She has lived in New York, frequented fashion shows in Paris, designed prints for Versace and had her own t-shirt line stocked in Selfridges.

Clare Vincent swapped all that for family life – and she couldn’t be happier.

Now a mum-of-two, Clare admitted she couldn’t put her paintbrush down for long though, and is channelling all her artistic energies into her new pet painting business Bark & Bristle.

Clare discovered she had a penchant for animal paintings before the births of her children Felix, six, and Ellie, three, when she created a picture of a boxer dog for her husband Will.

“My husband and I both wanted a dog, kept talking about it,” she said.

“We had just moved down here and I ended up painting a boxer dog for my husband and gave it as a present and said it could keep him company until we got a dog.

“A couple of friends saw it and said could I do a painting for their friends’ wedding of their Jack Russell and then I painted a little pig for my husband because he loves pigs.

“I was just doing it for fun really, it was just a hobby. Then children happened, the paintbrush got put down and I didn’t have time.”

With Felix now at school and Ellie at pre-school, Clare, 42, found herself with a little more time on her hands. It was the family’s own rescue dog, mongrel Esmerelda, who inspired Clare to start painting again.

“Will said I’d never painted our dog, so I decided to do it,” she said.

“It was a bit of fun one day and it kind of went from there. My husband was nagging me about it, a girlfriend of mine was also nagging and said I should do it, and then another friend asked me to do another one.

“Suddenly I just go into it and thought ‘Why not? I’m going to give this a go’.”

Clare set up a website, with the help of husband Will, who works in IT, and is now taking commissions for pets including cats, dogs and horses.

“I’ve only really been doing it properly since November last year,” she said.

“But I’ve been very busy. It’s all been by word of mouth so far, which has been great. At the moment I’m trying to keep my price point really low. So many people would love to have personal art. I’m charging £120 for the small ones and people are clubbing together.

“I’m actually really enjoying it.”

  • barkandbristle.com