Paint a Pet, Create a Gift

by Kathryn R. Gubista

Paint Your Pet is a wildly popular event at Asheville’s Wine & Design on the third Thursday of each month. The mounting techniques they use allow their clients to create glorious paintings of their beloved fur babies. To participate, call Asheville’s Wine & Design at 828-255-2442.

Each pet painting seen recently had a fascinating story to accompany the creative artwork. Foxy, a 14-year-old male long-haired Chihuahua, is “a cat in a dog’s body.” Goldie was a beloved female Golden-mix blinded by SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) by 10 years of age. Koda was the feline representative, painted by her young human companion.

The story of Duke, an 8-year-old male Akita-mix, is captivating. Duke was rescued outside an Asheville gas station in 2008, where he spent his days hoarding food and staying at arm’s length from humans. The loving family who adopted Duke adored him, but was unable to spend quality time with Duke, which he deserved and desired. Then grandfather came to the rescue and offered Duke the gift of a lifetime.
 Duke now lives in Orlando, Florida with grandfather, his devoted human companion. Long gone are Duke’s days scavenging and hoarding food. Now he enjoys meals cooked specially for him. Duke and grandfather are constant companions and traveling buddies. The beautiful painting of Duke is an 80-something birthday gift given to grandfather in October.

Could you imagine a sweeter gift than a painted portrait of your beloved canine companion?

Kathryn R. Gubista, PhD offers concierge training from The Dog’s Perspective through Lucky Dog Training Asheville. She has over 30 years of training experience in obedience, tracking, agility, sheepherding, dock diving and fieldwork. Kathryn is an evolutionary biologist and teaches diverse biology courses in higher education settings.