Not really. Jennifer Kirk Hamilton is actually a S.C based, award winning, neo-expressionist painter. Her latest works are inspired by her two dogs and I think they are remarkable for many reasons. I love her colors and the energy she captures in this series. But mainly, I love that she looks at dogs as dogs.
Many dog artists, myself included, obsess about getting our subjects’ faces just right. We want that joyful, playful, adoring expression we see when we look into our dogs’ eyes. But doesn’t that make the work more about us? Like Narcissus and his pool, we want our dog’s full attention if we are going to do his portrait. Right?
For Kirk Hamilton, it’s not about the dogs; it’s about the walk. About being a silent observer as her boys investigate the world around them, oblivious to her. Primal and curious, completely in the moment, exploring anew the path they take every day. What an amazing way to capture them while at the same time allowing them to be free, walking off her canvas, not staying put. How beautifully she reminds us that having a dog does not make us "owners." It makes us part of the pack.
Visit her website to learn more.






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