b'The paints and brushes come and go,but my four-legged critics and my musicare non-negotiable.Carol Luzonly my companions but also my muses, Music is absolutely always playingbringingadeeperauthenticityand whileIpaint.ItseitherSiriusXMswarmth to my work. YachtRockRadioforthosesmoothvibes,HairNationwhenIneedsomerock energy, or 1st Wave for my favorite80s nostalgia. Im usually singing (badly)anddancinglikeIhavetwoleftfeetwhile I paint. Judy and Elroy just stare atme and shake their headsclearly, notMyjourneyintopetportraitsbegan impressed with my moves.unexpectedlywhileIwaspaintinga Oh, my desk is basically an organ-seascape. I thought it would be funny to ized disaster. Its a glorious mess of paintaddmydog,Elroy,wearingafloatie tubes, crusty brushes, random scraps ofinnertubeandjoyfullyplayinginthe tape, sticky jars of medium, and a smallwaves.Thatsinglewhimsicaladdition mountain of paint-smeared paper tow-changedeverything.Somethingabout els. Theres probably a cup of now-coldthe humor and personality it brought to teahidingintheresomewheretoo.Ithe painting just clicked. Ever since that donthaveonefavoritethingbecausemoment,Ihaventbeenabletostop JudyandElroyaremytwoJack honestly,Ineedallofit.Thesecondpainting dogs doing humorous, human- Russells,andtheyreactuallysiblings somethinggoesmissing(likethatonelikethings.Eachpiecetellsastory, from the same litter. I named them after brush size I swear was just here), its acapturing the playful spirit of dogs in a thebrotherandsistercharactersfrom full-blown creative emergency. way that makes people smile, which is the 1960s animated sitcom The Jetsons,exactly why I love what I do. whichfeelsfittingbecausetheyeachhavesuchdistinctpersonalities.Elroylikes to think hes the alpha, but in reali-ty, Judy rules the roost. Theyre always bymysideinthestudiowhileIpaintunless,ofcourse,theresasquirrelorgopheroutside,orif"daddy"iseatingsomething particularly irresistible. Theirantics and expressions constantly inspireme,makingthemtheperfectstudiocompanions.Right now, my studio is what mostpeople would call a dining roomif wecouldactuallydineinthere.Ivecompletely taken it over with canvases,I did not have dogs growing up, but paints,andbrushes,muchtomyhus-Ivealwaysbeenfascinatedbytheir bandsamusement. Thisroomhasthepersonalities, quirks,andthejoythey best light, with big windows that floodbring to peoples lives. As an artist, this the space with soft, clear brightness all Current projects in the works includecuriosity led me to observe and imagine day. Its my happy chaos. When Im in 12 individual paintings of two Jackthemanywaysdogsinteractwiththe there, surrounded by that glow and my Russell Terriers, Max and Lucy, for anworldoftenwithhumorandcharm. workinprogress,Ifeelenergizedand upcoming 2026 calendar. Im alsoNow, as an adult with dogs of my own, I completely in my element, even if Judy creating several new pieces for anfindendlessinspirationintheirantics and Elroy do have to dodge easels to get art show this July at the Reboli Centerand expressions. They have become not to their dog beds. in Stony Brook, New York.44 THE NEW BARKER'