Dog Art Today

Studio Spotlight: Nancy Schutt

Nancy Schutt and her Chihuahua Pablo

Seattle-based artist Nancy Schutt is the winner of this year's Mutt Lynch Winery - Dog Art Today Wine Label Contest with her entry "Out of Reach."  Nancy has a BFA from Colorado State University and an MFA from the University of Oregon.  Before devoting herself to painting dogs, she was courtroom artist, a drawing instructor, and a general contractor.  She will be joining us at this year's Mutt Lynch Winery Dog Days of Summer event in Sonoma on August 6, 2011 to unveil the wine that was inspired by her winning entry.  She will also be selling prints, sketching dogs, and signing bottles of "Out of Reach."  To me, Nancy is one of the most inspiring dog artists working today.  I think her use of color, composition, and, most of all, humor, are simply brilliant.  I am so pleased to share her work and her process with you in this studio spotlight.    -- Moira McLaughlin.

How did you get started as a dog artist?

If one wants to be an artist, it's very difficult figuring out what to do with that desire and how to make a living with it.  I started out painting metaphorical images that came to me (some of which are in my Early Work Gallery on my website), but one day I did a watercolor of my sister's dogs, and my mother said, "Honey, you could make money doing this."  Magic words to an artist!  I painted the dogs of my friends and had a show at a small gallery in Seattle, and people called me asking for paintings of their dogs.  I showed in cafes for years to get commissions.  Now I primarily get business through my website, and often never meet the dogs or people.

Tell me about your studio.

I built this studio in my backyard ten years ago.  I mean I built it with hammer and nails and the help of two teenagers.  No rent!

 

Nancy's studio

What is your favorite medium and why?

Acrylic on canvas or board.  I like how it dries quickly and I can rework an area fairly soon.   I like the vividness of the color.   I like that though it is not entirely benign, acrylic paint is fairly non-toxic, and because it is water based, I use no solvents.

How would you describe your art?

Colorful, playful, humorous.  Hockneyesque.  David Hockney is my favorite painter.  My initial goal was to paint dogs like David Hockney paints interiors, or swimming pools, or landscapes.  It shows, but now the paintings dictate themselves rather than strive to be similar to those of another artist.

I am most concerned with color and composition.  The dogs are a wonderful vehicle for allowing me to create color compositions that have meaningful content as well as energetic color relationships.  For me, the dogs are important and portraying them in all of their uniqueness is the main purpose of the paintings, but I spend most of my time on a painting working out the color composition.  Colors are capable of creating a three dimensional illusion just by their relationships to each other.  To the human eye, colors may reach forward or extend back into a painting, and this motion creates a pulsation of energy in the painting.  That is the heartbeat of the painting, and making it visible, rhythmic, harmonious, enticing, is the ultimate objective for me.

 

 

Heidi, with a hint of David Hockney

Please share three of your favorite pieces and why you chose them.

I chose these three because they are some of my most recent works, and two of them incorporate people, which is a new direction for me.  Also, the one entitled Bob, Fay, and Polo is a portrait of one of my favorite artists, Fay Jones, who lives and works in Seattle and whose work I greatly admire.

 

Rebel

 

Lynn, Bertie, and Pia

 

Bob, Fay, and Polo

You have over 30 "bad" dogs on your website.   How did you select which one to submit to the Mutt Lynch Winery - Dog Art Today Wine Label Contest with the theme of "naughty" this year?


I was working on a series of paintings of dogs doing things that I found humorous, though to them they are just being dogs. Then, I actually painted Out of Reach specifically for the contest, based on a similar painting I did previously.  Of course in Out of Reach, the dog isn't after the wine, which kind of amused me too, since we humans would find the wine a more valuable prize.  So it's just a bit askew that this image is for a wine label with a dog theme, but to the dog it's all about the butter.

My Chihuahua, Pablo, always amuses me how he tries to get his nose up to counter top level where things are happening.  But, no matter the effort behind the stretch, he can only reach so far.  That doesn't stop him from trying again next time!  Dogs are pretty hilarious really, so like us in their behaviors but with none of the subterfuge, or shame, or concern for polite company.  Their blatant efforts to get what they want without hiding their true intentions can be very funny.  To a human, crawling under a table for a micro-crumb of cookie or rummaging through garbage might feel a bit degrading, even if we really wanted something that was there.  To a dog it's the most sensible thing in the world to just go after it.  I had a dog before Pablo who was CRAZY for balls.  I can't imagine having to be so forceful in my NO MOREs with a human who was after me to do something for them.  It used to crack me up how insistent she was even after strong rejections.

