Erica Eriksdotter used to work as a public relations consultant before she quit that job to focus on her business, Studio Eriksdotter, in which she paints portraits of deceased or dying pets. It started out as a pastime but as demand was booming for her portraits, she decided to do it full-time.
Her pet portraits start at $774 for a 12-by-12-inch canvas and go up from there. Each one takes her about a month to complete. The price tag may seem hefty, but demand for her portraits is exploding among D.C.-area pet owners: Eriksdotter’s wait list is six months long.
The pet portraits’ popularity may be because of Eriksdotter’s unique process, suggested Antonietta Corvasce, a District of Columbia-based psychotherapist who specializes in grief and loss counselling. Clients who buy paintings of their deceased pets also sign up for several weeks of something akin to therapy.
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(Image credit: Matt McClain/The Washington Post)