The word animal evokes many impressions: everything from friendly pets, like dogs and cats, to wild creatures like bears and elephants. The word brings to mind images (fur, eyes, tails), sounds (purr, bark) and events (family zoo trip, pet adoption center visit). We all have memories that make recognizing animals in art easy. But sometimes artists will add something extra. Maybe it is a little humor, as in Walton Ford’s reflection on Audubon’s nature studies in his print Nila, or a more serious commentary on our ecological destruction, as in Oscar’s monoprint Pooch. Or it can be the remarkable ability to capture a personality on paper, as Beth Van Hoesen does in Puff.
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