 

 

Out of Reach, Mutt Lynch Winery - Dog Art Today's 2011 winning wine label entry

What are your thoughts about winning the contest?

So fun!  What a treat to have one's artwork on a wine label!  And as a person running a small business, it's wonderful marketing and exposure for me.  The wine isn't available in Washington State, so I will do what I can to help find a distributor and hopefully see it on the shelves of some of my favorite shops.  And many thanks to you, Moira, for the brilliant idea of having this contest and to Mutt Lynch Winery for making it a reality.  The contest has brought many artists out into the public eye.

Would you like to share any upcoming projects or goals for the future?

I have recently been interested in painting multiple dog portraits that include the humans in the painting. Personal environments have always been a part of my paintings, which I think it part of what makes my work unique.  The humans are certainly a part of that environment too, and including them brings another level of interest to the piece.

Otherwise, it's always the same project -- trying to make a living as an artist.  I will continue primarily doing commissioned paintings, but I will soon be offering a new line of prints on my website which will be much less expensive than anything I am currently offering.  It would be wonderful to create more wine labels! And always in my mind is the idea of a book, but it's still brewing.

And finally, is your Chihuahua and muse, Pablo, named after a famous artist?

Yes, a verrrrry famous artist.

Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your work.  You are a true inspiration to all dog artists, including me.

Mutt Lynch Dog Days of Summer:

Date: August 6, 2011
Time:  11:00am - 4:00pm
Ticket Price: $20 if purchased online here before August 4.  $25.00 at the door.  A portion of admission and sales will benefit the Healdsburg Animal Shelter
Location: 602 Limerick Lane, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Dogs on leashes are welcome

For more information visit Mutt Lynch Winery.

To order a bottle or case of Out of Reach after it is released on August 6, 2011 click here.

Visit Seattle dog artist Nancy Schutt's website.

Photo of  Nancy and Pablo by Seattle family photographer Anita Nowacka.

Studio Spotlight: Kellie Oliphant-Burns

Kellie and her Greyhounds Rupert + Leeroy

Today I am headed to Sonoma County for the much-anticipated Dog Days of Summer at Mutt Lynch Winery.   I can't wait to taste their new wine Leeroy Out Loud! inspired by Kellie Oliphant-Burns's winning entry in our dog art wine label contest.  I also get to meet Kellie in person, as she is coming in for the occasion.  If you can't attend, you can still get to know Kellie this month's Studio Spotlight. 

1. How did you get started as a dog artist?

I am fortunate to be the daughter of two artists, so art has always been a part of who I am.  I have always painted but it wasn't until I got my Rupert five years ago that I fell into painting pets.   I have always had a huge love for animals and art, so this blending of the two was a natural progression.   I couldn't be happier!

2. What is your favorite medium and why?

Right now, I prefer to work in acrylics.  They lend themselves so well to layering and color blocking.  I like that they are quick drying and water-based.   I also use acrylic glazes and extenders to enhance the brightness and sheen of the paints.

3. How would you describe your art?

In university, I majored in silkscreen.  When I went back to canvas work, I approached it in the same way I would have for printing.  I love the technicality of breaking apart an image into pieces according to its color and tone and assembling it in layers of paint.  My paintings have a Pop Art feel.  But because each original is done completely by hand I hope I bring a warmth and depth to each piece.  I also love fashion and design, so I incorporate those ideas into my backgrounds.  I guess I would say my paintings are Pop, Modern, bold, funky, and full of love!

4. What are your 3 your favorite pieces and why?

Wow...that really can't be answered.  That's like answering which of your pets is your favorite....or which one of your children is your favorite...sorry!  Every Doodle Dog Painting I have done is a favorite and a piece of me is with each one.  With each one I have learned the pets' story, spent endless hours sketching and painting, have named the piece, and sent it to its owner with a bit of my soul. 

