Nahila & Lolo
Artist, Fashion Designer and Dog mama Nahila Cuesta’s pet portraiture business Pawlander began with a need to raise funds to help pay for emergency veterinary costs for a family members cat. Her artwork has huge momentum and a growing following of fans on social media.
Hi Nahila, Can you tell us a little bit about who you are, your creative journey,
and (of course!) about the dogs in your life?
I’m from Argentina but I’ve been living in New Zealand for more than 2 years. I spent 6 years training and working as a fashion designer. But my true passion has always been working with animals. I have 1 dog and 3 cats in my parents’ house. Unfortunately, I also had another dog, Lola, who passed away 3 months ago.
I am sad to hear about Lola's passing they leave very big holes in our life, could you share with us your favourite memory of Lola?
If you have a Beagle, it's not too hard to appreciate their need to sniff everything in sight, as well as out of sight.
With Lola, I learned to enjoy a good walk with no rush at all, to be more patient, so she could walk and stop to smell all she wanted.
My best memories with her are in the park, watching the sunset, walking slowly. Learning to stop overthinking, appreciating a beautiful landscape, taking a moment to connect with nature.
How did you come up with your dogs’ names, do they have any significance or meaning?
When I was 15 years old I got my first dog, a beagle, called ‘Lola’ (which was my grandma’s names). She lived a long happy life (14 years).
Then I adopted a Beagle mix dog, and I named him ‘Lolo’ (the male version of Lola, in Spanish). He is the love of my life, the sweetest dog I have ever known.
Team WalkThe_ loves your Portraits! Why did you decide to create Pawlander?
Thanks! Four months ago I decided to find a way to help my cousin, who became unemployed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Her cat needed an emergency surgery but she didn’t have enough money to cover the expenses. Thanks to those first donations, Emma is now a healthy and happy cat.
In conclusion, I started with Pawlander with the main goal, to raise money for people affected financially by Covid-19 to assist with urgent medical care for their pets as well as helping out independent animal rescues. And it was a big success!
Can you tell us more about the Pawlander project?
The truth is that I’m very happy and grateful seeing everyone's support, here in New Zealand and from people in other countries too. My mission is enriching the world by creating meaningful art with joy, passion and purpose.
We have an interesting concept: ‘Pay as you feel’. There is not a set price for any portrait. People pay what they can afford and each month we donate 50% of all purchases to animal welfare organizations.
When you order a Pawlander Portrait you are not only receiving an illustration of your pet, you are also donating to animal charity.
Which Charity are you currently supporting with Pawlander?
Last month we donated 50% of profits to ‘SAPS’ (South Auckland Puppy Surrender) and this month ‘DC Rescue Dogs’ (Hamilton, NZ) is going to receive the donation.
People don't realize just what every dollar can do. Most animal shelters have very high expenses and really need our help!
Do you have a favourite Pawlander portrait so far?
My favourite story is about this girl, Pippa and her dog. Her mother asked me if I could make an illustration of Polly, who died a few years ago but her child never stopped missing her.
It was quite challenging, because the pictures were not in high resolution but I still made the portrait with all my love and the girl was very happy with the result.
What is the most challenging thing about capturing a dogs likeness in their portrait?
Their eyes, no doubt.
I also become obsessed with each portrait, I spend many hours trying to capture their personality. I always try to remember a famous quote by Milton Glaser that inspires me: “There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.”
Looking towards the future, what do you hope to achieve with Pawlander?
I’ve started this project recently. At the moment, I only choose organizations within New Zealand but in the future I would like to donate to other countries.
In addition, I wish I could have my own animal welfare organization here or at least team up with local brands and organize charity events to raise more money and be able to help more animals each month.
Currently, the service that Pawlander offers it’s only digital. In the future, I would like to offer framed portraits as well.
How can people get intouch with you to commission a portrait?
You can message us on Facebook/Instagram (@pawlander.nz). Or if you are interested in getting a portrait done, send us your best photos and your pet's name to our email: pawlander.nz@gmail.com.
If you would like to include multiple pets, you can either upload an individual or a group picture, and we will illustrate them together. We can also make family portraits.
What do dog parents need to consider when taking the photos for you to work from?
My photo guidelines are always the same: Close up picture, with their neck in the shot. Make sure your pet is looking directly at the camera at eye level, facing forward. Avoid overhead, blurry or overly filtered photos. The clearer and more detailed the photo, the better the final portrait will be.
Is Pawlander a full time job for you?
No, I work at a doggie day care in Auckland where we take care of almost 200 dogs a day. I make the portraits in my free time. I normally dedicate 4 hours a day to Pawlander and also some time of my days off.
What do you see as the biggest benefit to having canines in your life?
In my case, living far away from my country, my house and family, I tend to miss my dogs a lot. And since I live in an apartment I can't have pets here.
But being in contact with so many dogs at work gives me plenty of love each day of my life. I consider them as the best company, and they really brighten my day.
Finally where can we see more of your work?
