I N T E R N A T I O N A L
P E T & E Q U I N E P O R T R A I T A R T I S T
A B O U T M E
Rachael Kuczaj BA (hons)
Lives & works in rural Gloucestershire
Thank you for taking the time to look at my website. I have a huge love for animals and art and have been fortunate to combine these two aspects in a profession that I love.
From a young age I have loved animals, especially horses, if there was an opportunity to draw a horse or base a piece of creative writing on a horse, then I did. I studied Art at GCSE and A-level basing my final project on 'The Horse'. During this project I studied numerous equine artists in various mediums and I discovered my passion for working with chalk pastel.
I gained a Distinction in my 'Foundation in Art' Diploma at Cheltenham then pursued the design route studying a degree in Interior Architecture at UWIC, Cardiff where I gained my BA. I then worked for 14 years as a Designer progressing to Senior Designer for Architects based in the Cotswolds. I have two gorgeous daughters with my ever patient husband and our continually growing menagerie with my shadow/dog, our beloved cat, my handsome horse and the girls legend of a pony.
Throughout the years at university and working for the Architects I maintained my interest in animal portraiture with commissions for family and friends. In June 2019 I set up 'Signature Art by Rachael Kuczaj' as I wanted to create a business to enable me to draw more gorgeous pets for people. It has been incredibly exciting to see how well my business venture has grown and in October 2021 I made a big decision to make it my full time work and I haven't looked back. In addition to the portrait commissions I now also teach art to both adults and juniors and run a selection of really successful and popular classes in my local community. For more details on these please visit the Art Classes section of my website.
Art is something I really enjoy for pleasure and for business. I know and understand first hand the sheer joy our much loved animals and pets bring to our lives and it is a privilege to be able to capture the essence of the animal’s character in a picture to be treasured and kept for years to come, it is so rewarding.
My style is ‘photo like’ realism using chalk pastels and coloured pencils (see Materials page for more information) – I love drawing out the individual characters using the vivid colour tones, the textures and detail that both these mediums allow me to create in finer detail.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |
I work from photos provided by the client which need to be of sufficient quality and clear enough to portray the animal’s characteristics, see my Photo Guide. Where possible I like to meet the animal to help get an understanding of their individual character but sometimes this is not possible as they may have passed or we are just too far away, in these instances I ask for the client to provide more description of the animal's individual personality, are they timid, cheeky, boisterous, etc.
Most commissions are head studies but I also do full bodies, portraits can be single or multiple, with plain or detailed backgrounds, examples can be seen in my gallery of images. Please see my Size and Price Guide for further help and guidance here. My commissions are completely bespoke, unique and personal to the client. I am incredibly passionate about my work and the pleasure the portraits bring to my clients.
