greyboy pet prints

all images copyright and by kindest permission of the artist, m. pratt

One of the sincerest functions of art is its service to memory, both as an aid and a tribute.  California artist Mandi Pratt uses her skills in photography and printmaking to this end through her studio, Greyboy Pet Prints.  Would you like a photography session?  She'll ask you for your pet's story, learn about his or her personality, and make a comfortable, natural experience so your pet's true self can shine. 

Perhaps you'd rather have an artistic etching created from a photo you love; perhaps your pet is now with you only in memory.  The lovely thing about an etching is how it can bring a particular tactile quality to what you remember.  And if you wish, Pratt can include a very small bit of your pet's ashes into the etching ink.

She kindly shared a couple of photos that illustrate the etching process: wiping down an etched plate...

...and pulling a print from an inked plate.

Visit Greyboy Pet Prints here.  And don't miss Greyboy on Instagram!

be here meow with krista brooks

all images copyright and by kindest permission of krista brooks

Krista Brooks creates pet-themed images with a particular flair: the bright colors and optimistic, direct appeal found in advertisements and graphics of days gone by.  "Zen Kitty," above, was the first of hers I'd ever seen, and it's perfect.  It's fresh and full of peace and nature, and yet it's up to the minute with its popping pink motto exhorting us to "Be Here Meow."  It does make me want to be here meow.  You know I can never see one thing I like by an artist without finding out more.  That's how I ended up at Brooks' site, Retro Pets.

If there were Sweet Little King apples or pears, this would be the crate label for them.  To give you a sense of how well she captures the feel of the genre, here's a vintage fruit crate label for comparison.
At Brooks' site you can watch a short video telling the story of how Retro Pets came to be. It came organically:  she moved to New Mexico from Boston with a bag of clothes and art supplies, and one day afterward a friend asked her to paint his dog.  So she did, in the way she loved best - as a retro-style label.  That was a hit (and deservedly, as you will see).  Encouraged, she did a few more like that and showed locally, and then word and image got out to all our mutual joy.
Last but not least,  I have to share my favorite, which I am tempted to place prominently in the Museum kitchen: