About

Tori Gilbertson

I create watercolor portraits of pets and animals, using layered color and texture to capture their presence rather than strict realism. I’m drawn to watercolor for its physical, hands-on process—the way pigment bleeds, settles, and moves across the paper in unpredictable ways.
I began painting animals through my own pets, including my cats, dogs, and parrots, finding inspiration in the quiet, everyday moments shared with them. My late cat, Mowgli, was an especially important muse; painting him taught me how watercolor’s softness and fluidity can hold both memory and emotion. Embracing the medium’s unpredictability allows each piece to remain unique, much like the animals themselves.