His commissioned portrait of Barack Obama was super-successful and I believe it inspired his change of direction for the Danger Dogs as well. The painting of the pug, Kahuna Zen Dog, above, looks a bit like Matisse to me. This is a new direction from his earlier work for the Danger Dogs. Danger Dogs from Nepal – Folk Art from the Himalayas www.NepalDog.com Visit the blog at NepalDog.typepad.com Previously, his backgrounds were minimal, but lovely, too.