Twiggy’s daughter Carly on her ‘uplifting’ career as a pet illustrator – exclusive

From a majestic black cat named after a queen to an aristocratic chihuahua, the striking portraits created by Dame Lesley “Twiggy” Lawson’s daughter Carly Wiggins have made her the go-to illustrator for devoted pet lovers.

The artist, 47, tells HELLO!: “I love painting people’s pets because it brings them so much joy.”

Carly’s mother Twiggy

Although Carly’s celebrity clientele has chosen to remain anonymous, she can reveal that one of the most famous among them is her mother, the legendary model Twiggy. It was for her that she painted her black rescue cat Titania – named after the queen of the fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

“After her brother Oberon died, Tanny became the queen of the house,” Carly says. “She lived with Mum in her London flat and would only venture out onto the balcony. But when Mum had to go away to work, Tanny came to live with my husband Ben [Wiggins] and I.

“She was our first ‘baby’. When we arrived home, she’d excitedly run to the door and ‘talk’ to us. I adored her and was bereft when she died at 16. I still miss her.”

Passion for drawing

 Carly’s affinity for animals and passion for art began as a child.

“I’ve always loved animals and used to draw wildlife obsessively,” she recalls.

© Carly Wiggins

After studying animation in Edinburgh, she became an animator at the film production company Passion Pictures before working as a print designer at Stella McCartney. Then, during a career break to bring up her children with Ben – Joni, ten, and Theo, six – Carly’s best friend Jessy asked her to draw her dachshund Otis as a present for her husband.

“It’s too difficult to get a pet to sit for you, so I work from photos,” she says.  

Carly adds: “I love drawing and painting and become totally immersed in the pet whose portrait I’m creating. It’s an uplifting experience.”

Visit Carly on Instagram at @carlyportraits 

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