Portraits with Soul

Influenced by growing up immersed in the art world in the South of France and inspired by her father artist Hjalmar Boyesen, a student of Piccasso, we talk to portrait artist FREYA BOYESEN, about her work. Freya has just completed three pastels of Pets Magazine’s Rufus, Sophie (pictured) and Nell; poignantly, Sophie and Nell passed away in 2022 aged 14 and 16. The portraits are remarkable tributes to beautiful souls that seem to capture their very essence.

We meet portrait artist and muralist FREYA

BOYESEN. Freya talks to us about her work, her inspirations and her passion for pets. We also have the privilege of reviewing some of her extraordinary work.

Freya Boyesen is an artist immersed in her art as much as the countryside of both England and France where she splits her time. She strives and achieves the very thing artists aim for: capturing the very essence of her subjects; no more deftly captured than in her pet portraiture.

Freya grew up immersed in art, and her father a student of

Picasso was a seminal influence.

Freya says: “My desire to paint began in childhood - as watching my father, an artist who spent some years working with Picasso in the South of France, was a constant inspiration. Mosaic, sculpture, paint and humour, through my father's continuous search, I began to see anything was possible.”

Is pet portraiture the favourite part of your work? If so, why?

Yes, I am passionate about painting pets - having come to understand how special they are - and I like to liaise with clients to make sure I’m capturing their precious companions.

Reference photos should be clear and crisp - though if a painting is in memoriam, sometimes I simply have to do my best from whatever the client has.

Where do you take your inspiration from?

Walking in the countryside inspires mebecause even though I don’t paint landscapes, I often get ideas whilst walking. Also people watching and going to galleries.

Do you have any pets?

I had a beautiful Pomeranian named Baby. He was a little dog I inherited from my daughter who died tragically at the age of 23 - and I honestly don’t know how I would have made it without him. It was through Baby that I learned about loving a dog - he taught me a great deal.

What are your favourite places and subjects to paint?

I love to paint people and animals, though I mostly paint in my studio from reference material. It’s always exciting to paint a person from life of course - but I’ve yet to find a dog that would stay still for long enough!

Any brief tips for the amateur pet artist?

Only work from reference photos that give you enough information for a painting. Sometimes clients send me fuzzy photos and I really can’t work from them.

Always try to go beyond the photo to capture the soul of the animal. Keep practicing and get to know your mediums.

I was sent the photo (below) as a thank you and it touched my heart.

One of the reasons I love to paint people’s pets - to feel I am able to offer some comfort to someone who has lost a precious companion.

Review by MARIE CARTER-ROBB

who seems to capture the very essence, the soul of her pet subjects.

We can ourselves attest to this fact, as she very kindly painted Pets Magazine’s canine reviewers (pictured above), two of whom Nell, the Blenheim Cavalier and Sophie, the ruby, very sadly passed away in 2022 aged 16 and 14 respectively.

experienced the “love unflinching that cannot lie” of a dog (in the words of Kipling), replaced by other pets; it lasts and that loss and resultant grief is something that never really dies. will know that the pain of losing a beloved canine hurts to the core. It is a visceral ache that leaves behind a hollowness

To capture the very soul essence of a loved and lost pet is a remarkable talent. Freya has achieved this with her beautifully rendered pastel paintings of ‘The Gang’ (Nell, Rufus and Sophie) above.

The drawings taken from a selection of photos faithfully capture their true essence. The colours of their hair, the fine texture, but most startlingly, their eyes. For the eyes are a very window to the soul, after all.

Far more than any photo, a painting artfully rendered and where the subject is faithfully drawn, can portray the soul of its subject.

Nell, the Blenheim, was a decade long survivor of a puppy farm, used and abused. In her final six years, she knew true love. From hurt and trauma to trust and love, her eyes are measures of her journey. She loved cuddles and outings, latterly in her pushchair, and her pastel is a wonderful testament to her strength and beauty.

Sophie, my darling ruby Cavalier, was a beautiful and truly gentle soul. She was a beloved pet from being a puppy. Sophie liked her own company but still adored cuddles. She had a toy tiger which she loved from puppyhood. Sophie also enjoyed playing The Game, where someone would call her name and she would run to them. She loved mooching around the garden, and she loved to savour her food.

Rufus, the 5-year old black and tan Cavalier, is the young upstart of The Gang. He loved Nell especially and regarded her as his mother. Nell, secretly liked that.

These extraordinary pastels by Freya capture their special essence. In some innate way, it is as if their souls have been captured in the paintings for the viewer to see forever.

You too can have your beloved pets faithfully captured on canvas.

Based between England and south west France, Freya enjoys taking on new projects, whether a simple sketch, oil or mural.

Email: freyahope@hotmail.com

Or visit her website at: https:// lbray47.wixsite.com/freyaheart