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Kathryn Eddy is an artist with an entrepreneurial bent. She is also a woman who loves her dog. In her latest venture, “Dog Portraits,” she has found the perfect enterprise — creating fine art paintings of dogs for the people who love them.

“It all started with my ‘Crossing America’ exhibition in May 2004,” stated Eddy in an e-mail to The Times, referring to a show at the Jacklyn Kling Gallery in Montclair. “Of the 41 paintings I exhibited, 3 paintings of dogs captured the most attention. I began to think, ‘Maybe I should do something with this.’”

Eddy’s interest intensified when she acquired a Yorkshire terrier later that year. “I know it sounds corny, but this little animal changed my life. Now when I thought about painting dogs, I said to myself, ‘I just have to do it.’”

Eddy did not have to look far for her first commission. An Internet search for her Yorkie led her to Elizabeth Mandarino, owner of DivaPup in Fairfield. When Mandarino saw Eddy’s portfolio, she hired her on the spot to paint her own dog. “That was the push I needed,” said Eddy. “I’ve had a steady stream of commissions ever since.”

Eddy’s paintings are, by her own description, “not your typical ‘keepsake’ dog pictures.” Unlike many artists who paint pets, she does not seek to replicate a photograph. Instead, she works from a composite of photos in order to capture the total personality of the dog. She also does not try to duplicate the background of a photo or paint the dog’s familiar environment. Instead, she makes dramatic use of negative space by placing the dog on a matte color background in a vibrant and often unusual hue.

“It’s these background colors that make the paintings stylish and sophisticated,” Eddy stated, whose early career experiences as a model and image consultant give her a keen eye for fashion and trends. She also considers the preferences of a painting’s potential owner by asking his or her favorite color and for a description of where the painting will be hung. As a result, Dog Portraits are suitable for every environment, from traditional and contemporary homes to commercial and professional spaces. They also make exceptional gifts, and even last-minute shoppers can purchase a Dog Portrait gift certificate.

Dog Portraits range in size from 8 inches by 10 inches to 36 inches by 48 inches and are priced according to size from $500 to $2,500. So far the large paintings have proven the most popular. “I call it the ‘wow’ factor,” Eddy stated. “People come in planning to commission a smaller painting, and then they see a larger one — and they just have to have it.”

Eddy has been painting professionally since 1988, and her unique imagery includes still lifes, landscapes, animals, and people. In recent years she has become known for her stylized paintings of animals, including sheep, rabbits, and alpacas.

All of these have attracted the attention of collectors and brought her commissions, yet the dog paintings have caught on in a way that the others haven’t — most likely due to her intense personal connection with the subject matter as well as the rapid growth of dog owners as a market segment.

“The most unique characteristic of a Dog Portrait is that it captures the emotional bond that exists between a dog and its owner,” Eddy continued. “I accomplish this by working creatively with size and scale, perspective and fore-shortening, and by always having the animal make direct eye contact with the viewer. There’s also a special ingredi-ent that dog lovers prize — I put some of the love that I have for my own dog into every Dog Portrait.”

For more information, or to view more of Kathryn Eddy’s art, call (973) 233-0184, or visit the Web site at www.kkeart.com.

http://www.montclairtimes.com/page.php?page=10787