Signature
Pet & Equine portrait artist
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 been obsessed with 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 love 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 currently work part time as a Senior Designer and am a member of the Chartered Society of Designers. I have two gorgeous daughters with my ever patient husband and our continually growing menagerie with our beloved cat, guinea pigs, my handsome horse and the girls cheeky pony.
Throughout the years I have 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 is growing.
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.
