Often my clients wish for a commissioned work to capture a beloved pet or a treasured moment in time. There are many ways to accomplish that of course. But those who hire me know that I’m exploring with them to find the essence of what made this special. I’m of the mind that if someone wants a lifelike photographic image of that special moment or family member or pet, they can hire a photographer to do portraits with a camera. Often copies made directly from photos for a commission will be stilted and bland – the temptation after tracing an …