immediate smile, dog version

original artwork courtesy of and rights reserved by artist TheLittleKiwi

TheLittleKiwi is Caitlin, a young artist in Northern California currently studying for her Bachelors in studio art.(Curator's correction:  Caitlin graduated from HSU! Congratulations.)  This unnamed dog piece is in acrylic, which lends itself well to bright colors.  That's part of where this fellow gets his lively feel, but mostly it's those bright eyes and that smile. Let me bring in what Caitlin had to say here:

"This guy was actually the start of my dog series. He was a school assignment to represent optimism. I couldn't think of anything that would spread happiness like a smiling puppy. I ended up working on my other dogs to expand on this concept. Since I'm a believer in adoption, I wanted to portray dogs that were in shelters. Each one has its own unique personality. Hopefully, when people see them, they will realize that shelter puppies can bring just as much happiness as any other dog."

She paints these portraits from photographs, which makes the immediate hope in this little guy's face all the more impressive.  You can keep up with her through her Etsy shop here.  And I hope with all my heart this pup found a home worthy of him.