The Mona Lhaso: Portraitists give pets the fine art treatment

By Mary Jo Palumbo

Monday, December 13, 2004

Finally, it's cool to dote on your dog.

Pet spas, all the rage in New York, are popping up in Boston.
And after all that pampering, adoring owners eager to preserve the memory of their well-groomed pups are commissioning pet portraitists to immortalize their magnificent Maltese, their stylish spaniel or their haute couture hound.

``There's a buzz about dog portraiture,'' said Paul Boddum, a pet portrait painter in Toronto. ``This is something that's really growing.
``In the past, someone who had a portrait done of their pet was viewed as wealthy and eccentric. Now it's seen as something interesting, hip, contemporary.''

It's no secret that the $34 billion pet industry has been expanding dramatically. Doggie day care, canine yoga (also known as doga) and animal acupuncture flourish in New York.

Poochies Spa & Boutique, which opened this fall in the South End, features rhinestone tiaras and $98 wool sweaters for doggies.
At Paw Printz, an online pet boutique, a limited-edition pink polka-dot ``PuchiBag'' sells for $395.

``In urban centers dogs are the ultimate accessory,'' said Boddum, whose pet portraits sell from $550 to $3,000. ``People have come out of the closet with the fact that their pets are a major factor in their lives, and they pamper them.''

Tammy Rao of Arlington started her pet portrait photography business when she lost her job as a graphic designer in 2002. Now she travels all over eastern Massachusetts to photograph dogs and cats in their homes.

Among her most memorable subjects?

A kitty named Cheddar who posed for his portraits dressed as Harry Potter, Uncle Sam, a Red Sox player and a Harley Davidson biker.
``Pets are an integral part of people's lives, and they want to immortalize that,'' said Rao, whose portraits sell for $200.

Pet portraitists say the field no longer represents a kitschy niche, but draws trained artists who produce ``gallery quality'' work.
They find inspiration for feline and canine renderings in the great art movements of the 19th and 20th centuries.

After all, the German expressionist Franz Marc was known for his blue horses. Holyoke-born contemporary photographer William Wegman earned fame and fortune depicting Weimaraners in costume.

Think de Kooning dashhound. Picasso-inspired poodle. Chihuahua a la Renoir.

Boddum describes his influences as ``contemporary, pop art, Cubism and David Hockney.''

At poparf.com, Ohio painter Nathan Janes paints your pup with a pop art flair.

``It's a bit of realism mixed with today's Nickelodeon,'' said Janes, who sells his work for $500 to $9,000.

Janes' portrait of his terrier, ``Button,'' was selected in September for the Ohio Art League's annual juried show at the Columbus Museum of Art.

Those drawn to the sun-splashed strokes of impressionism turn to Washington-based Rachael Dillman, who creates animal portraits inspired by the 19th century French masters.

``People seem to really connect with this style,'' said Dillman, whose paintings sell for $1,500 to $2,200. ``I haven't had to promote at all. It's spread by word of mouth.''

Pet owners urge portraitists to capture their canine's perky ears or crooked smile, and often want portraits to depict a favorite moment or beloved scene.

Boddum's dogs have been paintEd perched in the bow of a boat, peering from a car window and poised to jump into the family pool.
And paintings aren't the only way to portray your pet through art.
Consider displaying your German shepherd's image in a custom-designed stained glass window, or commissioning afootstool crafted in the shape of your Great Dane.

Www.poochface.com creates small benches painted in the shape and likeness of your dog.

Dogartdog.com advertises ``distinct dog art for the cultivated client,'' with stained-glass windows that use an image of the family pooch to create ``a unique interior design accent.''

``In the old days, a pet was just a pet playing out in the yard,'' Janes said.``But that image is changing. Now they're more like children. People are trying to find new ways to show off their animal.''