It started with a text.

A client from my previous career contacted me out of the blue. His wife’s beloved dog Dutchess had died and the death had hit them very, very hard. Like many people the bond with their pets was strong and the loss was devastating.

Would I consider making a portrait of the dog for his wife’s birthday? He said he hoped I wasn’t offended and he would completely understand if doing a painting of a dog was beneath me.

To the contrary, I was thrilled he asked!

Let me back up.

My Life as an Artist

I’ve been painting and drawing my entire life. I studied modern dance and the “expanded practice” of movement, but my painting practice was fairly conventional. I worked mostly in landscape, portraiture, still life, and interiors. My friends, dogs, and children always found their way into my work.

I was born and raised in Alaska in the unceded lands of the Deni’ina and the Łingit, where the landscape and the light demand your attention at every turn; where the tides are check like big city traffic; where the trees and flowers send clues as to what the following seasons have in store; where animals (including dogs) are relied upon for survival and make it possible to thrive.

I studied watercolor and ink drawing in Alaska, and went on to study oil painting and portraiture in Los Angeles. I was building a name for myself, showing my work up and down the west coast.

A Devastating Shift

In 2012 tragedy struck. Our second child unexpectedly died. Within six months, both our dogs passed. Everything in my life shifted radically. My interests turned away from the outside world as a sought to make sense of my “new normal”. I met sorrow with curiosity. I became very engaged in looking at representations of grief and joy in the art historical record. I share this because my engagement with mourning and happiness lead to a deep academic and artistic pursuit.

As time passed, my art practice became more rigorous. I began a social practice working with newly bereaved families, facilitating grief teams and projects including casket adornment and memorial planning. I was invited to speak on panels, work with medical students, and my artwork was featured at conferences on death and dying.

Artist for Hire

In 2018, I went back to school and began a Master of Fine Art at San Francisco State University School of Art. I reached out to my community to help with travel expenses.

My work had become significantly different exploring grief and motherhood, but for the price of a round trip ticket on budget airline, I’d be your artist for hire. I made drawings of dogs, cats, horses, children, grandparents, and childhood homes. About two dozen friends in our community ordered drawings and I funded a sizable portion of my expenses. I finished my MFA in spring of 2020 as the world was shutting down due to Covid 19.

A New Process

Back to Dutchess.

I’d just accepted the Dutchess commission when I stumbled across Masterpiece Brand’s oval canvases. I was picking up an order at  Blue Rooster Art Supply here in Los Angeles and when I saw the canvases and I think I laughed out loud. A painting of a dog should never take itself too seriously and using this classical format was so serious. It was the most perfect place for Dutchess’ portrait. I still use the oval format for all my animal paintings.

I’ve never been a fan of working from photos so I had him send me every video of his sweet dog he had. I asked lots of questions about their favorite hikes and his wife’s favorite colors. I approached the composition like a collage, referencing stories about the pup’s life.

The portrait was a success.

Here We Are

Fast forward 3 years. By 2024 I was doing enough drawings and paintings of animals (both portraits and in memoriam) to warrant an online shop, website, and Instagram. I continue my more esoteric art practice, but the Furtorialist work is so fulfilling: to make a piece of art that I know is going to live on someone’s wall for years to come, especially of something as beloved as a pet…. [finish paragrph

A.R. Keiner (nee Alexis Roberts) is a Los Angeles based artist

Artist’s C.V. Here