Pronunciation: /ˈdɜrp/
1. interjection: used as an inarticulate response to a foolish or awkward comment, action, person, etc.
2. noun: derp; plural noun: derps
a foolish or clumsy individual; one who is blissfully ignorant or unaware of their surroundings.
3. verb: To do something foolish, clumsy, or silly.
4. adjective: foolish or awkward
A native of Central Wisconsin, I was raised on brats and kraut and a healthy dose of creativity. With a crafty mom and a contractor dad, I was able to pursue many random ideas growing up. I also had an array of fabulous art instructors all through grade school who pushed me out of my comfort zone. I got my first commission from a friend, and have had various projects requested of me over the last 15 years. I am thrilled to have the trust of friends and strangers alike to paint their furry companions!
“I contacted Jill about a special piece for my girlfriend’s birthday, and boy did she deliver. She helped me pick a size and asked a couple of pertinent questions about style, etc. She even accommodated my special request! Shipping was a breeze, we worked out a price in advance, and Jill sent me progress pics and timeline updates throughout the process. Best of all, both my girlfriend and I love the finished product. I can’t recommend Jill strongly enough :)”
“You were amazing to work with - super accommodating to my vague timeline and phasing the final collection. Also you interpreted my vision for the ‘floating’ portrait just like I hoped. All in all a great experience. I’ll also add the painting caught her expression more than the photo did (she looked so grumpy in reference photo but you somehow translated it perfectly into her usual curious sass).”
— Megan M, “Juno”
“Jill came highly recommended. I wanted to surprise my wife with a gift budgie portrait and we couldn't be happier with the result. The entire process from introduction to delivery was a breeze and Jill really captured the derps with expert precision. 10/10, would order again.”
— Gerad T, “Budgie Buddies”
Last year I got my boyfriend, Ryan, a kitten for his birthday. Now, he is obsessed with our cat, Neville. This year I wanted to do something just as special. I commissioned Jill to create a portrait of Neville to gift Ryan. I was so excited to give it to him. He was insanely impressed and immediately loved it. The painting is detailed and incredibly realistic - it’s so adorable! Jill kept me updated and asked my opinion on different features throughout the process. I really felt involved. I can’t thank Jill enough for this one-of-a-kind gift!! Thank you!!
— Steph R, “Neville”
Jill's work is amazing. They updated me along the way as they created a wonderful and adorable painting of my sweet cat Giggles. I can’t put into words how satisfied I am with their work. I can’t wait to hopefully order another piece from them in the future.
— Paul B., "Giggles"
My brother got married recently and the gift from my siblings and me was a personalized cartoon painting. Working with Jill was easy and convenient. She made sure the artwork was in-line with the vision of the gift, and also added some great details to tie it all together. Jill also communicated when drafts were done and also projected a finish date. It was personal yet professional. It was so fun getting what was needed to add the extra details to everyone's characters, and the surprise when my brother and his new wife opened the gift was awesome!
— Katie W, "Arthur Fam"
This is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I sent two of my favorite photos of my boys to Jill and she created the most beautiful paintings of them. They turned out exactly like the photos, really capturing the spirit of my lovely cats. There was a lot of love and detail put into her work and it shows! This is something I recommend to anyone looking to have a personalized painting of their cat. 10/10 would do again.
— Emily W, "Tommy Bugatti" and "Prince Henry"
We lost one of our two kitties last December, so I thought a painting would be a good way to memorialize her. Jill helped me figure out a format that would capture what I wanted (3 small paintings — one for each cat and one of them together) and then she selected photos from the three collections I sent her when I couldn’t decide. The paintings look amazing! Our cats are tabbies, so they have a ton of fur variation and texture and Jill captured them exactly. They’re currently sitting on our mantle, so we see both our kitties every day :)
— Erica D, "Skittles and Fletcher Trio"
Working with Jill was so easy! I sent her several photos of my Siamese so she could get a good idea of his coloring, and let her pick out which pose would look best. When the painting was almost done, she gave me a preview with the offer to make any changes. It was perfect so no changes needed! I think it was only about two weeks from the day I contacted her for the commission, to the day it came in the mail. I love it so much!! I have four other cats, so will definitely be enlisting Jill for more portraits in the future.
— Amanda W, "Yinny"
