Question: How did you get started painting dog
portraits?
Answer: After graduating from the University of New
Mexico with a degree from the painting/drawing program, I
adopted a dog named Gozy and for 10 years I shared all life
events with him. He had a special ability to have eye-to-eye
“talks” with me. I felt it very intriguing that he sometimes
seemed like much more than just a dog, and I became very
interested in depicting our bond on canvas.
It was
emotionally devastating for me when I lost Gozy, but it has
helped me heal emotionally that I have several of his
portraits hanging in my house. I feel that Gozy is still part
of my life, and I’m glad I painted him.
Q: Why dogs?
A: Like humans, each has a different personality.
They are strong, gentle, smart, beautiful, loyal,
warm-hearted, funny, goofy, etc. Everything about them is
genuine.
Q: What do you hope people get a sense of from your
work?
A: I would like my images to be like a window for
viewers through which they feel affection and love for their
dogs. When my customers look at my paintings of their dogs, I
hope there’s a moment that they feel how precious their dogs
are to their lives.
Q: What’s something most people don’t know about you
or your work?
A: I originally come from Japan, and some of my pop
paintings have some playful elements using Japanese or Chinese
characters or red borders in the back.
In Japan, a red-bordered square sheet signifies something
to celebrate or congratulate.
Q: Tell us something people are surprised to find
out about you?
A: My art background is abstract expressionism. I
did, and still do, adore those purely beautiful lines and
colors of abstract forms. I believe my admiration is still
reflected in my paintings.
I’m interested in communicating my feeling toward something
I admire with my audience. Dogs are more than just the theme
of my paintings. They mean so much more to me.
Q: What’s the most difficult type of dog to paint
and why?
A: In the past I found it very hard to paint a dog
that I had no understanding of except its appearance.
Without knowing the personality, or “dognality,” I am
restricted to just copying how it looks in photographs. I want
my customer to get a feeling out of an image that captures the
wholeness of the canine. When someone asks me to paint his/her
dog, I always ask about personalities, favorite activities,
etc.
Q: If you weren’t doing this, what would you be
doing?
A: Something art- or dog-related, such as teaching
how to draw and paint in a community setting or working for a
doggy day care.
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