So, Why pets?

I paint pets for this one simple reason:

It makes me happy. Every time I came home from my day job the first one to greet me at the door was our dog Korben. And he always acted like it’s the first time he’s seen me in days and can’t get over the fact that I’ve returned home to him and my wife. He is so full of joy that he doesn’t know what to do with himself. His tail wags spastically, he stares upwards at me as if smiling, a slight whine emerges from his throat, and he pushes his furry head and wet nose into my outreached hand to greet me. After a long day caring for people, this feels good. Someone glad to see me for no other reason than to show me how much they love me and miss me.

Everyone who is a pet owner knows this feeling. This is unconditional love. This is why I paint. To capture people’s pet’s joy and love for their owner. Don’t we ALL need that, and every day? The answer is yes.