subject: Animal Personality Painting [print this page] Whenever she works at home, this graphic artist is haunted by a bunch of little faces. She spends her time at home doing work that she doesn't particularly enjoy doing. Outside her office sit four dogs and four cats, watching her through a screened door.
The faces inspired her to take on a different career. She decided to paint the animals' pictures on canvas while she was on her way to see her parents in Texas. She tries to find colors that suit the personalities of the animals and then uses them for their portraits.
When she paints, her purpose is to capture the animals' essence. Not only can I get the animal's appearance, but I can recreate its personality with colors. The painting of a mid size mixed breed which she found along with her husband on a camping trip became her first. The dog, which was red, was always by their side.
The jealousy of this dog made her use green paint for his portrait. The painting of animals using nontraditional colors was also done by an artist before her. In 1984, using the color blue, a cajun artist drew a portrait of his dog who passed away.
The blue dog attracts attention in her paintings. There are those who find the blue paintings comical, but the artist actually sees a haunting picture in these paintings.
Most of the paintings he made, though funny looking, were actually done with a deep spiritual basis in mind. The dog looks at us with the same questions that have been plaguing mankind for eternity.
The animal's life force should come out in her art. Using vibrant shades, she creates unusual patterns which capture the animals' actions. The animals she now owns were all abandoned at one point. One of the dogs she now takes care of would take off from a neighbor's house and go to another person's house.
She started promoting her pet portrait paintings by leaving fliers inside local veterianarian offices. She asks clients to give her an idea of the animal's personality and also a photograph. Once she understands the animal, she will decide what colors to use.
The store owner explained that the portraits give customers more than what a normal portrait would give them.
The energetic personality she had was mirrored in the yellow hue that someone used. Portraits will be appreciated by people who know the subjects in the pictures, said a gallery owner. Looking at a portrait is not the same as appreciating its artistry.
