dogs beautifully drawn

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artist

Marcus Gannuscio is an artist with deep respect for art crafted to a classic standard. Recently after a visit to his blog I wrote him a note saying what a rare pleasure it was to find Puvis De Chavannes, Paul Klee, and a video on micropiglets in one place - and well woven, too. Does the piglet reference surprise you? It won't after you have the chance to share in Marcus' consideration of the animal in us all:

Animals have become a renewed interest for me. Growing up I did some of my initial life drawing practice at the San Diego Zoo. This is before I even started learning to draw the human figure. However, through college the focus became more the human figure. Now, since I live with two dogs, and I am taking my work in a new direction I am refocusing on animals again. It's not just the variety of species and behaviors that interests me, but how people identify with animals. It's really interesting, sometimes it's on a very surface level, and other times it's more shamanic. I can't help but think about how we relate to animals, I see it in my own relationships with my dogs and over-hear other onlookers at the zoo talking about the animal in the enclosure. We want to identify with animals, partly because we are animals ourselves, and forgot. We used to be more a part of the animal kingdom, as cave paintings show, but now the best it gets for most people is a trip to the zoo, and if we are lucky a safari. Animals exhibit a lot of strength.

See more of Marcus' fine work at his perfectly titled website, reallygoodpaintings.com.