"Dogs and art go together. To me, it is obvious. I love both and I like having both in my environment, so painting a dog is a natural fusion.

For an artist, dogs provide an endless supply of subject matter. They tell stories. They are beautiful, comical, intelligent, and worthy of admiration- worthy of a tribute. And they have no ego involvement in the end product.

I love dogs because they have a joyful countenance, they don't hold grudges, and are shameless about their tastes and preferences. If we don't interfere, they feel good about themselves all the time.

But the dog, no matter how attractive, is not enough to make a successful painting. The colors and shapes must work on their own as a composition. When I am painting, the dog is a design element- a particular shape of particular colors. When I'm not painting, dogs just rule."

With a BFA from Colorado State University and an MFA from the University of Oregon, Nancy Schutt has been a courtroom artist, a drawing instructor, and a general contractor. She lives in Seattle, WA, and spends her time painting (mostly dogs!), gardening and traveling. Her paintings can be found in both US and international collections.

Nancy was featured on the PBS special Pets: Part of the Family, hosted by Gary Burghoff (Radar from M*A*S*H), and KING5 television's Evening Magazine. She has been featured in Seattle Magazine (Seattle's Best Bets), City Dog magazine, Dog's Life magazine in Australia, and multiple other US publications. (See press)