By mixing it with her other passion – art, Helen has stumbled upon the perfect way to earn an income and practice a hobby all in the comfort of her own home.

Helen is the owner and founder of Pastel Pet Portraits in Freeport.

The business, which launched in 2005, is centered on Helen’s unique ability to capture life, personality and character in each animal. She is able to do this through the use of intense color found only in oil pastels.

People from all walks of life are calling on Helen to create original portraits of their pets for display in their homes.

Her customers are forever intrigued by the way Helen captures each of the animals she sets out to draw.

“I am really getting to know the animal,” Helen explained. “When I get to the eyes, the personality starts coming out.”
 
Helen breathes life into animals and creates a lasting memory of them for the families that love them most.
 
“I had done a portrait of a little dog who had passed away about a year ago,” she recalled. “When she and her husband came to pick it up, there were tears in their eyes.”
 
Although Pastel Pet Portraits is new to Helen, this is not her first time to turn her love of animals into a craft.

In 1991, Helen and her husband Jack started Clocks and Woodcrafts of Connecticut. The business grew out of a few pieces of scrap lumber that the couple stumbled across while renovating some homes.

Helen saw the lumber as works of art.

“First I started cutting out shapes, and then I thought I would try animals,” she said. “It kind of went from there.”

She carved and painted animals onto the surface of what most people would have considered garbage. Then, she took the wooden creations and transformed them into clocks.

Needing an escape from the cold, the Flaws decided to sell the business in 2002 and journey to a warmer place. They found themselves buying a home in Freeport.

“Florida was always the place we came to on vacation,” she said with obvious excitement in her voice. “It was always in our dreams to come to Florida permanently.”

With the woodworking business gone, the couple needed a new hobby and a way to meet people in their newly found paradise.

Jack and Helen signed up for art classes under the instruction of Skippy Hoffman.

“Some teachers say stuff that goes over your head, but with Skippy everything she said really made sense,” Helen added. “She brought out talent in each and everyone of us. I always figured my husband was the only one with the talent, but she pulled something out of me.”

Helen tried her hand at landscapes, portraits of people and even flowers, but her love of animals took over and led her down the destined path.

“My love of animals was always there,” Helen said. “I had been doing pets in acrylics on the wood, so when Skippy taught me about pastels, that was the beginning of a whole new thing. I did all of our cats, and I started chasing around all the poor neighborhood pets.”

After nurturing this art form for some time, Helen had her first assignment under the newly established business. Pastel Pet Portraits started to blossom almost immediately.

Since then, the art community has embraced the freshness that Helen brings to the scene with open arms.

“There is nobody else doing exactly what I am doing,” Helen said. “I have been to different art shows in the area to see the amazing variety of talent, but nobody really seems to be into pets.”

Helen continues to receive increased attention for her talents.

“Each day, I keep wondering ‘why me?’” Helen says with happiness in her eyes. “I am extremely blessed.”

For $125 and a picture of a pet, Helen will create an 8x10 pastel portrait complete with a mat and frame. Other sizes are available upon request.

To contact Helen Flaws, e-mail her at jhflaws@earthlink.net or call her at (850) 835-4924.

Pastel Pet Portraits is located at 380 Happy Hollow Rd. in Freeport. For more information, visit http://pastelpetportraitsusa.com.