Found Family

Collector's Focus: Wild at Heart

Introduction by Alyssa M. Tidwell

Pets are the ultimate chosen family. We choose to bring them into our lives, to care for them, to love them unconditionally, even when they might be driving us crazy. Dogs, cats and other domestic animals are so much more than just pets—they are an inseparable part of our family and ourselves.

Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905), Steady, 1883, oil on canvas, 14 1/8 x 22 ¼ in. Beyond the Brushstroke: The Sam & Marilyn Fox Collection

I can say with the deepest conviction that my dog, Alfie, has my whole heart and always will. And because of that, I’ve often considered having his portrait painted. (He’s a gorgeous blue merle mini Australian shepherd. Can you imagine what a perfect subject he’d be?). Luckily, there are so many incredibly skilled artists out there who take the art of the pet portrait seriously, in much the same way as they’d approach a painting with humans as the subject. For these artists, it’s all fine art. This means that you can honor your beloved pet with an original artwork that meets (and exceeds) the standards worthy of your fur baby. And of course we’d never forget our feathered, scaled and aquatic friends as well.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), Head of a Dog, 1870, oil on canvas, 8 5/8 x 7 7/8 in. Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection. 1970.17.57. National Gallery of Art. Johanne Mangi, Peaches, oil on linen, 12 x 9 in.

Throughout the centuries, artists working in genres like sporting art have created depictions of canines and their owners, including 19th- and 20th-century greats like Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait, Philip R. Goodwin and Ogden Pleissner. French impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir was also known for his canine portraits. So in truth, this art form has always been around and has only grown over time.

The market for purchasing this genre of artwork is continuing to grow as well, and often, the prices are far more affordable than your typical commission. As you peruse the pages of this special Collector’s Focus, you can learn more about several artists working in domestic animal portraiture today.

“The only way I have found to achieve true inspiration in my work is to approach every painting as if it’s painted for myself,” says artist Johanne Mangi.“What is meaningful, emotional [and] exciting will be translated into my brush and onto the canvas…Over time, as I developed into the painter I’ve become, I realized that to truly evolve it’s not just technique. Are you just a painter or can you bring artistry to your work? You can find that when you create a connection.” For Mangi, commissions are no different. “One of the first questions I ask myself is what is it about my client’s pet that they love? I try to immerse myself in that relationship,” she adds.

Nance Franklin, My Buddy, oil on canvas, 12 x16 in.; Nance Franklin, The Boys, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in.; Linda Leslie, Symbiosis, graphite on paper, 11 x 14 in.

“I recommend to collectors that they look at art the way we artists look at subjects. What makes your heart jump? That excitement is what it’s all about.”

Nance Franklin,a self-taught artist, had a passion to paint since she was a child. Painting faces of people in my life, my teachers and friends. The obsession never faded. “Later in life, I lived in Wyoming and painted the animals I would see in nature. The flowers that bloomed in spring were so inspiring, all captured with such detail and expression on canvas,” she says. “The fruits and flowers, trucks and animals I show at the Signature Gallery are often solitary, or at most a part of a small grouping. Their intricacies unveil a whole world of their own. I inspire to capture the personalities I see in my animals and deliver that to the canvas. I have my two dogs/best friends who are with me daily and teach me about personality.” Through her body of work, Franklin strives to show others the same beauty she discovered years ago, and witnesses daily. She is represented by Signature Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Johanne Mangi, Two Peas in A Pod, oil on linen, 14 x 18 in.

Living in Missoula, Montana, artist Linda Leslie creates paintings that are honest yet subtly alienated from reality. Each of her subjects, which often include pets and domestic animals, are carefully rendered to make the most of the lighting. Her soft, tangibly fluffy brushwork reasserts the natural element of Leslie’s works, allowing just enough of the roughness of the canvas to show through. The subjects in her work are similarly taken to an organic space, placed in simple rooms or else left to float amid gauzy clouds. Her paintings seem to exude a sense of surreal quiet. In her graphite piece Symbiosis, a greyhound, a schnauzer, two rabbits and a weasel all exist together in harmony. —