The Artist

About Cliff Bull

Cliff Bull — 'Neighborhood Kennel' 30"×48"
Rochester, NY

A Life Spent in Color

Cliff Bull, a native of upstate New York, resides and maintains a studio in Rochester, NY. He graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Master of Fine Arts, majoring in graphic design communications and minoring in painting.

Cliff is best known for his abstract expressionistic paintings — fast, thick brush strokes and vibrant colors applied to recognizable figurative and animal subjects. He works in a style that is instantly recognizable: energetic, bold, and full of feeling.

"I'm not sure which is exciting me more… doing the pet images, or hearing the response to the finished art."
A New Path

From Painting to Pet Portraits

In the summer of 2001, Cliff lost his dog of seventeen years, Adrianne. Using artwork to cope with the loss of his beloved companion, he created a portrait of Adrianne. The overwhelmingly positive response he received set him on an unexpected and rewarding path.

Creating expressive pastel pet portraits might have seemed like a departure from painting, but the new work has only deepened his artistic voice. Every portrait carries the same emotional directness that defines all of Cliff's work.

Today, Cliff works from your photographs to capture the personality, the quirks, and the unmistakable spirit of your pet — all in his signature expressive pastel style.

Commission a Portrait
'The Dance' — pastel by Cliff Bull

See the work for yourself

Browse over fifty original pastel drawings — dogs, cats, nautical scenes and lighthouses.

View the Gallery