Carly Beck’s Pet Portraits are Giving Us Total Fashion Heaven

by Aria Darcella
Carly Beck

Heading to the Hamptons this weekend? Then you’d best pop by Amagansett Square on Saturday to check out the pet portraiture of Carly Beck. The fashionable artist, who accrues an awful lot of likes on Instagram for her detailed interpretations of personality-filled animals wearing the latest fashion collections, is coming to the Hamptons thanks to Mandala Yoga’s Yummy Yoga Goods boutique. She will have several works for sale, and she will also be taking new commissions for custom portraits. Naturally, we had a few questions.

Carly, you have a background in fashion as a sales executive and handbag designer. You turned your attentions to painting relatively recently. What initially got you interested in pet portraiture?
I love creating little worlds that capture my love of interiors, pets and fashion. My favorite thing is to see the personality of the pet develop on the canvas.

“Helen” (Courtesy)

What is your creative process like? How much information do you have on each pet when you start the project?
Pet portraits begin when a client sends me photographs of their pet. From there, we discuss if there are any family heirlooms they would like to include, what type of background they’d like the pet to be set against, and if they would like their pet to be holding anything special to them. I have been very lucky to work with so many lovely people who give me a lot of freedom to create.

How do you incorporate fashion and beauty into your work?
I am constantly researching on Instagram, reading magazines, and observing the streets of New York. I live in the West Village, an epicenter of fashion. I archive all my images and reference them for little details in the work.

Carly Beck

“Dog in Vivetta” (Courtesy)

You’ve done some cool collaborations. Can you tell us about a few favorites?
I loved the pet portrait trays, coasters and puzzles that I created for Collyer’s Mansion, a home goods boutique in Brooklyn that was founded by my dear friend Mauri Weakley. I also painted the exterior of the restaurant Kitchen Mouse in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. For that project, I was inspired by motifs in ‘70s Italian disco.

You’re known for discovering up and coming designers. Which are your current favorites?
Currently, I am loving everything by Horror Vacui. Anna’s florals and silhouettes are amazing. I also like Line Sander‘s delicate florals, smocking details and her “Hair Clouds” Hotel. They use one-of-a-kind fabrics, handmade in Paris. And I’m always a Jane Mayle loyalist — I’ve been collecting her pieces for decades, and she always has great new pieces in her Noho boutique.

“Shopping in the Cotswolds” (Courtesy)

Aside from pets, what else do to paint?
I love painting my Beauty Junkie series. I am very inspired by natural beauty brands, their thoughtful packaging and hand-batch production process. These days, I’m especially into Penny Frances Apothecary, Agent Nateur, Skincando, and C and the Moon.

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