little epiphanies

Word Art Dog, by Budakitty Ink.

As I’ve said a million times, animal portraiture creeps me out.  It is the rare artful photograph or use of unusual materials that convinces me otherwise.   That said, I really like these word dogs.

This Etsy shop owner makes portraits using a photograph and a list of important words, dates, and names that pet owners send in for reference.  Though most of the words mean nothing to the outsider, the use of fonts and shading to shape a beautiful, almost three-dimensional sketch make the meaning behind the words almost entirely unimportant.  It could say “lightbulb” all over it and still still be a beautiful piece of art.  

So maybe that’s what makes it okay.  Maybe that’s the test.  Can the portrait stand alone as art?  The plain old lifelike pet portraits hung over the mantle are the ones that make you worry that pet owners are way too into their pets  Like maybe they couldn’t get through a normal human conversation.  Like they’d rather sleep with their pets than their spouses.  

But pet portraits like these word dogs, which can be appreciated by strangers, are beyond pet owner weirdness.  They are art.  

I have a feeling this chart will come very much in handy as a reference.  “We’ve gotta eat these right now, before they turn into sevens.”  

I’d love a poster-sized print of this on my wall.  

I never even thought about these two as real people. I’m changed forever.

If you like cats and dogs, check out the Animals In Color Etsy page.  There are some way cool designs on there.