Pet Portrait
Create Your Own Pet Portrait
Pet Portrait
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Bring Your Baby

Create Your Own Pet Portrait – Summer 2026

Dates

10 May 2026

Venues:
The Base Greenham
 

Join artist Ellie Kerr-Smiley to create a compelling portrait of your favourite furry friend by learning techniques to replicate fur, eyes and how to capture their unique likeness. 

Take a good quality image of your pet (this can be on your phone or tablet or a print-out, depending on your preference).
Art materials will be provided. 
 
What to Expect: 
 
Ellie will guide you through the process of creating an painted portrait of your furry friend with acrylic paint.
 
Your will learn how to draw your pet portrait, create the texture of fur, replicate eyes and capture the character of your beloved pet.
 
What to take /wear: 
 
Please take a good quality image of your pet (this can be on your phone or tablet or a print-out, depending on your preference).
 
Art materials will be provided. 
 
Benefits: 
 
You will learn or improve your close observation skills and explore a variety of painting techniques to capture the likeness and character of your beloved pet. 
 
Who is the Tutor: 
 
Ellie is a portrait artist with a focus on the depiction of women but also extends her painting to pets and subjects that inspire her.
 
Ellie works in both acrylics and oils and is a big believer in not needing expensive items to create art
 
. She paints on paper, plywood or occasionally found materials.
 
Ellie’s main philosophy is to just create, no matter what.
 
Ellie is a Base resident artist and alongside commission work, Ellie teaches all ages from her studio at The Base, in schools and at local venues.
 
Time: 10am – 1pm
The base 

The Base opened on Friday 8 February 2019 in partnership with Greenham Trust and the Corn Exchange. It became a registered charity in 2022 (charity no. 1199188) and is dedicated to improving access to the arts whilst bringing quality visual art to the local area.

Situated in a purpose-built arts and craft building, The Base’s £1.7M venue was designed by Sutton Griffin Architects of Newbury.

The space comprises of a 110sqm gallery, artists’ studios and a workshop for participatory classes.

There is also a café facility managed by Honesty Café group.

Striving to be a flagship visual arts venue in West Berkshire, The Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 54 exhibition launched the inaugural gallery programme.

Displaying some of the best wildlife photography from across the globe, the exhibition comprised of 100 photograph across 7 categories and is renowned for attracting millions of visitors around the world every year. 

The Base is also home to 8 visual artists and craft makers as well as Open Studios West Berkshire and North Hampshire, who present their annual INSIGHT exhibition at The Base every May. 

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