Michelle Page is an assistant film editor, a world traveler, and a dog art entrepreneur. Her burgeoning business started in 1986 when she first traveled to Nepal and fell in love with the hand painted "Beware of Dog" signs she noticed everywhere.
As she returned over the years, she realized these wonderful pieces of outsider art were beginning to disappear, replaced by computer generated images with much less charm. So she started collecting the "Danger Dog" signs and then tracked down the artists who painted them. In June, she brought back 100 signs to L.A. (where she lives) and they sold out immediately. In December, she went back for 300 more signs and set up her own website to promote them, along with displays at the Santa Monica Museum of Art and the Craft and Folk Art Museum.
I think the most brilliant part of her business is that you can the commission a "Danger Dog" sign of your own. Simply send Page a photo of your dog and chose the style and wording you like, and she will have 3 artists render your dog in the Nepalese tradition. You pick your favorite and she sells the rest. Each piece costs $200. And, she is in Nepal right now taking requests. This would be a terrific Father’s Day gift. Visit her online photo album to see dozens of examples of dog, cat, horse, and parrot art from Nepal. Really worth a click. Here are some of my favorites:
Here’s a classic of farmers and feminists…
Beyond the lovely, cheeky, vibrant artwork you receive, you also have the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to artists who find themselves competing with new technology and dwindling sales, that is until Michelle Page came along. Be a global dog art patron and order yours today!
Read more about Michelle Page in Bettijane Levine’s Los Angeles Times article.
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