Burnt Mills Gallery gives dogs the royal treatment with an art exhibit dedicated to the loyal pets.
By: Jim Boyle
Anybody who has encountered the pooch owner who lavishes pets with the kind of love and devotion children envy knows the truth: It’s a dog’s world. We’re just living in it.
Burnt Mills Gallery at the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse is hosting an exhibit that gives canines the attention they deserve. An Artistic Celebration of Dogs runs through Nov. 10 and features paintings of pups from world-renowned and up-and-coming artists.
The show, represented and sponsored by Decorating Arts, honors man’s best friend as the loving companions they are. It also recognizes the dogs used for search-and-rescue purposes. A percentage of sales at the exhibition will benefit St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center and the Ramapo Rescue Dog Association.
"We want to share the love for our dogs," says Decorating Arts owner Jaynie Spector. "We want to show how they can enhance one’s home. This is the premiere exhibition. We plan to offer it in other areas in the future."
Ms. Spector actually had an idea for such a show 13 years ago, but only now has the resources to make it happen. Working at art galleries in New York gave her enough experience to know which artists to include in the exhibit. Some paintings she gathered through private collectors, while others were commissioned.
"It’s great fun to cover all the different styles of artists," she says.
The paintings range from classical poses by Barksdale Maynard to fun and funny works by Rachelle Oatman. Ms. Oatman graduated from Boston University’s fine arts department and has been featured in Glamour magazine and Harper’s Bazaar. Her contributions feature dogs wearing suits, dresses and street clothes. Samples from Roger Henry’s paintings resemble the style of Edward Hopper. The show is also a chance to promote new artists such as Shirley Mersky, a graduate from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
The paintings are for sale. Works by new artists cost about $300, while the well-known painters sell work for approximately $4,000-$9,000. There’s also an opportunity for dog lovers to show appreciation for their own animals. Artists can be commissioned to create a portrait of the family pet. Just don’t take for granted the amount of work that goes into the finished product.
"Dogs aren’t the greatest posers," says Middlesex County resident Bee Booth. "I like to meet the owners and hear stories about the dogs. Then, I spend some time with the dog and find a particular expression that is unique to the animal."
Ms. Booth dabbled in painting for most of her life but has always been an animal lover. She spent three years in Africa photographing wildlife. She decided six years ago to express her love for animals through canvas.
"My dog won a championship at a dog show," she says. "I wanted to get a portrait done, but couldn’t find anyone to express it the way I wanted. So, I decided to do it myself.
"When I went to get it framed, one of the framers saw it and asked me to do one of his dog, and that was it."
A self-proclaimed "animal nut," Ms. Booth owns three dogs, not to mention cats and horses. Even though she has fun with her pets, she takes the issue of dog ownership seriously.
"I rescue everything," she says, "especially homeless dogs. It’s such a rewarding friendship. People need to be educated before they get dogs. Many only factor in the prettiness, but health and temperament is much more important. Lineage will be traced back through four or five generations and still it’s a crapshoot. A friend got a puppy, and it died after two years."
She applauds the efforts of animal shelters trying to find proper homes for abandoned pets. Her admiration culminated in a portrait titled "Hopeful." It features a shaggy, homeless canine alone in a doorway with a sullen look on its face. The subject is not taken from real life but is a composite of all homeless pups.
Ms. Booth’s inspiration does not belong solely in New Jersey. She likes to travel throughout the country to paint animals. A favorite spot is in Wyoming.
"A friend owns a preserve with five packs of wolves," she says. "Every single dog is genetically part wolf."
Ms. Booth likes to tell stories with her paintings. By learning more about the dog, her creation symbolizes its personality. Many times, she has painted deceased pets, relying merely on tales from the owners.
"A family called me from California," she says. "They asked me to do a painting of their basset hound, named Tootsie. They told me she was passionate about grapes, so the painting had the dog against a red background with grape stems on the ground."
Other paintings include a puppy with its ball by its side, an over-indulged German Shepherd and a hunter praising his hound for a job well done. Her signature painting, "The Gathering," shows a group of dogs looking at something off-frame.
"They all have different expressions," says Ms. Booth "There’s one that looks directly at the viewer. It has that storytelling aspect to it."
An Artistic Celebration of Dogs is on display at the Burnt Mills Gallery at the Ryland Inn, Route 22 West, Whitehouse, through Nov. 10. Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. 4-8 p.m. For information, call (908) 904-4513.

