Meet the Winners of the 2026 Trekell Pet Portrait Competition
Every year, the Trekell Pet Portrait Competition gives us the chance to see what artists can do with the same starting point: one panel and an animal worth painting.
For 2026, artists worked on our new 8" x 10" Pet Portrait Panel, and once again, they took it in directions we never could have predicted. Across every experience level and medium, we saw portraits that were funny, quiet, colorful, technically impressive, deeply personal and sometimes a little weird in the best possible way.
This year, 36 artists are receiving prizes and recognition across our Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner, Kids, Top Media, Pro Animal and Trekell Staff Pick categories.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who entered. We know how much time goes into creating a painting, and choosing to share that work with us is something we never take for granted.
Meet Our 2026 Judge: Hannah Webb
This year's Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner and Kids categories were judged by artist Hannah Webb, also known as The Obanoth.
Hannah considered the personality and individuality of each subject, skill and execution, creativity, consideration of the panel shape and the artist's experience level within their category.
And according to Hannah, choosing only 12 winners wasn't easy:
“Man, I had no idea just how hard it would be to pick this year's winners! The talent, creativity, and unique styles and techniques really blew me away with so many of the entries in every category.
My metrics for my selections were personality and individuality of the subject, skill and execution, creativity, consideration of panel shape, and skill level based on category.
An impossible task, but an honor to get to spend time with so many hours of incredible work!”
Now, meet the 2026 winners.
Advanced Winners
1st Place
Erik Kamenski
Prize: $1,000
Medium: Acrylic
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“Meow! Bold use of color, finely tuned rendering of a variety of textures, and pop art styling makes this piece full of personality and character. The balance of realism and whimsy really works in harmony here, feels unique to the artist's hand, and is just an overall great piece of art. I feel like I could hear this cat begging for dinner two towns away.”
2nd Place
Melissa Moore
Prize: $750
Medium: Oil
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“This piece is just lovely. Beautiful shape and detail hierarchy and great use of color tones in the fur really make this piece feel atmospheric and alive. Excellent capture of the subject and very strong technical skill in harmony.”
3rd Place
Kelly Discher
Prize: $500
Medium: Acrylic
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“A portrait of a troublemaker! Solid-color animals, especially white, are difficult in portraits as you really need to rely on pose, expression, and/or environment to capture them. I think this piece does all of the above. The quality of the light captured here makes this piece feel almost like a memory.”
Intermediate Winners
1st Place
Meaghan Bonzer
Prize: $500
Medium: Oil
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“Sometimes props or scenery can get in the way of a good portrait, but I think this is an example of the opposite. The warm sunlight across the furniture creates a time and place for this cat, and his satisfaction with his situation is palpable. To me, this is a portrait of an individual in his kingdom.”
2nd Place
Rebecca Hulet
Prize: $250
Medium: Acrylic
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“Composition and personality are working in tandem here to create a bright and bold piece. I really like the texture throughout the fur and background, and the eyes pull you deeply into this painting, as if you can see your own reflection in the rendering of the eyes.”
3rd Place
Ellie Veazie
Prize: $150
Medium: Oil
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“Creating a frame and then breaking the fourth wall with the paw has turned this painting into a sculpture. The choice of greens in the fish-constellation-laden atmosphere are a great foil to the warm shadow light on the face, making the palette deliberate and smart.”
Beginner Winners
1st Place
Gin Rose
Prize: $250
Medium: Acrylic
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“Balancing between graphic and rendered, this painting incorporates smart framing techniques to draw your attention to the subject. The yellow flowers, neutral greens, and bold halo give the black, shiny fur a lot of gravity. This piece seems to consider the panel shape with its arrangement of elements, and the dog feels like tamed wilderness.”
2nd Place
Michelle Alanis
Prize: $150
Medium: Acrylic
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“This painting leans into negative space in a way that I think reinforces the sense of joy and freedom in the dog's expression. The use of color and movement in the capturing of the water cradles the subject, and the texture in the shiny wet fur feels like you could reach out and touch it.”
3rd Place
Mina Reburn
Prize: $100
Medium: Acrylic
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“Black cats are notoriously difficult to capture, and I think using the natural deep palette to invite neons and graphic elements is a super cool idea. The pointy ears with the pointy stars are harmonious, and the background feels like an explosion of the bold colors present in the eyes.”
