pamperedpuppy // luxury lifestyles for dogs

Pop ARF

Photo of the artist
© Nathan Janes

Each time Donna Cerutti passes her latest art acquisition a huge smile covers her face. Donna's art investment isn't a Monet or a Van Gogh; it's a commissioned portrait of her two cocker spaniels by artist Nathan Janes. If you haven't heard about Janes yet, take note of him: this painter has lofty aspirations.

The 27-year-old Janes knew he wanted to be an artist from an early age. While at The Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) in Ohio, Janes studied illustration. Not wanting to limit himself to one school of thought, Janes kept his mind open to inspiration throughout his studies and during his summer jobs. As a student, Janes' favorite artists included Roy Lichtenstein and Ron Burns. Janes was drawn to animals, but he struggled within the rigid confines of wildlife portraiture. Janes gravitated towards a bright color palette and disliked painting in a strictly representational style. His stint as a caricature artist at a local amusement park helped him get in touch with his playful side.

Janes remained in Ohio after his 2003 graduation. Soon after adopting his first dog, Button, from a shelter, Janes had a breakthrough. Button proved to be the perfect muse. The resulting work pleased the young artist and Pop ARF was born. Janes defines Pop ARF as a confluence of photorealism and pop art.

Today the young painter works from his home studio in Port Clinton, Ohio. And Button has a new companion-another rescue dog named Zipper. Zipper and Button give Janes' days a predictable rhythm. Each morning Janes awakes to the barking of his dogs that want to be let out of the house. After a bit of playtime, the three of them settle into Janes' room to get down to business. The dogs curl up at the artist's feet as Janes starts to mix colors. According to Janes, creating a palette is a laborious process. A finished painting will require more than one hundred paint colors. The rich, exact hues must be premixed in their entirety before Janes' takes his brush to the canvas. The slightest disparity in tint is detectable in his highly saturated portraits. If he runs out of a color mid-painting, he has to start from scratch, remix a new color, and repaint sections of the picture.

Mutz
© Nathan Janes

After a brief lunch break, Janes is back to work in his studio. As the dogs laze on his futon, Janes' grabs his paintbrushes. Occasionally the peaceful setting is disrupted if Button or Zipper gets on a barking jag, otherwise Janes works diligently until 4:00 p.m. Afternoons are dedicated to the dogs as the owner and pups venture outdoors. Zipper can play endless rounds of fetch and Button is more obsessed with soccer than a Manchester United fan.

When he's not painting, Janes is promoting his work. A natural marketer, Janes has developed a comprehensive website for Pop ARF (his goal is to become the Norman Rockwell of the dog world). Janes has created more than twenty custom portraits for his exclusive clientele -- devoted and wealthy pet owners -- folks willing to spend $3,000 to immortalize their pooches.

Clients like Donna Cerutti find Janes through his website, articles about his work, and word of mouth. Interested customers are asked to submit five photos of their pet. After receiving the photos and a deposit, Janes takes five to seven weeks to complete the commission. Janes stresses to all his clients that he is a representational pop artist -- the resulting portrait will be his interpretation of the pet, not an exact replica.

Besides pet portraits, Janes also paints invented dog characters, such as Rex, a tough-as-nails dog with a physical challenge. Once he had the concept of Rex in his mind, Janes let his imagination run wild. As depicted in Janes work, Rex uses a jazzed up wheeled cart to facilitate his movement. There's nothing fragile about this pint-sized pup; Rex looks like a force to reckon with. Janes says Rex's image was inspired by the tenacity of injured dogs. Here's an excerpt about Rex from the PopArf website:

"Rex is a true survivor, the victim of a hit and run accident... This rebel without a leash reminds us that disabled does not mean unable."

Rex
© Nathan Janes

The original Rex painting in acrylic/gouache is available for $4,500, prints start at $475. Janes' Internet gallery includes an offering of several other limited edition giclée prints (a printing process that allow for very saturated color reproduction).

Janes most recent series "Mutz: The Urban Underdog," is being featured in a North Carolina fundraiser. Mutz, a doggie super-hero who resembles a beagle/Labrador mix, is another fictional character. This caped crusader's stated mission is to eradicate cruelty to animals and to advance the plight of companion animals. The Mutz statue can be viewed in downtown Winston Salem, NC. The sculpture will be auctioned off in a few months for "Art Unleashed" a benefit event for the Forsyth Humane Society of Winston Salem.

There is a special place in Janes' heart for dog charities since Button and Zipper were both rescue dogs found at the Ottawa County Humane Society. He has donated thousands of dollars of his art to causes such as Pet Art 7 in Los Angeles, Nuts for Mutts in Los Angeles and Chicago, and Lenny the Pug's Annual Birthday Benefit for Animal Haven in New York.

"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," says Janes.

The Pop ARF website is a great place to learn more about Janes' work and to check out a few of his creations. Janes aspires to hold a solo show at a major gallery and to eventually open up his own art gallery -- "The ARF Gallery." For now, you'll either find him at his easel or looking to his beloved pets for continued inspiration.