Here are my three most recent paintings:

 

Tammy's Tempest

 

Cheeky Charlie

 

Master Max

5. Tell me about your studio; is it how you want it to be?  Plans for reorganizing?  Wish list?

Doodle Dog Studio

My studio used to be marmalade orange. I loved the color but it played tricks when I was mixing some of my colors, casting itself especially on whites.  So, last year I repainted it in "Silver Dust" and added accents in black, graphite, and sunshine yellow. 

I can ALWAYS use more storage, there can never be enough. I would love more of the white IKEA cubbies.  They are perfect for storing my stuff and also create an extra work surface on top! I also plan to have more sample of my work in my studio, as well as a giant idea board for all of my inspiration clippings/cards/visual images.  At the top of my wish list are: a velvet upholstered Victorian settee, more memory for my Mac, and an assistant!   A girl can dream, right?

6. Upcoming projects or goals for the future?

I am taking six weeks from the end of August through September to put together a collection of Greyhound paintings. I will be heading to Greyhounds Reach the Beach, in Dewey Beach, Delaware in October 2009 to take part in their Greyhounds in Art show.  It is a magical time.  I went a couple of years ago and was so inspired.  The sand, the ocean, the boardwalks and the endless stream of sight hounds!  SO beautiful.  This year, Rupert and Leeroy will be making the journey with me.  I am also doing some exciting graphic design work for Bark & Fitz, a new health food store for dogs.

******

Thanks for inviting us into your studio and your process, Kellie.  See you soon.  To learn more about Kellie or commssion a pet portrait visit Doodle Dog Paintings or her blog.

Studio Spotlight: Kimberly Kelly Santini

A rare shot of Kim in front of, not behind, the camera, playing Frisbee with her dog, Finn.

Michigan-based artist, Kimberly Kelly Santini, has been painting a dog a day since 2006.  That's over 700 dog portraits.  She is also a wife, mother of three, and an editor at Art Career Experts, a site devoted to marketing and career advice for artists by artists.  I am inspired by her ability to manage all her passions with drive and a sense of humor.  I think you will be too.

1. How did you get started as a dog artist?

Growing up, all I drew and painted were animals.  Even through college, I would sneak equine and canine pieces into my portfolio whenever I could.  When we started our family, my studio got packed up to make way for a nursery.  For about 7 years I took a sabbatical from making art to focus on raising my family.  When I started painting again, it was second nature to paint a dog -- besides, I'd been promising my brother a portrait of his for years.   The first piece I did was a canvas of his Ebony, lifesize.  After seeing Ebony's portrait, one after another, friends and family started asking for paintings of their own.  I seem to get dog requests the most, although I am not complaining -- they are very close to my heart.

2. What is your favorite medium and why?

I love acrylics for the same reasons many dislike them -- their short drying time.  I am a quick painter, and if my surface stays wet more than 5 minutes, I get mucky colors.  I do not have the patience to slowly lay down purposeful marks and wait for areas to dry.  I have been working in oils this last year, and am starting to recognize the value of having a wet surface to work with, but I still prefer my acrylics.

3. How would you describe your art?

Like the smile of a dear friend.

4. What are your 3 your favorite pieces?

Usually, whatever's come off the easel most recently.  I can share 3 pivotal pieces, though.  I am sentimental about pivotal pieces because they represent to me a turning point in my abilities.

Tribute

Tribute, 12" square, acrylic on board.  Many people see this empty collar and immediately read it as a loss.  I prefer to see it as representing the cycle that all dog-lovers go through of love and loss.  It is heartbreaking for one small piece of the circle, but we choose to repeat the path because of all the other wondrous moments leading up to said heartbreak.  Additionally, this particular still life setup translated onto canvas exactly how I saw it in my head -- a small victory for me!

 

Rest

Rest, 6" x 12", acrylic on board.  I love the quiet emotion in this piece -- it translated wonderfully to a tribute to a dearly loved dog who has crossed the bridge.

Doggles

Doggles, 4" x 8", acrylic on board. This is the sort of painting that oozes smiles -- I think work is successful when it immediately evokes an emotional response.

5. Tell me about your studio; is it how you want it to be? Plans for reorganizing? Wish list?

I love my studio. Despite its chaos, it is my safe house.  In my studio I can do anything, or at least that is my mindset.  Just the mere fact that I have a studio, or the realization that painting is my job, is enough to send me into a happy dance.  It is a mess, but it's my creative vortex, and I need this sort of scrambled collection of objects and snippets of paper to feed and generate new ideas.

 

Studio Disaster I: My Grandfather's Desk

My Grandfather's desk,  which was a great source of strength when I started the studio operations. On  days I felt overwhelmed with decisions or exhausted from painting, I would sit  at the desk and imagine how he would have handled things, and the answers  somehow came to me. This side of the studio is full of keepsakes and mementos  of the people I love - I gather strength from  them.

Studio Disaster II: Opposite Wall

The wall opposite of the desk  and computers holds all my painting supplies.  Canvases, boards, paints,  brushes, mediums, etc.  They are all literally piled up, although there is a  method to the madness.  The shelf above is used to store paintings in process, and the plastic bin clipped to the underside of the shelf is one space I can  set up a small still life in.

Studio Disaster III: My Palette

A more intimate view of my  workspace and palette.  I use a Masterson sealed palette, which can stay open  all day without my acrylics drying out.  I use Golden heavy body acrylics  exclusively, along with a variety of brushes.  My new favorites are Utrecht  synthetic ones.

Our home is almost 100 years old, and my studio is the only room we haven't yet gutted.  There is old wallpaper so hideous it is lovely, incredibly bright turquoise deep moldings and trim, and the ceiling is stained and cracking.  But I have the most fabulous light fixture (had it built especially for the room), have beautiful northern and western windows with great light, and the scale of the space is perfect. 

I'm considering shutting the studio down for several weeks this summer, giving the walls a fresh coat of paint, adding more book shelves, actually organizing the closet (instead of opening the door and dumping whatever object I'm trying to hide), and refinishing the floors.  I'm considering it.  It would be more fun to instead work on a mural proposal for the local bark park....

Ideally I would love to have a separate space where I could greet clients and discuss their projects. Right now that happens in my living room (adjacent to the studio), but there is a need for a dedicated space where I could rotate artwork on the walls depending on who was visiting, have a flat surface for sketching or spreading out reference materials, and comfortable seating so that we could linger over tea, cookies and artwork.

6. Upcoming projects or goals for the future?

I know that the Painting a Dog a Day project will not last forever, and that's ok. I am searching for my next big wave, but making certain that this search does not take away any energy or momentum from the daily pet portraits.  Meanwhile I am writing catalogs that highlight each year of the daily project (the first book is published already, titled Painting a Dog a Day - the First Year, and is available at blurb) and laying the groundwork for publishing video shorts of select daily paintings. I also am building a curriculum so that I may begin teaching workshops, both locally and nationally.  I also just started as an editor at Art Career Experts, a site devoted to marketing and career advice for artists by artists. 

Thank you Kim, for letting us take a peek at your paintings and your process.  Wonderful!

Studio Spotlight: Tamandra Michaels

Dog is Love

Today I am kicking off a new series called Studio Spotlight where artists share their work, their workspaces, and their dog art with readers.  Given that it is also Valentine's Day, I knew painter and photographer Tamandra Michaels of San Diego would be the perfect artist to initiate the series.  Tamandra's company is called Heart Dog Studios and many of her works, including a whole "Dog is Love" series on Etsy, are devoted to her signature paw-printed hearts.  But, let me let Tamandra tell you herself.  Here goes…

1.  How did you get started as a dog artist?

I was living in LA, pursuing an acting career, and took a painting class for fun at Santa Monica college. That turned out to be serendipitous. The instructor was an incredibly intellectual man, a wealth of knowledge on the art world, and I learned a lot from him that went far beyond learning to paint. I  worked on a painting of my dog at the time, and it just flowed so quickly, the instructor nodded in approval, saying "good, now do a series".  I found that I really loved putting my feeling for dogs into paint strokes on canvas.  It brought me full circle back to my youth, where I was constantly drawing animals, making something two dimensional have "life."

That dog who was the subject of my first painting died suddenly a couple weeks later, ironically while my piece was hanging in my first art show.  I was really grateful to have done some paintings of him.  As traumatic a loss as that was, it allowed Borias to come into my life.  And what an incredible gift he is. I don't believe in coincidences.   He was most certainly meant to share life with me.  I learn so much from him.  The universe gave me exactly what I needed, a soul mate.  He's the reason I started my business, Heart Dog Studios, named after my heart dog.

Tamandra and Borias

2. What is your favorite medium and why?

It's really hard to decide, as I love oil painting so much...but I've also fallen head over wheels in love with photography.  It's painting with light.  I adore exploring, the thrill of finding moments to capture, freezing them in that split second of time.  Moments that would be lost otherwise.  It came so naturally because I've always been an observer, seeing those moments of beauty in everyday life that capture me. H aving a camera encourages the capacity to see even deeper.  Light, shapes, expression, and emotion.  I'm a sucker for emotional content.

3. How would you describe your art?

I like my images to show that very special spark that makes each dog unique.  (Really yummy lighting is a bonus! )  When you look into a dog's eyes, I don't see how one can help but see their soul.  They make us more human.  I want to tell their story, capture their spirit and special personality.  I like to catch moments as they happen.  I also love to show the relationship with their humans, but the focus is still the dog.  I share their perspective I think.  I'm permanently at their level, being in a wheelchair.  A lot of my images show the intrigue they have with that, but then how they see past that, and just see me.  So my work is about showing the heart and soul of these amazing beings.

4. What are your 3 your favorite pieces?

The first is a portrait of my dog that I painted from a photo taken by another photographer who perfectly captured his signature look. The head tilt, and inquisitive, intelligent gaze.  So using that as a springboard, I infused my feelings into the piece, which flowed out of me effortlessly.  (Not a common occurrence with painting!)  It's one painting that I'm completely happy with.

Mamma's Boy

Then, I would say I love this image of Borias that I caught when I happened to have my camera on my bed with me. He was lying down, with his head on a large sheepskin ball  -- his favorite toy -- with such a look of adoration and contentment.  It's an image that I'm going to commission my best friend, a figurative oil painter, to do for me.

 

Borias and his favorite toy.

Then, there's an image I took of a young guy with a surfboard at dog beach.  He and his Mastiff mix are gazing at each other.  That one makes me reflect on what it's all about.  Sharing our lives and our journey together.  Two completely different species, yet in complete understanding and communion.

Communion

5. Tell me about your studio; is it how you want it to be?  Plans for reorganizing?  Wish list?

Heart Dogs Sudio

My studio is a work in progress. Literally. I very recently moved from suburbia to the city, which took about three long years to make happen.  I'm really enjoying taking this little spare room in my house and making it my sanctuary, a (hopefully) organized space that's conducive to creativity and growth. It's a challenge with a small space...I so love Ikea!

With the much appreciated help from my friends, we're making a place for all my books and magazines, and an efficient work area, a place to do business, and be organized.  Ever the challenge for me.  And I love that I can just go outside my door, explore this great neighborhood with Borias, and find inspiration all around me. We've spent a lot of time here already, hanging out in Balboa Park, at the zoo, exploring downtown, and just roving these amazing older neighborhoods, connecting with others out walking their dogs.   Seems everyone walks their dogs here. Now it's in our own back yard.  It's 'our' neighborhood.

Borias and the San Diego skyline.





Borias at the San Diego Art Museum.





Borias loves the fountain at Balboa Park.

6. Upcoming projects or goals for the future?

I hope to grow my art and photography business now that I've relocated to such a dog-centric area. I plan to develop my brand further, and work on the marketing side. I also want to use my work to help out more animal charities. I'd like to do a series about dogs with disabilities with their people, and people with disabilities with their dog, how strong and wonderful a bond comes from that. A coffee table book celebrating the magic of dogs seems like a natural next step that I look forward to taking.  Currently, I have taken the leap into writing a book about my heart dog, which is something I've toyed with doing for awhile.  I started a blog about our life together (find it at myheartdog.com), and I began to really feel a need to write in depth about our journey.

Dog is Love

MM: Thank you,  Tamandra, for sharing your beautifully heartfelt work with us and showing us your studio. 


If you are an artist who would like to be featured in the next Studio Spotlight email me with a link to your website, a description of your studio, and plans for the future.  As artists, I know we are all works in progress.

Happy Valentine's Day!


(Note: If you like this post, please leave a comment or subscribe to Dog Art Today.  This blog is powered by traffic from readers like you.  Thank you for stopping by!)

Advertisement