Jodie Mablin cashes in on the latest pet must-have - a portrait

Forget diamante bowls or gold-plated collars, it is portraits that are the latest must-have for dog owners. Just ask art enthusiast Jodie Mablin. The 25-year-old sub-editor has set up a sideline business painting canvas dog portraits because, she says, demand was so high.

Miss Mablin, who works for publishing house Global Legal Group, tells People: “I did a portrait of my own Shetland sheepdog and then family friends asked me to do some for them and it spiralled from there. People said I should set up my own business.” And so, Paw-traits was born and business is going well. “There are loads of pet shops that do dog accessories. I think people are becoming more and more gaga over their pets and are willing to invest in them.” Miss Mablin, who studied A-level art, paints on acrylic canvas from a photograph of the dog.

Are some dogs more tricky than others? “I did a Bichon Frise and that was quite difficult as there was a lot of white hair. The more character the dog has, the better.”

Miss Mablin, who lives in Hatch End, Middlesex, received a diploma in magazine journalism from City University. “I love art and Paw-traits has given me a purpose to use it again and not give up on it.”