By Janet Cruz

It’s no secret Lake Havasu City has an amazing community of artists. From painters, jewelry designers to potters and more. But Did you know you could also have a portrait done for your pet?  Pet Portraits by Sharon is doing just that for pet owners and their furry family members.

Artist Sharon  Streckfus-Lazzaro has always been capturing man’s best friend in her art for more than 20 years and can recreate anyone’s pet with great detail all with a simple submitted photograph. From animal birthday portraits or simple drawings, Lazzaro loves to capture them all. Although Lazzaro has been an artist who has worked in several mediums, her favorite is drawing with pencil.

” I used to use paint but now I use an oil pencil and draw from a photograph, ” says Lazzaro. I  just started doing this and it quickly took off,” she adds.

Submitted photo By Sharon S. Lazzaro

Submtted photo by Sharon S. Lazzaro

Lazzaro grew up in the suburbs of Saint Louis on a mini farm where her family owned horses, dogs and cats. Lazzaro’s father used to rescue and raise horses before training them and eventually donating them to Boy Scouts of America Organization. Lazzaro soon found herself surrounded by her father’s horses so she decided to involve them into her sketches.

“I have been an artist all my life, since a kid really,” adds Lazzaro. “I would be drawing the horses and draw anything I could to involve in my art.”

Over the years, Lazzaro soon started painting stools with animal faces on them. I did that as a part time gig  for just family and friends, before eventually deciding to draw pet portraits full-time.
Lazzaro and her husband made the move to Lake Havasu in April and says thats when she thought it was a perfect time to do her art locally.

“I changed my medium to oil pencils,” and  when we moved to Lake Havasu City, I decided  to make it a career here,” says

Often times when owners lose their pet, Lazzaro sees her drawings as a way to remember them or somehow bring them back to life through art.

“I really try to capture that animal’s personality,” if it is a photograph by an animal who has passed away, it brings me complete joy to kind of bring them back to life for their owner in a drawing,” says Lazzaro.

Down  to  each pencil mark,  Lazzaro displays such mastery and talent  and detail when it comes to her portraits. She does not often do live sittings and mentions its easier to capture the detail from a photo.

Photo By Pet Portraits by Sharon S. Lazzaro .

“I love getting every detail,” even if it’s the tiny collar with some designs,” I will detail it exactly how it is,” she adds.

From her home studio, Lazzaro’s love of art and animals truly  is creative and fun for those looking to capture their pet.

For every order, Lazzaro includes a 9X12 drawing  either in color or black and white. The portraits arrive complete with matting which only require a standard 11X14 frame.

To get a portrait done for your pet or for more information and pricing, contact Sharon Streckfus- Lazzaro  via messenger  on her  Pet Portraits By Sharon Facebook page, where you can attach your favorite picture of your pet. You may also email  her at petportraits_bysharon@protonmail.com . She can also be found on instagram.