How launching a pet portrait business helped one LA artist, professionally and personally
Rebecca Holopter pops up at markets and events and paints 10-minute watercolor portraits of pets — from dogs and cats to pigeons and cockroaches.
About a year ago, a friend of Rebecca Holopter’s suggested she paint pet portraits at a Los Angeles art walk. The actor and filmmaker had painted people’s pets for years, but it was her first time doing it in just ten minutes. Now, she does it two to four times a month.
“For the longest time I was a waiter, thinking I had to have a side job that didn’t have anything to do with my creative career,” Holopter said. “The pet portraits have kind of substituted that role for me in the sense of, if I need to make extra money this week, I can go pop up somewhere and make that cash.”
Click the audio player above to hear the story.
More on the pets economy
From September 2024: Windfalls and vet bills
From June 2024: Is pet insurance worth the high premiums?
From July 2022: A love of furry felines turns into a business opportunity
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