Max

Jennifer Gomberg

ARTIST STATEMENT

In this painting, I really wanted to capture the personality of my dog, Max. My family adopted Max through a family that could not take care of him anymore, but they never trained him. As a result, Max has some strange quirks that no trainer has ever been able to fix. Despite that, he still has sweet and loving heart, and that is the main quality I wanted to convey.

I emphasized the colors, especially in Max's fur, so the painting seems more lively and exciting. In order to give a sense of light, I used warmer colors on the left side of his face, and cooler colors on the right side of his face. Darker values around his eyes create a greater contrast with his fur, displaying his innocent eyes. Choppy brushstrokes give Max a fluffy and cuddly appearance. After pondering over the background, I decided to paint the background pink, as it complements the pink and purple hues in Max's fur and nose, yet contrasts with the other hues enough so he stands out. 

​Like all other dogs, Max has his own unique personality. By using brush technique and color effectively, I believe that Max's character really comes through in this painting.