Pet project Mother-daughter artists collaborate on one-of-a-kind pet portraits By: AV Kitching Posted: 4:47 PM CST Friday, Feb. 7, 2025

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This article was published 07/02/2025 (606 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Artistic duo Kendra Malcolm and her daughter, Alex Malcolm-Creed, 6, have joined forces to raise money for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Calling themselves Alex + Mom, the pair collaborate on custom pet portraits, rendered first in crayon, marker or pencil by Alex in her own inimitable style, before Malcolm refines the piece digitally to give it a professional finish.

The completed portrait must gain final approval from Alex before it’s framed or printed on shirts, bags, keychains, ornaments or bookmarks.

Half the profits from the project are donated to the hospital foundation and the other half goes to Alex’s education fund.

“Alex has the creative vision and I help to make that vision come true,” Malcolm says. “Alex does the first drawing and gives it to me. If I am unclear on anything I will ask but it’s pretty clear. The exchange is pretty simple and usually she says it’s good. The drawings are really close to what she’s done.”

“I check the picture to see if there’s something missing,” Alex says. “We both check it.”

They’ve just finished drawing a host of dogs belonging for various family members and are raring to start work on more portraits.

Alex’s favourite animal to draw is a hedgehog. The family had two, Quilliam and Nyummers; the latter, sadly, died recently.

“I have drawn hundreds of hedgehogs. They are so cute,” Alex says.

“I like doing these drawings. I have done dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, birds, deer, horses, giraffes, ladybugs, bees, wasps and a unicorn-lion.”

Her unicorn-lion sketch — the only drawing in existence of the rare hybrid creature belonging to the equus-rhinocerus-panthera genus — marks the start of their mother-daughter collaboration.

Produced by the then-four-year-old, it was entered in an auction in New York to raise money for the genetic disorder CASK.

“I volunteered to create art for the auction,” Malcolm explains. “She saw me do that, so she took it upon herself to draw to raise money. I submitted it and it sold for $450. After that she wanted to keep raising money.”

And so Alex + Mom was born.

To test the viability of the idea, they first drew their neighbour’s two cats, Bug and Weiner, and were gratified with the positive feedback they received.

Malcolm then spread the word to friends and family about their fundraising efforts.

The goal was to raise a modest $100 but they exceeded it, eventually donating a total of $935 to the hospital last year.

This year they plan to donate $1,000. And after donations have been made, Alex’s half of this year’s proceeds will go towards a very specific purpose. She has plans to travel.

“I want to go to New York to see my best friend Miles,” she says.

Alex was drawing before she turned two, when Malcolm, an artist and art teacher, began teaching from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During online lessons, Alex would sit underneath her mother’s table, keeping herself occupied with paper and crayons.

“Before that, she would take to the walls to draw. I would finish my class and see all the scribble designs, so I started to channel that. She liked to be close to me and it made sense,” Malcolm explains.

So far they’ve collaborated on 60 drawings. Malcolm says she will continue to do this as long as Alex wants to.

“Realistically, I think we probably have another year until she’s an experienced enough artist that she won’t want me jumping in,” says the proud mother. “It’s been a lot of fun as a mom to celebrate art with her in this way.

“I have a feeling Alex will still want to find a way to raise money for the Children’s Hospital, because she really enjoys doing it.”

Prices for digital copies start at $40. The duo take commissions via their Instagram account, @alexandmomcreations, and at markets throughout the year.

Alex + Mom will be at today’s Smooches for Pooches Dog Market at St. Norbert Community Centre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Meow Mania Spring Market and Adoption Fair on April 13. Check their Instagram account for details of upcoming appearances.

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca