Artists throughout history have featured dogs and other animals in their works, an indication of the interdependence of our species and their profound meaning in our lives. One of the reasons I paint animals is to recognize and celebrate the central role companion animals play in human life, and try to awaken respect for all animals who enhance our world. Animals bring out the best in people. Regardless of our differences, pets can soften social situations because we can all relate when we talk about our own furry friends.
I started painting pets when my cat Monkey died after being my best friend for 17 years. I painted a watercolor of myself with her, and it somehow made the great love I felt for her tangible. What she meant to me became visible in my painting. Soon I was painting portraits for friends and family, and as my painting skills developed I decided to offer the service professionally. Through the years, I have found that having a memorial portrait of a pet can be helpful for those experiencing grief over the loss of a companion.
Losing a pet is painful. It’s a difficult choice we make to give ourselves over to loving an animal who will most likely have a shorter lifespan than a human. Honoring your pet and remembering the happy life you shared with them in a portrait can aid with the grieving process and help heal the deep loss of a beloved family member. Unlike the loss of a human relation, it’s often not possible to get time off from work, have a memorial service, or a formal gravesite for pets, so having a portrait created is one way to meaningfully honor your loss.
Often a client has a particular photo of their pet that captures something essential about the pet’s personality or look, but isn’t a great quality photograph suitable for display. By painting a portrait I can use the gesture or expression from one photo and combine it with details from other photos to create a likeness that could not have been created any other way. As I paint, I’m striving to achieve an interesting composition, color harmony, and a sense of depth. By layering paint, I try to capture the emotions of the pet and their family so love and connection come through in the finished piece. My goal is to bring out the individuality of each subject, with all of his or her quirks and uniqueness. Each painting has something special and unique about it, be it a particular expression, setting, or story to tell.
There is some mystery, even to an experienced artist, about the intangible part of the portrait process. Painting is a meditative act, requiring total focus and presence to be successful. It takes a long time to paint by hand, and for all those hours I am holding in mind what I’ve learned from the patron about their animal. In those sessions, I am getting to know them in a very intimate way, visually. Somehow that translates into a depth of feeling in the finished painting. This time, spent in service of the animal’s spirit is a part of the memorializing process and a part of the value of the finished artwork.
How satisfying when a patron receives a commission and loves it! The animals in our lives can be our links to the natural world. They are often a source of pure uncomplicated joy, play, love, and peace in the midst of our busy modern lives. My portraits provide a way to honor and enjoy their companionship for a lifetime, and it is truly a labor of love.
Laura Johnston is a painter and illustrator who grew up in the Bay Area, earned a BFA from U.C. Santa Cruz, and has worked as a barber, photo retoucher, illustrator and portrait artist since moving to San Francisco. She loves to meet up with doggie friends at the beach, cuddle with her kitties, or catch a Giants game with her husband. Prints of her work can be purchased through her Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/LKJart To inquire about a custom portrait contact Laura through her web site at www.LauraJohnston.net or email Laura@LauraJohnston.net.
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Main article photo by: Laura Johnston
