Zann Hemphill

Zann is a Pet Portrait Artist who works in oils, creating lifelike renditions of her clients' pets from their photos. Zann also sells prints of her growing collection of dog breed studies in ink and oil.

Why Dogs? It’s about their contagious attitude.

We humans project the best of ourselves onto our pets, and they reflect back a version we’re happier living with. Not because we necessarily look any better; we still can’t fit into last years’ jeans or remember where we put our stuff, but because when you think about those problems with a dog... it’s easier to laugh about it.

Dogs help us not take ourselves too seriously.

They show us how people care too much about silly things that are hard to get, and remind us that dog things are uncomplicated, unchanging, and refreshingly attainable. Around a dog, it’s ok if there’s nothing more important than dinner.

Art is a nonverbal conversation—maybe one that’s not so different from dog-person conversation. Art can be contagious, too. I want to put dogs on canvas because I like what their worldview does to mine, and even on the wall I think they have a lot to say,