Did That Painting Just Bark?

by Nicole Pensiero   
Posted December 20, 2007

Did That Painting Just Bark?
By Nicole Pensiero

Some people might find it a bit, well, freaky, to have a hyperrealistic painting of their beloved dog—or their deceased dog—staring down from a wall. But all pets make worthy subjects, according to Mount Laurel–based artist Linda Townshend.

The diminutive 51-year-old was for many years an illustrator—some of her work is on bottles of Arizona Iced Tea—before turning her attention to four-legged subjects, such as Tugger (pictured to the right). Last year she ramped up her occasional pet portraits into a full-time venture. She works from photographs but also conducts extensive pre-painting interviews with pet owners eager to have their beloved animal’s likeness captured in oil—for $600 to upwards of $2,000.

A painting takes about a month to complete. “I’ve always loved animals, and I totally understand pet owners’ devotion,” she says.

The artist’s subjects so far have ranged from a feral cat to an ultra-exotic Rhodesian Ridgeback dog. “My oil paintings are realistic,” she says. “I want my customers to walk away feeling like they’re actually seeing their pet looking out from the canvas at them.”