Welcome to Bay Woof, May 2022

The Artful Dog

Art can document a time, a place, an era. But it can also evoke enlightenment, beauty, and a greater understanding of the world around us. While our dogs may not be artists, they often call forth some of the same feelings that a powerful work of art can. Noble in their beastliness, but also magical, gentle creatures, they have as much to teach us as any Rembrandt. 

Our annual Dogs in Art issue brings you a gallery of takes by local artists and their various canine muses. Famed artist/illustrator Jeremy Fish graces our cover with his “MUNI Dogs and Puny Cats.” Veterinarian and artist Dr. Ken Gorczyca lets us in on his process when painting a new canine subject. Bay Area trainer Ruthanna Levy tells us how her partner overcame a crippling fear of dogs and now creates portraits of them, while artist Pat Lake shares her dog sketches (okay, a few cats, too) from the SF drinking and drawing bar scene. And speaking of dogs in bars, this month you can find out how to get a custom wine label featuring your pooch’s mug from Bar Dog Wines. 

What else is on tap for May? Well, the good folks at Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) are hosting a renowned “speed painter” at Animals on Broadway, a community festival and pet walk; read all about it in this month’s Shelter Zone. Trainer Dawn Kovell holds forth on the artfulness of agility training in the Good Dog! column . Ren Volpe likens the way dogs seek out scents to the way humans are drawn to color in the Monthly Woof and explains why sniffing walks are so important. And Commission Tails examines the current dog theft trend, including how authorities put a value on beloved pets - or don’t. 

Elsewhere in the issue, Nose for News rounds up the latest dog dispatches, Mr. Smarty Pants still knows his stuff, and of course, Red and Howling is always picture perfect, even when it’s not the Art issue. 

Finally, remember that art isn’t always hanging in a frame or stuck behind a velvet rope at a museum. Whether we’re admiring a gorgeous sunset or drinking in the daily grit of the city around us, we can all see better through the eyes of our nearest canine. 

Like love and dogs, art is where you find it. 

Happy Dogs in Art month,
M Rocket
Publisher

P.S. Petchitecture is BACK – Mark your calendars for June 3!

Columns from the May Pack