Welcome to my horse montage pencil portrait of Cassanova. This custom drawing was commissioned by Jane and Mark here in the UK as a special 18th birthday gift for their daughter, Olivia. They contacted me well in advance, which gave us plenty of time to plan the perfect layout using a mix of older and new reference photos. The montage features one central portrait and four smaller pencil studies, capturing different moments from Olivia and Cassanova’s time together. It was a joy to work on such a thoughtful and meaningful commission and even more special to see Olivia’s wonderful reaction when she received the framed drawing. Scroll down to see the photos!
Jane very kindly emailed me some photos of Olivia with her portrait and the drawing displayed on their wall.
Jane and Mark called me in March 2016 to ask if I would be able to create a montage drawing of their daughter’s horse, Cassanova. Their daughter, Olivia, was turning 18, and they wanted to surprise her with a drawing. They had been looking at my website for some time and were preparing everything needed for a portrait.
They selected one main photo for the central drawing and four additional studies to complete the montage. They had some great existing photos of Olivia with Cassanova but also took a few new ones at the stables to make sure they had the perfect selection.
Jane and Mark also requested the portrait to be framed so that it was ready to wrap for Olivia’s big day. I took a video of the finished drawing, which you can see below, along with some lovely testimonials and photos of Olivia with her portrait. I hope you enjoy viewing them!
"Hi Melanie,
It looks great—Olivia will love it!
Can’t wait to get it now.
Jane x"
"Post on Facebook from Olivia -
Well, this came as a surprise! The most beautiful drawings of Cassanova done by the incredibly talented Melanie Phillips. This is my birthday present from my parents—couldn't have asked for anything more.
THANK YOU ❤️"
I took some video of the portrait prior to packing it. Please note that my contact details have since changed from what you see in the video! The portrait was also framed by our local framer. There is plenty of choice, and you can see more of the frames available in my framing gallery.
The photo below is a quick snap I took when I was packing the portrait up, ready to send to Jane and Mark. I use professional packaging as my portraits travel far and wide, so I ensure they are safe for their long journeys.
Email or message me if you would like to commission a horse pet portraits montage of your horse for a special occasion—perhaps a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas. I have even created portraits as graduation gifts, which is always a complete surprise for the recipient!