HILARIOUS PAINTINGS PORTRAYS ANIMALS DOING NORMAL HUMAN THINGS

Although oil painting has been practiced for centuries, modern artists from all over the world are demonstrating that the glossy, rich pigments can be used for subjects other than the conventional landscapes and portraits. British artist Alison Friend updates the Old Masters' style with traditional oil painting methods. She makes amusing anthropomorphic portraits of animals that would look good hanging in a stately home.

From a fluffy white dog caught snacking on pizza to a cat munching on Cheetos, each painting humorously brings pets to life in relatable, playful ways. By depicting animals with human objects, outfits, and emotions, each image tells a story and creates a strong connection with the viewer.

For Friend, the core of everything she makes is humor. She created comic strips as a kid that showed her neighbors' cats acting like people. She subsequently illustrated children's picture books, using humanistic animals as major characters. Friend now concentrates on her oil painting series, producing her artwork from her studio in the charming Lake District of England. The universal appeal and relatable humor of Friend's paintings make them appealing to viewers of all backgrounds. Her artwork has been shown in galleries in Los Angeles, London, Singapore, and Australia, as well as at the Outsider Art Fair in New York.

Friend said, "I want that old traditional feel for my paintings, but I try to depict funny contemporary characters with their modern relatable vices, like snacks, booze, and cigarettes. They are the complete opposite of the often dour porcelain-skinned human subjects in the portraits of the Old Masters." "They often have the same dour expressions as their Old Master counterparts...especially the cats," the artist continues.

Friend wants everyone who sees her paintings to feel happy. "I want my paintings to make people smile and laugh," she says. "I want the characters to remind them of the animals in their own lives." Friend jokingly adds, “I want them to go home and look at their dog and wonder if he’s been smoking a crafty cigarette while they’ve been out.”