“Anyone who knows me knows I love animals,” says Missy Greenberg, a Westport-based wife, mom of two boys, dog mom to a one-year-old pup named Penny, lifelong vegetarian, and the artist behind custom pet portrait studio, Painting Paws by Missy. “I could really paint anything: scenic work, or portraits. But I decided to launch a pet portrait business because I have an innate love for animals.”
There is more to Missy’s story than that, of course. After a decade-long career in public relations and the birth of her second son, Missy was in search of something more fulfilling. So, in the middle of the pandemic, with a four-month-old baby and almost three-year-old at home, Missy enrolled at Hunter College in New York City, earning a second Major in Fine Arts, and then went on to earn a Master’s degree in Art Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. “It was my favorite schooling experience I’d ever had, because my heart was in it,” she says.
Missy and her family moved to Westport in 2023, and she launched “Painting Paws by Missy” shortly after, in 2024, as a way to combine her favorite things: animals and artwork. “I’ve had all sorts of animals throughout my life: cats, birds, fish, hamsters, and now a dog. And I’ve loved making art for as long as I can remember. I feel like it’s a dream that I found a way to marry these lifelong passions,” she says. She primarily receives commissions through her Instagram, where the client will then send a “character-forward photograph” of the animal subject for Missy to work off of. (For local pets, Missy can also come and photograph them herself, at no extra charge. “I just love to be around animals, so any chance I get to meet the animal that I’m painting, all the better!” she says.) Together with the client, they’ll pick a background color or setting, and the custom portrait is usually ready in about a month. She’s an expert at details, like eyes, that allow the animal’s personality to shine through. “Sometimes, the animal has since passed, so the artwork becomes very special because I’m making a keepsake of a pet who is no longer with us.” One of her favorite pieces was a painting depicting all seven dogs a 75-year-old woman had owned in her lifetime, all along her favorite beach in Charleston, SC, given as a birthday gift. “I get chills talking about it!” Missy says. Last year, she donated a portrait to the family of a dog that was lost on the Merritt. She’s also donated custom works to local organizations like Neighborhood Studios (an art nonprofit out of Bridgeport), the Hearts in Harmony Foundation, Long Lots School, and The Learning Community Day School. She’s even done a few inanimate furry friends: paintings of beloved childhood stuffies, it turns out, make great bedroom decor.
Since starting two years ago, Missy estimates she’s done about 40 paintings. “My children are so proud to tell their friends that their mom is a real artist,” she says. “Every time they beam, I have to pinch myself. This business is a joy of my life,” says Missy. “I really think this is what I was destined to do.”
Missy’s acrylic paintings start at around $400 (for an 8"x10”). For more information or to book a commission, contact PaintingPawsbyMissy@gmail.com or follow @PaintingPaws_byMissy on Instagram.