Testimonials from Clients

"After commissioning Karen to draw our two Labrador Retrievers for a Christmas present to my wife, I knew right away that I had chosen the right artist. Karen was very responsive and engaging, and allowed me to be a part of the process as she kept me informed with progress photos during the drawing period. She was receptive to feedback and at the end of the day, my goal was to surprise my wife with the drawing for Christmas and watch her get overwhelmed with emotion. It worked! The painting is now hanging in our family room and we love staring at the art work."

Terry Brennan, Charlotte, NC

"I met this amazing lady and she paints animals. So I asked if she could paint our dog that died almost seven years ago. He was an amazing dog and we still miss him. His name was Cutter and Karen did an amazing job capturing his spirit and his Elvis smile! Thank you Karen...we love having Cutter back with us!"

Diana Pupp, Mooresville, NC

"I could not put into words today (probably because I was trying hard not to cry) just how very much this portrait of my sweet Sammy means to me. I love it and will cherish it always! My Sammy is so extra special, just as his keepsake portrait is now. Thank you for capturing his look and personality so well! You are a gifted and talented artist, and I am so thankful to know you and call you my friend!❤️🐶😘"

Leigh Lowder-Whitfield, Mooresville, NC

"I can’t say enough about what a wonderful experience it was working with you, Karen. You were able to take a photograph of our Buddy and bring him back to life! Without ever having met him, you were able to capture his true personality and spirit, especially in his eyes. My husband was moved to tears when he saw the finished portrait under the Christmas tree. Having his portrait in our home truly makes us feel his presence and we miss him even more. I even find myself talking to him as if he were in the room. Thank you, Karen, for this wonderful gift."

Nancy Johnson, Mooresville, NC

"Your gifted talent is plain to see because you surely captured the soul of our beloved Buddy in your portrait. His eyes always spoke kindly and patiently. He could make me laugh or tell me what he wanted or even show his concern for one of us... just in a look. We have really missed him, and now, you have brought him back into our lives in a way I never expected. Thank you and God bless you."
Gary Johnson, Mooresville, NC

"Karen is amazingly talented. She brought my three pups back to life in our painting. Her art is interactive, so you visually see the likeness and you immediately touch it to feel the life she has given to the pets through her art. Karen got to know my dogs and their special traits and behaviors by interviewing and asking specific questions. The process was enjoyable and the end result is a portrait that captures both their appearances and their personalities. I can’t make enough positive comments about Karen Dortschy and her talents!"

Dr. Karen Wood (UNCC Professor), Mooresville, NC

 "Thank you so very much for the portrait of our special feral kitty Mickey!!  The colors are fabulous and the likeness is incredible. Every customer at the dealership stops to admire your work on the wall as Mickey sits like a princess on a nearby chair. It is almost as if she understands how many people admire her portrait every day!" 

Robin Smith Salzman (Owner, Lake Norman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram), Cornelius, NC

"My cat Butterball recently passed, and he was one of the most loving, sweet, intelligent creatures that we have ever had to enrich our lives.  The portrait that was presented to me by Karen will be cherished for the rest of my life and that of my children. The portrait Karen painted definitely captured his sweet personality and beautiful looks so gracefully and perfectly."

Melanie Dortschy, Charlotte, NC   

"Working with Karen has been a joy. She takes what she does seriously, and it shows in every painting. Her intimate care of her work communicates a love for both animals and painting. Anyone who purchases a portrait from Haute Dauge Portraits will be investing in both quality fine art and the lasting memory of their family pet. I highly recommend Karen to paint anyone's pet, as she has proven time and again that she works in detail accuracy and prioritizes her paintings to complete each project swiftly." 

Stephen Lursen, MFA, Charlotte, NC

 "Karen is an amazing artist! She truly cares about her work, and she spent a lot of time with me learning about the dogs and their personalities. I had her paint two paintings for me of my mom and dad’s dogs, Winston and Lily. My parents were thrilled to receive such a personalized present, and Karen really captured their personalities in the portraits (especially the sparkle in their eyes!). She was great to work with and I look forward to working with her again soon!"

Jennifer Campbell, Charlotte, NC

"The portrait turned out just great of my Matilda! Absolutely love it...you captured the essence of Matilda. I look forward to working with you on one of my boy Farley. Thank you!"  

Betsy Westover, Aiken, SC

"My Dad loved the portrait of Boomer that we gave him for his birthday! It was a total surprise. Thank you so much for creating this for him! We have been talking you up." 

Amanda Swanger, Huntersville, NC

"I wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with the painting!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕❤️❤️❤️❤️  You have captured their souls in their faces. I feel my Buddy with me once again.  Thank you so very much. You have a special gift that I am sure has blessed many hearts like it has mine."

Charlotte Lysak, Hendersonville, TN

"...I don't want to give it to my Mom now after seeing it. It's absolutely beautiful. You captured Oreo "right on". I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This will be Mom's best Christmas in a very long time. Again, thank you and Merry Christmas."After Christmas:"I have to say thank you from my entire family all over the United States. The painting you did of Oreo has drastically changed my Mom's everyday life. She's not constantly complaining of illness or anything else. Oreo is with her every day and has brought her out of a depression. Again I thank you from the bottom of my heart."    

Lou S., Mooresville, NC

"Karen was extremely professional and wanted to know as much as she could about my dog's personality, of which I loved doing, as I want everyone to love my dog like I do. Karen captured that in the painting. I was overwhelmed how she was able to take an emailed picture and bring it to life on canvas! I am so grateful to have this painting! Can't say enough about the amazing job she did! Thank you again so much."     

Lisa French, Mooresville, NC

"I still cannot get over how spot-on the portrait of Clu is (and I am picky). It is truly fabulous and captures who he is and what he means to me." 

Marylou Millhauser, Charlotte, NC

"I surprised my wife at Christmas with a portrait of our dear Golden Retriever Roxy. The portrait was absolutely amazing and truly captured Roxy's sweet personality and unique looks. Karen was so easy to work with and her passion for dogs is apparent in the portrait she painted. I think it was the best giftI have ever given her!" 

Chris Russo, Huntersville, NC

"Thank you so very much for your magnificent painting of my baby. It is so realistic and you absolutely captured her personality and "look" in her eyes. The painting is displayed in my kitchen and I look at it every day with delight. It's really a treasure to me." 

Cindy Carney, Morganville, NJ

"My husband asked Karen to paint a picture of our late beloved dog as a Christmas present for me. It was the most wonderful surprise in the world to me! Karen captured our dog's beauty, features and her character beautifully and perfectly. The picture brought me to tears, and I will forever be grateful and love the portrait of my best friend, Oprah. Thank you so much, Karen!"

Betsy Zangara, Davidson, NC

"We both love our portrait. We're amazed at how beautifully you captured her (Miss Priss). She hates having her picture made, so this was the best way to capture her beauty. My husband Rod had seen the article (in the Charlotte Observer) about you and had decided to get one done for me. I beat him to it :)  Thanks for a beautiful job!"  

Denise Altman, Denver, NC

"Your portrait of Ferris is simply beautiful - and has captured his handsome expression so perfectly, We jokingly call him ‘the regal beast!’ due to his stately and serious expression, and your work captured it en pointe. I also appreciate you taking such great care to learn about his personality before your first brushstroke. The portrait is something we will treasure. Thank you for sharing your talent."

Lisa Brueggermann, Davidson, NC

"Karen did an outstanding job of capturing each of our dogs' personalities on canvas. Her passion and interest in our dogs is reflected in the finished product. If you are looking for a unique gift or want to capture a memory, I would recommend calling Karen."

Bill Gombert, Cornelius, NC

"Karen did such a wonderful job painting our  Basset Hound. We showed the portrait to our Basset breeder and he was amazed! After completing the painting for us, Karen has gained two more Basset owner customers. We couldn't be more pleased ... amazing work, Karen."

Jack Severens, Denver, NC​ 

"He (my partner) absolutely loved it. He was speechless. The minute he pulled it out of the bag he screamed 'Abby'!' We are so very interested in having you paint additional ones for all the other poms we've had and currently have."

Nick Brown, Huntersville, NC

"We love it! Thank you so much! And my in-laws love it too. They think the dogs' eyes are amazing. And we love both pictures and where we have them displayed." 

Ellen Takatori, Mooresville, NC

"We have Gabby's portrait on the shelf next to the fireplace. It looks like she is alive and ready to jump out of the picture. We love it and you really did nail her! We are very pleased! Thanks for delivering a very special memory that we will cherish forever. You really do have a special talent!" 

Jo Alexander, Charlotte, NC