A graphic designer by day, Abby McMillen makes her home in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, where she knows more animals named Abby than people named Abby. She's a self-taught painter whose love of dogs and of folk art encouraged her to start pushing paint around on canvases.
Folk dogs (and cats) by Abby McMillen are playful celebrations of the furry friends we love. Disarmingly simple, each original painting is made in the true folk art tradition, capturing personality through color, whimsy and charm.
My personal favorite is the one I attached here. Abby's prints are absolutely charming and full of personality! Right now she's offering $20 off of a custom painting so get yours as soon as possible.
Pricing for custom folk dog art depends mainly on the size of the canvas, although there are a few other factors as well. The best way to get started is to email her and let her know what kind of dog(s) you have, and what size painting(s) you'd like. Once the canvas size is settled, all it takes is a few good photos to get your folk dog painting going.
Behind this Collar is a new company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company offers a very unique gift for us, dog-lovers: custom-made shadow boxes!
These beautiful boxes display mementos of your choosing such as a photo, a favorite toy or a collar. The shadow boxes are a wonderful way to celebrate your dog (or cat) and are available in three types: custom, standard and milestone.
The custom option lets you totally customize your box. The options are yours on the custom shadow box! You might like a custom portrait by Behind this Collar's artist or a custom poem that tells your dog's story created by the poet at Behind this Collar.
The standard option (shown left) provides you with choices for its creation such as the type of wood, items, nameplate color (plus many more options!). This shadow box arrives fully assembled and all you do to complete it is insert your favorite photo behind the mat and your pet's collar into the box.
The milestone box is a great way to celebrate the your pet's accomplishments. Do you have a super swimmer? Consider the Water Dog box (at right)!
Check out Behind this Collar for unique, custom gifts that celebrate your dog! And right now Sherri Shawgo, founder of Behind this Collar, is offering a $10 discount on any shadow box to all Swanky Pup readers! Type "Swanky Pup" in the "referred by" option during checkout to get your discount $10 discount on any shadow box.
Chicago artist, Anne Leuck Feldhaus, creates beautiful, contemporary paintings and ready-to-hange prints of our favorite four-legged friends. Much of her work is based on her own two best friends-Izzy and Alice. These bright, whimiscal paintings and prints will brighten any decor and add a smile to anyone who views them. In addition to the many prints and paintings available to purchase, you can commission a custom-portrait of your own pup.
In addition, Anne is committed to using her work to encourage pet adoption and support animal welfare organizations--she offers a 10% discount on portraits of pets that are adopted or rescued. View available prints here and Anne's website here.
