MAX

a group of commissioned pet portraits in black and white acrylic paint

Max n Cookie, 2015, (Dog Studies, Max), acrylic on canvas, 8” x 14”, Elizabeth Lisa Petrulis, (Commissioned for the Collection of Gemma and Phil Dees).

Max, wearing a protective t-shirt, glances away from his house mate, the turtle named Cookie who appears out of the haze. I included the turtle as a surprise and a counterbalance, but then de-emphasized him to keep the focus on Max.

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MAX is a loving dog whose devoted adoptive pet-parents have nursed through serious health issues. The paintings were commissioned to honor that special bond between him and his caretakers Gemma and Phil Dees.

Painting Max was initially a challenge because his long fur is not what I was used to. (Ironically, Max is a Chinese Crested and has a hairless body.) The earlier “Dog Studies” were composed around the sleek outlines of short haired dogs. What finally drew me in were the spots on Max’s chest, and the wisps and curls at his head and feet.

Read about the commission process here.

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