The Ottawa Dog Blog had the chance to interview pet artist, Lisa Graziotto of The Howling Canvas. Her portraits of dogs carry a beautifully expressive style and are alive with vibrant colours.

Name: Lisa Graziotto ~ The Howling Canvas
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Website: thehowlingcanvas.com
Blog: thehowlingcanvas.blogspot.com

What kind of Dog Art do you do?
I’m a contemporary portrait painter who works in oil.

How did you get into doing dog-related artwork?
Initially, I did a drawing of a dog when I was very young…I use this drawing in my bio because I think my destiny to become an artist was sealed for me at an early age…several years ago when my dog Dylan passed away, I found myself sitting alone in the studio missing him and so I started to draw then paint his portrait…then I moved on to another dog portrait, then another until I had both a portfolio and the confidence to show the work in public…I started off with a few dogs shows then moved up to the One of a Kind Show before a few American galleries pursued my work to be hung in their space…since then, I have been receiving commissions from clients around the world who have seen my work either online, at a gallery, in a show or on television.

When did you first realize you are an artist?
Before I did the drawing of the dog at age fourteen months, I believe it was my many drawings on the walls in our house with various media including fruit, crayons and markers.

Could you tell us some more about your work?
I like to refer to my work as a painting that tells a story about the subject. Most often I include something in the portrait that pertains to the life of the subject such as a toy, collar, a specific background such as a lake, cottage, park etc…those things I try to incorporate in the overall composition to create a ’story’ about the subject…this story will give future viewers of the painting, I’m talking many years after the subject has passed on, an idea as to the nature of the dog.

What is it that inspires you to create your pieces of art?
Inspiration comes to me in many forms. A main source of inspiration comes from the owners love for their four-legged companion. My goal is to accomplish a piece of art that will make the owner proud and hopefully will reflect the nature of their dog so that when they look upon the painting years from now, they feel the presence of their beloved friend.

What famous artists have influenced you, and how?
Georgia O’Keefe, Emily Carr and Rosa Bonheur have been huge mentors in my life mainly because of their no non-sense attitude toward their profession of being artists which back then was chiefly pursued in a professional capacity by men. These women stuck with their art spirit and gave themselves entirely over to the pursuit of painting and making a living from their work. It didn’t happen overnight for these women but it is their perseverance that I find so admirable. From their example, I gather my strength to continue not only with animal portrait work, which is what I do for part of the time, but with all the painting I do. Edward Hopper, Thomas Hart Benton, and the Group of Seven are a few other artists that I especially find myself attracted to with regard to their subject matter, use of colour and composition.

What do you do for fun (besides painting)?
This is a funny question because I am about to go away on a much needed vacation and usually I bring along my paint box, some boards and my camera. This time I’m going to try and not bring anything creative with my but a book and a bathing suit. I suppose that I find painting to be such a pleasure that according to my friends, I do it all the time, even while on vacation.

What inspires you to create art and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?
I enjoy the entire process of creating and what motivates me is the challenge to see a project through from start to finish. During the process of creating I find out something new about me and my abilities. I just finished a rather tough painting and I can tell you what motivated me to continue and not run from the studio screaming was my partner Joel, good red wine, my stubborness to not stop and most importantly, to stop trying to ‘control’ the painting. I find that if I start to ‘think’ about what I’m working on, the muse feels as though she is being ignored and not in control so she leaves me alone and heads off to happy hour some place. After several hours and in the recent case, days of tears, frustration along with doubt I had to approach the painting differently. I had to forget what I was working on and send my thoughts some place else. Once I had done this for a while, I found the work was moving along at an easier pace with no difficulty or worry. The muse was back and she was in charge. I’m happy to report that the painting is done and it looks great!

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
The advice I would give to an emerging artist is this, read many of biographies on artists and you will discover a common link between them and you. By finding out the common link, you will discover that you are not alone in some of your experiences. This discovery can be very comforting and reinforcing. Also, the most important thing is to stay true to yourself – don’t try to be a painter you aren’t meant to be. You have a voice that is distinct and unique, so find that voice and nuture it.

Do you have a dog(s)? if yes, what kind, please brag about your pooch(es) here
Sadly, I don’t have a dog at the moment…it’s a long story but one day, I will have a couple!

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