Did you know that May is National Pet Month? For this special occasion I thought we would talk about pets, share some interesting facts about our pet based art and of course show off some of our best selling imagery. Oh and before I forget, July is National dog house repairs month.

MauriceLets start off with one of the most famous dogs, "Portrait of Maurice" by Andy Warhol 1976. Warhol was obsessed with fame and produced many pictures of the rich and famous. However, he was never afraid to solicit commissions for portraits and would often suggest that he could create a portrait of a pet, if someone was unwilling to sit for their own portrait. Maurice was the beloved dachshund of Gabrielle Keiller, who bequeathed her art collection to the Modern One in 1995. This was the first painting by Warhol to enter the Gallery's collection. To create this screenprinted image, he worked from Polaroids of Maurice, taken at Keiller's London home.

Golden PugNow to jump ahead to digital illustrator John W. Golden. With over 80 breeds of cats and dogs set in his whimsical style, I am sure a rendition of your household friend is in there somewhere. Did you know that we offer many of these personalized? Ask your customer service rep about this. John also has a whole array of feathered friends

Happiest DogWhere would we be without "The Happiest Dog in the World", Mickey's Pluto. He is most often the companion of Mickey Mouse, although he first appeared as Minnie Mouse's dog Rover in the film The Picnic (1930). Several months had passed between the naming of what was believed to have been the ninth planet, Pluto, on March 24, 1930, and the attachment of that name to the dog character. Venetia Burney (later Venetia Phair), who as an eleven-year-old schoolgirl had suggested the name Pluto for the planet, remarked in 2006: "The name had nothing to do with the Disney cartoon. Mickey Mouse's dog was named after the planet, not the other way around.^" Although it has been claimed that Disney named the dog after the planet, rather than after the mythical god of the underworld, this has not been verified. Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen said "We thought the name [Rover] was too common, so we had to look for something else. ... We changed it to Pluto the Pup ... but I don't honestly remember why."

Happy CatOne of my favorite pet based pieces is "Happy Cat and Snob Dog" by Romero Britto. With bright colors and a commanding composition this piece has sold extremely well for years and continues to bring a smile to everyone that holds it.

We have over 600 animal based prints, nearly 150 dogs, over 30 cats, even a few monkeys! Something for all animal and pet lovers.