Painting Pets

Portrait artists Kathryn Eddy and Pinky Adubato like to meet their subjects before they start to paint. Getting them to sit still is another story.

Another work by Kathryn Eddy.
Art by Kathryn Eddy.

Eddy and Adubato are pet artists; their subjects typically are dogs or cats, but have included the likes of ferrets and horses.

Dedicated to capturing the bond between pet and owner, Eddy, a Montclair resident who works in acrylics and oils, began Dog Portraits (dogsonthewall.com) in 2005. “You can see the loyalty in a dog’s eyes, and that is the essence that anyone who calls me is looking for,” she says.

A native of Red Bank, Adubato (pinkyadubato.com) has been a self-employed muralist and portrait artist for 26 years. Four years ago, she began doing pet portraits. “If I had a magic wand, I would only want to do dog portraits,” she says. “People would rather have their dogs painted than their children.”

Although meeting their subjects is important, Eddy and Adubato prefer to work from a variety of photographs. “I need and want a good understanding of their personality and their spirit,” says Eddy. For more pet portrait artists, visit njmonthly.com.

To read about two more pet portrait artists click here.

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