Kids Winners
Our Kids category is open to artists age 12 and under. Each of this year's three winners receives a Trekell Mystery Prize Pack.
1st Place
Emily X Liu
Prize: Trekell Mystery Prize Pack
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“Is he your prom date, a TV personality, or the family pet?! I just love the personality captured in this piece. Fun lines and shapes, squiggly textured fur, and a bowtie make this piece chock full of energy.”
2nd Place
Abel Angelo Ambrizii
Prize: Trekell Mystery Prize Pack
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“A tricky pose, captured very well! The dog turning his head back to look behind him is a creative way to share this portrait. The blue in the eyes carried over into the nose and ears is nicely balanced, and the brown background makes this piece feel like a classic in a museum.”
3rd Place
Julianne Wang
Prize: Trekell Mystery Prize Pack
Hannah Webb's Comments:
“The long, flowing fur is so real in this piece! Great use of colors and a solid drawing. I think this is a great capture of this kitty from ears to paws.”
Top Media Winners
The Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner and Kids awards aren't the only ways to win.
The Trekell Pro Team also selected standout work across four media categories: Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor and All Other Media. Three artists in each category receive a $100 Trekell Gift Card.
Top Oil
Leah Patel
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Nick Eisele
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Thomas Voorhies
Selected by the Trekell Pro Team Artist Nick Eisele
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Suzanne Shifflett
Selected by the Trekell Pro Team Artist Nick Eisele
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Top Acrylic
Heather L Rogers
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Stefani Rabideaux
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Catherine Dondale
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Stefani Rabideaux
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Stephanie Ezzo
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Stefani Rabideaux
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Top Watercolor
Dana Palacio
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Kai Lun Qu
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Shelby Lynne
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Kai Lun Qu
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Emily Olson
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Kai Lun Qu
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Top Other Media
Amy Hobbs - Charcoal
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Kate Zambrano
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Erica Stoddard - Gouache
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Kate Zambrano
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Lacey Whelan - Watercolor and Ink
Selected by Trekell Pro Team Artist Kate Zambrano
Prize: $100 Trekell Gift Card
Pro Animal Picks
We also asked members of the Trekell Pro Team to choose three portraits based on the animal itself: one favorite Dog, Cat and Other Animal.
Each winner receives a curated Trekell brush set.
Favorite Dog
Alison Lepkowski
Chosen by Trekell Pro Team Artist Todd Casey
Prize: Curated Trekell Brush Set
Favorite Cat
Gina Calocassides
Chosen by Trekell Pro Team Artist Mallory Hart
Prize: Curated Trekell Brush Set
Favorite Other Animal
Joshua Osburg
Chosen by Trekell Pro Team Artist Kelley Mogilka
Prize: Curated Trekell Brush Set
Trekell Staff Picks
And finally, there are the pieces that caught the attention of the people here at Trekell.
Our team selected nine Staff Picks, with each artist receiving a $25 Trekell Gift Certificate.
Ginko Bergel
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Nikki
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Ryan Kniss
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Nikki
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Lindsey Sherline
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Nikki
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Samantha McWilliams
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Myca
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Jennifer Lewis
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Myca
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Airin Schreiber
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Myca
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Kinjal Mitra
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Andrew
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Brian Kelley
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Andrew
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Kelly Foss
Trekell Staff Pick
Selected by Andrew
Prize: $25 Trekell Gift Certificate
Thank You to Every Artist Who Entered
Thirty-six artists are taking home prizes this year, but the Pet Portrait Competition has never been only about the winners.
Every entry represents an artist deciding that an animal mattered enough to spend hours capturing it on a panel. Some painted pets who are currently curled up beside them. Others painted animals they remember. Some entered with years of experience behind them, while others were still figuring out what their brushes could do.
That's what makes this competition so much fun for us.
We get to send the same panel out into the world and watch hundreds of completely different ideas come back.
Thank you to everyone who painted, experimented, entered, shared your work and supported the other artists participating this year. And a huge thank you to Hannah Webb for taking on the very difficult job of selecting our Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner and Kids winners.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 Trekell Pet Portrait Competition winners.
We can't wait to see what you paint next year!