Dogs Today February, 2006
Pup art
A new artist takes up Andy Warhol’s pop-art legacy and runs with it – with dogs at his heels
Feature by Karen Redpath
WHEN NATHAN JANES’ rescue dogs inspired him to start painting pets, he went a step further and created a whole new art genre.
Pop ARF is the name that American artist Nathan has given his collection of bright, bold doggie paintings, which he describes as “fine art rather than just pet portraiture”.
Nathan studied art at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio and it was in his junior year that he began rendering wildlife art. Nathan has always loved animals, so it seemed inevitable that his chosen career would incorporate them in some way. “I was always hounding my parents for a dog. When I was younger I had a subscription to a dog magazine because I had visions of being a veterinarian. I eventually found that I would probably make a better artist than a doctor.”
It wasn’t long after adopting his dogs, Button and Zipper, from a rescue shelter that Nathan transformed himself into the Andy Warhol of the dog world. “My dogs were the original models for my pop ARF paintings and serve as a constant source of inspiration. The unique characters of my dogs lend well to painting ideas and concepts.”
Aside from being colourful cartoon-like paintings, Nathan’s portraits aim to encourage more people to consider rehoming dogs.
“Having rescued my two pets, I am particularly touched by dogs that were once neglected or abused but now lead healthy, happy lives with loving families. I feel it is my responsibility to speak for dogs and to educate and encourage others to choose adoption as a way to find a new pet. Many of the dogs I have painted have been in shelters and I use my website as a means of telling each of these dogs’ stories.”
One dog that Nathan met in a shelter was Les - the inspiration behind the portrait ‘Les is More’. Les was found abandoned, suffering from severe malnutrition, heartworm, hookworms, anemia and a bacterial skin infection. It took several months of love and care from the Animal Refuge Centre in Florida for Les to make a full recovery, but he is now a healthy and happy companion to his new owner. Nathan celebrated the success of Les’ recovery with a wonderfully bright and uplifting portrait of him playing with a ball.
Not all of Nathan’s dogs are real subjects but their spirit and characteristics are of animals he has encountered. “Some of my subjects are not people’s pets at all but merely characters I create and then put to canvas,” explained Nathan. “I often notice certain distinct quirks about dogs I meet, and later blend them into a pop ARF pooch.”
As Nathan is a representational pop artist, it is very important that he gets to know the dog he is painting, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they have to meet.
“In some situations I will spend time with the animal to get a feel of its traits and personality. However, I have found that pet owners can thoroughly describe their pet’s personality and provide telling photos that help me portray their pet in its most original form.”
Nathan gets his clients to fill out a pre-portrait questionnaire before he starts work so he can include key characteristics in the piece. Depending on the size and complexity of a painting, it can take from three to six weeks to complete. Nathan explains, “My paintings consist of very opaque flat colours with no wash to them and extremely controlled line work. For every colour I use in my painting I must premix it in containers with enough to last me the entire painting. When I finish a painting, I will have mixed anywhere from 80 to more than
100 paint colours.”
Via his website, Nathan is able to accept commissions from around the world, as long as owners are able to post or email good quality photographs of their pets. Although dogs are his specialty, Nathan is open to the idea of broadening pop ARF to include other animals. He said, “If a client wanted to commission me to paint an animal other than a dog, I would be willing to accept it. I recently painted a cat for the cover of a magazine and plan to paint more felines in the future. However, I feel my dominant subject will always be dogs.”
Nathan has big ideas when it comes to pop ARF, planning to make it an international phenomenon. It is also his ambition to open a gallery for his art called The Arf Gallery, which may one day house his dream doggie commission.
“Being a big fan of Adam Sandler and his movies, I would love to paint his dog, Matzoball, or do a tribute to his deceased dog, Meatball, or maybe even both.”
Nathan considers the message behind his paintings to be the most important aspect of the pop ARF movement and this driving force will ensure he continues to fight for the underdog.
“No matter what specific projects I may work on in the future, I want to help make adoption of rescued animals a first priority for those adding to their pet family. Through the sale of my work, I hope to help raise funds for animal shelters and I look forward to the possibility of working with an organization like the ASPCA to help stop cruelty to animals.”
If you would like your dog Immortalized in the pop ARF style, you can contact Nathan Janes via his Website at www.poparf.com. Commissions start from $5,000 (around £3,000).