Custom Painted Pet Portrait from Photo

I'm looking for a skilled artist who can turn a favorite photograph of my pet into a hand-painted portrait that truly captures its personality. This is a very personal project — the photo I'll provide shows a dog who has been part of our family for years, and I want the final artwork to feel warm, alive, and true to the original picture rather than a generic, cartoonish rendering. The portrait is meant either to hang in our living room or to be given as a surprise gift to a family member, so the emotional accuracy of the expression and eyes matters more to me than flashy extra effects.

I don't have a strict preference for the medium — oil, acrylic, watercolor or high-quality digital painting are all fine, as long as the artist has real experience with animal portraits and can show a portfolio of similar previous work. I would like to discuss composition, background color, and canvas size before any painting begins, and I want at least one progress update partway through the process so I can request small adjustments if something looks off, especially around the fur texture and eye color.

Please reach out with examples of pet portraits you've completed before, your usual turnaround time, and what you need from me besides the source photo. I'm happy to send additional reference images from different angles if that helps you capture the right likeness.

What I need:
— A hand-painted or professional digital portrait based on one clear source photo of my pet
— A short consultation on size, background and style before starting
— One progress preview with a chance to request minor revisions
— A final high-resolution image plus, if painted physically, safe packaging for delivery
— A portfolio of prior pet-portrait work before we begin