Hounds in Verse
Bespoke Illustrated Dog Poem & Portraits
"Hounds in Verse" is a bespoke illustrated poem about your own dog.
"Hounds in Verse" is a bespoke illustrated poem about your own dog.
Each poem is written in rhyming couplets and is a whimsical, perceptive and heartfelt portrait of your dog and a truly unique expression of your relationship with them. It is an amusing and endearing celebration of your life together, that will make you smile, warm your heart and will be treasured for a lifetime.
Each one is completely bespoke, created from the specific and unique stories that each dog owner shares with me. A pen & ink drawing of your dog is part of the design.
For dogs that are no longer with us, the poem is a poignant tribute and an original way to remember the precious time spent together.
Each poem is individually hand lettered and illustrated in ink on Japanese Hosho paper.
The poems I compose for people and their dogs are very personal, so I prefer not to publish them on my website (the sample poem above is the one I wrote for my dog, Figo), but lots of customers write and tell me how much they treasure their poems and what it means to them to have their relationship with their dog captured in this unique way.
Find out more about commissioning your Hounds in Verse illustrated poem
Place your order below. Full payment is taken at this time. You will need to choose whether you would like a framed or unframed portrait. Please note that due to postage costs and the risk of breakage I can only send framed portraits to UK addresses.
I will email you a questionnaire within 1-2 days.
Fill in the answers to the questionnaire and return it as soon as you can, so I can get started on the poem. I will also need a clear high resolution photo of your dog’s head for the illustration.
Within 7-14 days after receiving your answers I will send you the poem and an illustration of your dog.
You can then give me your approval / feedback on the poem by email. I will make any tweaks that are necessary to create a poem that truly reflects your dog until we are both happy with the poem and illustration.
I will need your approval by email, to go ahead with the final pen & ink drawing.
I will draw and hand letter the portrait in pen and ink. As each portrait is a bespoke illustration from scratch, no further changes are possible after your approval has been given without incurring further cost.
Your bespoke Hounds in Verse poetic portrait will be sent to you via courier/registered mail to UK addresses and via International Tracked and Signed mail to addresses outside the UK.
I will email you a questionnaire, within 1-2 days of receiving your order. The purpose of the questionnaire is to find out as much information as I can about your dog so I can create the most original and personal poem.
The questionnaire can be used to trigger thoughts and ideas about what you might like to be included in the poem. You don’t have to answer all the questions but I’ll need lots of detail - not just facts (e.g. he likes to chase cats) but also detailed descriptions and anecdotes about his behaviour (e.g. is it just the neighbours cat? does the cat tease your dog? what does your dog do when he sees the cat, how does the neighbour react? what do you do/feel when he chases the cat? etc). For the best results, I suggest you take your time and think about what you might like to include over a couple of days.
Once I have received your notes in response to the questionnaire, I will start to craft the poem. You will see a draft of the poem in 7-14 days. During this time I may contact you for further details or clarification of any of the information you have provided about your dog.
Yes of course. You will have the chance to request changes when you see the first draft of your poem and illustration of your dog, 7-14 days after I receive the answers to your questionnaire. Typically, there are only minor tweaks because, in composing the poem, I stay true to the information you have given me in response to the questions. I will work hard to make sure we have a poem that we both love and truly reflects the unique personality of your dog.
Once you have given me final approval by email for both the poem and illustration and I have started to draw the portrait, there can be no further changes, as each portrait is drawn individually, by hand, in pen and ink.
Each poem is written in rhyming couplets and is a whimsical, perceptive and heartfelt portrait of your dog and a truly unique expression of your relationship with them. It is an amusing, anecdotal celebration of your life together, that will make you smile, warm your heart and will be treasured for a lifetime.
Just like humans, dogs have their own quirky personalities and each poem will paint an endearing, touching and often humorous picture of your dog’s character and their special bond with you.
I will need a high resolution photograph of your dog’s head - either a full face shot or side profile (or something inbetween) - that clearly shows your dog’s eye(s) and features, in a pose that you would like to have on the finished illustration.
Each poem is a minimum of 20 lines and a maximum of 28 lines long.
The size of the finished illustrated poem is 14 x 35.5 cm (5.5 x 14 inches) The size of the paper is 18 x 39.5 cm (7 x 15.5 inches)
Yes. I use a solid wood black painted frame with an acid free off white mount. It is fitted with 2mm glass and comes ready to hang.
The finished size of the frame is approximately 30 x 50 cm (12 x 20 inches).
Framed prints are only available to UK addresses.
The entire process from start to finish usually takes 3-4 weeks.
It will usually take around 2 weeks to craft a truly personal poem upon receipt of your answers to the questionnaire. It may be possible to reduce this time, if the poem is needed for a specific date. If you’ve left it a bit late and need it quicker, I will do everything I can to help, but please email or call me to discuss if this is the case, prior to placing your order.
Please allow a further week from approval of the poem to create a hand lettered pen & ink illustration, framed or unframed.
Yes. My poems are often commissioned for a gift, however you will need to know enough about the person and their dog to answer the questionnaire so I have enough detail to create a meaningful and personal poem.
UK Addresses: Framed and unframed portraits will be delivered via courier or tracked and signed-for mail. Deliveries outside the UK: Will be shipped by International Tracked and Signed Airmail. Please note: It is not possible to send framed work outside the UK due to the high cost and risk of breakage.
The information you provide in response to the questionnaire will only be seen by me and will not be shared with anyone, ever. I may ask your permission to share your poem, or any part of your poem, on my website or social media as an example of my work, but if you prefer that I do not share your poem then, of course, I will not do so.
Each poem I create is copyrighted by Debbie Kendall, however you are free to use and reproduce your poem for your own personal use. Any poem created for corporate clients, or for commercial use, may require royalties and this must be requested and discussed before I create the poem.
Unframed original, hand-lettered and illustrated poetic portrait in pen & ink on Japanese Hosho paper: £150 + P&P
Framed original, hand lettered and illustrated poetic portrait in pen & ink on Japanese Hosho paper: £190 +P&P
Unframed
Ships to UK, USA, Canada & Australia
Framed
UK Addresses Only