an artist’s perspective UNIQUE FRONT RANGE PET ARTISTS Your favorite personal photographer may be able to fulfill your pet photography or portraiture needs, but if you are needing a bit of guidance in choosing a talented areaartist specializing in bringing out the very best in your four-legged friend, we have compiled a list of locals to get you started.
CANVAS CANINES ENGLEWOOD CANVASCANINES.COM
SPIRITED IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY
PET PORTRAITURE
An art form once reserved solely for the likes of aristocrats, new-age pet portraits and commissioned paintings are on the rise. BY KALEY RHODES
T
he history of animals as artistic subject matter goes back as far as the bison paintings in the Lascaux caves in Dordogne, France. Since dogs and other pets have shared their lives with humans, they have been depicted in carvings and paintings in early Egyptian, Greek, Mesopotamian and Roman art. While Lascaux paintings date back to 15,000 BC., and while animals may have appeared in paintings throughout the ages, it wasn’t until the 19th century that animal portraiture became immensely popular. When thriving, it was largely due to aristocratic values; a lord was hardly properly represented in oil unless surrounded by his hounds. Portraiture at this time was part of a family’s holdings and heritage, and paintings were a way of immortalizing the suject matter; making future generations aware of, and pay homage to, the past. Respect for the past declined in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, when the emphasis on property shifted to real estate and factory ownership
SPRING 2014
rather then family heirlooms. The rising trend of pet portraiture is a natural extension of acknowledging the growing bond between animals and humans. This deep connection we feel for our pets keeps us connected to what is still good in life: unconditional love, acceptance, fun and simple enjoyment. The emotional appeal of a pet, combined with a piece of art means passing the spirit of the animal into the work and immortalizing its existence onto canvas. So what should one look for if seeking to commission a pet portrait? Look at the artist’s previous works and determine which styles you prefer. How does the artist work with the animals? If the artist likes to work with the personality of the pet, have plenty of stories on hand to educate them about the pet’s life. Consider the ways in which you would like to see your pet represented and then try to match your idea with previous portraits the artist may have done.
DENVER SPIRITEDIMAGES.COM
CRAZY DOG STUDIO ARVADA CRAZYDOGSTUDIO-ART.COM
WHISKERED PAINTINGS NORTHGLENN HELENPAVLAC.COM
BFF PET PAINTINGS DENVER BFFPETPAINTINGS.COM
LIL’ ANGEL PET BOUTIQUE & GALLERY DENVER LILANGELPETBOUTIQUE.COM
ATOMIC PET PORTRAITS BOULDER ATOMICPETPORTRAITS.COM
LYNN CULP PET PORTRAITURE DENVER COLORMUTTS.COM
CHLOE PET PHOTOGRAPHY DENVER, BOULDER CHLOEPETPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
ALLISON MAE PHOTOGRAPHY DENVER, BOULDER, NO CO ALLISONMAE.COM