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Liz’s Passion For Making And Creating

Dog Portraits Artist Liz Leadbetter

Dog Portraits were not something Liz Leadbetter was considering as a career 10 years ago although she had always loved dogs. She had always loved making and creating too and so one morning in 2011 she attended a local mixed/media/textile class where she met many other like-minded ladies.

There her lovely teacher Sue taught Liz the techniques to use for many great projects. From all the projects Liz undertook the most enjoyable were those where she was able to use a sewing machine for textile art rather than the straightforward stitch for dress making.

Why Liz Uses Applique For Creating Dog Portraits

Liz started to use the applique and free embroidery technique. This technique gave her the freedom to use her machine needle as if she were drawing with a pen.

Using this technique Liz created funky animal art which was originally bright and colourful – a bit like Liz’s personality! She sold this artwork online and at craft fairs.

Her First Dog Portrait Request

Dog portrait of a French Bulldog
One of Liz’s Masterpieces – This one of a French Bulldog

One day someone asked Liz to do a dog portrait from a photograph. This was out of her comfort zone but she decided to give it a go anyway. She liked the end result and her customer was delighted.

One Business Ends And A New Business Is Born

In 2020 Liz Leadbetter’s dog walking business came to an abrupt halt – like many others a casualty of the pandemic! And to make matters worse the same fate befell her husband’s joinery business! How on earth was she going to continue to help support her family – a family that included Bella, her white Schnauzer and Winnie, her black Schnoodle?

Liz decided she would turn all her energy and attention to creating pet portraits and thus her business TillyBella Textiles was born. Using social media sites to promote her business really worked well and her business took off.

Dog Portraits Are Liz’s True Passion

Liz absolutely loves creating beautiful dog portraits. Her customers love the end result – so much so that they often say their dog’s portrait is better than the photograph Liz used to create it!

Dog Portraits are created here
Winnie and Bella Relaxing

She loves working from home with her 2 beautiful dogs for company. Liz’s husband who is a joiner has helped with her new career by building a new sewing table and cupboards into the bay window of her studio. There she can watch the world go by as she works. Often people will walk by and wave to Liz and her two dogs.

Liz’s career change has left her with more time to walk her own dogs. She loves to do this on the beautiful coastal beaches along the Wirral peninsula and in her local woods.

Not many people get to make a living from doing what they love most. The pandemic has given Liz the opportunity to live her dream life.

Editor’s Comments

Having seen some of Liz’s dog portraits I can say with hand on heart that she is a gifted artist who adores her work and the dogs that inspire her. You can find out more about what she does and see some examples of her work on her Facebook Page.

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