Animal Panels

I started making dog panels about 3 years ago.

The dog panel is an evolution of sorts. I started making fine art panels of my photography in 2006, and in 2008 I was inspired to make a dog panel. So now I do both.

Technique: Inspired by my many street art friends. They go bombing in the concrete jungle and beyond, where they enlarge their art through painting, stenciling & postering, and I simply - do not (on the streets). And not that I haven't ever wanted to enlarge my photos and plaster them around cities - I just don't have the gonads, or maybe the energy I suppose anymore to run from the law. ha. Anyway my panels are photos that I take, work on in the computer, enlarged, oversize printed and then adhered to wooden panels that my husband I make. We adhere using street postering technique, and then finish them with either a poly-acrylic or resin finish.

I love animals, case you didn't know ;) , and I really like dogs. We were on the Dog Whisperer years ago - and my first inspired animal-panel was to make one for Cesar Milan of his dog Daddy. Daddy was old around this time and his day were numbered so to speak so I knew making a panel for Cesar of Daddy would be pretty cool and appreciated.. Daddy was Cesar's best buddy and partner with the whole show. {Its important to document your loved ones, and I really enjoy doing that for others capturing those serendipitous moments that maybe only an owner would see, and I do through my camera.} So I took some photos of Daddy, and well I wasn't that happy with them, as it was a HOT day - Daddy was over it and didn't like the camera - ha. Yeah I got barked at pretty hard by Daddy, scared me - Cesar was laughing. (Even though I own pit bulls - being barked at by one that's pissed off because of something you are doing, well it never seems to feel right,, ha) So my initial plan to make the panel of Daddy was put on hold - until when I could get some better photos - which I did about 1 year later. But this ordeal inspired me and was the beginning.

Further inspired, I saw a photograph taken by Frank Bruynbroek of his dog AJA, a one eyed pit bull. I am in LOVE with this photo, and I love the angle at which he photographed the dog. Its framed as if it is a human portrait. It definitely oozes human qualities, which I think makes the photograph all the more interesting. The direct glance commending your attention, the deep depth of field, and where he chose to crop the shot - looks as if its sorta a doggie head shot. So now combining the dog - animal subject with a signature type framing technique combined with the panel, my fine art dog panels were born.. Not your typical animal portrait is my goal, rather a fine art piece, larger than life - of your best friend with fur.

I finally made 2 panels of my own dogs! I have them hanging in my kitchen, I love them.. My girls are such good models.






Here is one of my good friend Peyton's dog Puddy:





I have a lot of fun making these and meeting new furry faces. They all have such different personalities, just like humans, so unique..

Here are a few other examples:

Hand painted background, and hand painted highlight of certain features. In this photo the dog's tags are painted blue.



This panel does not have a frame around it, rather the image is flush with the box style panel.


"When a dog speaks about love, every word is true." - Frank Bruynbroek