesn't guarantee they will be DELIVERED *on time*.
◉ The USPS continues to struggle with consistency & there is nothing I can do to change that. This is the reason I don't offer a guaranteed DELIVERY date; I can only control when they SHIP.
◉ When your order ships, Big Cartel/Paypal will send you a notification email which includes the tracking number. That number can be *helpful* in following the progress of your package in transit, but it is frequently INACCURATE/ doesn't get updated/ gets updated too early etc. I never mark a package shipped until it has been handed over to the USPS-- if the tracking doesn't show progress at the beginning, that is a scanning oversight on their part. IF at any time you have concerns about your package, you will need to reach out to your local USPS branch directly; I am not able to do anything or see any additional detail than you can, and especially on either side of the holidays, I will be inundated with work and emails-- you'll get better and faster assistance going directly to the people who can help you.
◉ I am not able to or responsible for refunds due to improper handling of your mail piece by the USPS. Your piece will be packaged with care; I have no control over what happens after it leaves me.
◉ If your shipping address changes after you place your order, it is your responsibility to email me an update.
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⭐️ REFUNDS & CANCELLATION ⭐️:
These orders are NON-REFUNDABLE, so please be sure that this is something you can comfortably afford and something you can wait many months for. I want you to be happy with your piece, and I want to make sure I am able to honor your pet; for this reason, I do not offer rush shipping options. Additionally, please bear in mind that the portrait work I do is the cornerstone of my business & I am only able to offer a limited number of custom pieces per year; your order fills a spot I can't offer to someone else after the fact. These pieces take 10-18 hours on average, and I plan *everything* else around the income & schedule for them, so once an order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
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⭐️ COMMUNICATION & PHOTO SUBMISSION/ PROCESS INFO⭐️:
As mentioned above, after you purchase your listing, PLEASE keep your receipt from Big Cartel; you will need your order number & your receipt will also show you exactly what you ordered and what your order type is (# of people/animals). Within a week of placing your order, I will reach out via email-- within it you'll find a PDF version of this entire listing, so you’ll have a copy (the listing will eventually be taken offline after all the slots fill & new ship by dates are added) + FAQs and photo guidance, a link to the questionnaire you'll fill out to help me customize your piece & upload your images.
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⭐️ PHOTO & INFO SUBMISSIONS⭐️:
◉ Please do NOT email me your photos or submission info. You will be sent a link to a form to complete and directions for uploading your images to a cloud based folder.
◉ If the pet you are purchasing a portrait for has passed on or if you for any reason will have limited access to photos, please EMAIL ME before making your purchase, so I can see the images you have and let you know what will be possible. Some photos will not provide enough visual info for me to get you a good drawing.
◉ Your photos need to fit the submission requirements. Before you place your order ensure that you can capture a good photo of your pet. I cannot work from blurry, dark, rotated (photo is submitted on its side), overly processed (snapchat or other app filters applied), black and white, flash flooded (pets have red or white/green eyes from the flash) etc photos. I also can’t imagine parts of your pet or create edits OR mash photos together-- you will need to submit a photo that includes your pet’s entire face from ear to muzzle; I can’t take the ears from one piece and put them on a picture where you prefer their smile, for example. If you NEED me to do this, I will need to charge for the time it takes me to photoshop those images together.
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⭐️ UNDERSTANDING THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE POLICY & THE QUEUE⭐️:
I will make efforts to reach out to you/remind you to submit your images THREE times in total: the initial email (within a week of purchase), a reminder email (which is typically sent when the earliest submission deadline for your group has passed) and finally, whenever I've completed every other order from your shipping group & am sending submission info to the next group. After the first reminder, I will not be able to guarantee a shipping date for you, but I can offer an estimate; after the second reminder, I will only be able to offer a rough estimate, but will also ask you to refrain from "checking in" after that response-- I will get to it as soon as I am able. If I still do not receive materials from you after 3 attempts to reach you, I will not be able to remind you any further.
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⭐️ SUBMISSION CUT OFFS & ORDER FORFEITURE ⭐️:
I am no longer able to carry a custom art "tab" any longer than a calendar year.
I have, for years, tried to be as flexible as possible, but as my work responsibilities & schedule have changed, I do need to install some much more rigid boundaries in order to provide the most consistent service.
◉ If you're concerned that you will not be able to abide by the "rules", I appreciate your honesty and awareness and hope you are able to find an artist who will be better able to mesh with your needs! No hard feelings, I promise.
◉ Effective January 1, 2021: The CUSTOMER end of all custom orders must be completed within a calendar year of purchase. You will be given the On-Time Submission deadline for your shipping group when you receive your submission info packet email and it is expected that you meet that deadline so that I can meet mine.
◉ If you miss the deadline you are given for "On-Time" shipping, it's totally OK.
You can submit your photos at any time without waiting to be prompted/reminded by me, as long as they are in by 11:59pm ET December 31, 2023. Your piece will still be completed if the materials come in late-- I just can't give you a guarantee as to when.
◉ If materials are not submitted before your order expires, your portrait order will be forfeited (your order will be cancelled; you will not be refunded) and you will be offered a store credit in the amount of 25% of your initial portrait price (excluding tax & shipping). If you are thinking that follow through on your end will be a challenge for any reason, please email me before purchasing so we can discuss other suitable options for you!
◉ Your purchase today is NON-REFUNDABLE. If, for any reason, you anticipate an issue with making this purchase so far in advance of delivery, please don't commit to this listing.
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⭐️ ART DETAILS & SPECS ⭐️:
◉ These are 5x7 or 8x10 marker sketches done on bristol board or strathmore vellum paper (as available/appropriate for the piece). Your piece will be custom created & I'd love your feedback on any color preferences or strong dislikes you may have, as well as the decorative elements you choose. If the piece is a memorial and you would like to add a halo, please include that request when you upload your photos.
◉ Please keep in mind that these are meant to be whimsical interpretations of your buddy, so capturing their likeness is the goal, but stiff photo realism is not. I will be taking a bit of license with the colors, layering tones to build up to a color impression, as opposed to jumping directly to "black". While my portrait work has morphed over time (hard to believe these started off as simple 30 minute sketches!) and the final pieces I share most often on my Instagram are representative of the more realistic work I do now, these are meant to be playful and capture your baby's spirit-- to go beyond the photograph! That said, for best results from me, I will need quality images from you.
◉ These portraits take me anywhere from 10-18 hours on average; I pour EVERYTHING I have into making you the absolute best & most special portraits possible of your favorite animals. YOU can help me achieve this by choosing the right photos. For best results, you will need to supply the right kinds of pictures to work from. To help you plan in advance, keep in mind that the ideal images are preferably pictures taken at your pet's eye level, so their face isn't distorted by the camera being too close or too far above or below them, taken in natural light, and without the flash OR too much darkness distorting your pet’s eye color. You will receive very specific information later with directions on how to submit your photos and examples of which ones work best.
FOR INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: Shipping is currently ONLY available for the U.S. At this time, unfortunately, due to the ongoing purposeful dismantling of our postal service, I am "requiring" an email chat with all prospective clients living outside of the U.S. before custom art orders can be placed, so that we can discuss shipping costs and expectations. If you fall in that category, please email me so we can get you started! In your email please include: what size/what number of portraits you are looking to purchase, as well as your full mailing address. This will allow me to respond to you with an *exact* shipping cost. THANK YOU!