I’m not an animal painter by vocation. I think I have painted only four or five dog portraits for money in my entire career. I just like painting them. It is a joy because, they, are a joy. No malice, no guile, just living day-to-day taking what comes, or doesn’t. I would like to live like that more often and I do—when I’m painting. The rest of the time, not so much. So whenever I get the chance, I whole-heartedly recommend novice painters to paint their animals. Dogs and cats, especially, can lie still for vast amounts of time—and then roll over. It is a great way to learn how to paint fur and hair quickly with the minimum of strokes, or, go wild and paint every curl on a standard poodle. I think that what we are doing when we paint a living being is extending our awareness and our compassion beyond ourselves.
