“Putting on the Ritz” D’Jango by Troy Broussard, 2019, 11 x 14″ canvas. Private Collection, New Orleans.
A few recent Pet Portraits by Troy Broussard: The dog has been man’s best friend for thousands of years and, in many cases, the dog has perfected the relationship better than man has. I grew up with dogs—all types of animals really. The Broussards always had dogs and cats, but at certain points in my childhood we also had Guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, rabbits, hermit crabs, chickens, ducks, geese, guineafowl, parakeets, tropical fish, goldfish, turtles, a crawfish, a lamb, a horse, pigs, a raccoon, and even an alligator. We had just about everything but a monkey. So between my history with animals and my artistic talents, it seems a natural fit to paint pet portraits, right?
I cannot recall how my pet portrait business began. And if pressed for an answer, I would venture that friends wanted to appreciate my talents but with little interest in my Cajun scenes.
“The Haute Pets” Lucy & Chanel by Troy Broussard, 2018, 16 x 20″ canvas. Private collection, Houston.
I have had three dogs to call my own. Beautiful blue-eyed Penny Lane whom I got while at LSU died at 19 from old age; crazy Katie Scarlett died at 10 from cancer; and now I have the chubby little wiggle-butt Delta Dawn to delight my days and nights. Early in my art career I would do self-portraits and always include my dog. Perhaps it was a natural progression to remove myself from the canvas and just paint the animal.
In 1994 I did a small Christmas oil painting of Penny Lane which, on a whim, I entered in the art exhibition of the Houston-Harris County Fair. The following week I drove to the fairgrounds and looked around but could not find my piece. I thought it had been misplaced. But when I asked about the painting I received an astonished gasp from the docent and was shown to the display case at the front of the arena. And there, dwarfed by a big blue ribbon like a prize heifer, was my painting. Wow! I had not only won the blue ribbon for Seasonal Crafts and but was also awarded Reserve Grand Champion for Decorative Arts. I honestly did not think the painting was that good. But now I can say that I am an award winning pet portrait artist.
“Dogs on a Tile Floor”, Buddy & Kiki the Rotty by Troy Broussard, pencil on 18 x 24″ paper. Private collection, Lafayette.
Humankind has a long history of pet portraiture. An early example of the inclusion of family pets in art is Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, 1434, depicting a couple with their little yapper in the center foreground. The iconography of including dogs with humans in paintings signifies loyalty and wealth. But during the 19th Century it became increasingly popular to paint animals without their humans such as Edwin Henry Landseer’s A Favorite Greyhound of Prince Albert, 1841, or Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Margot, 1881. Animal art also became a novelty and sometimes a social critique, bringing to mind Alfred de Dreux’s Pug Dog in an Armchair, 1857, or Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s infamous Dogs Playing Poker, 1894. And of course, Louisiana’s George Rodrigue gave the world the ultimate pop art pet portraits, the Blue Dog.
“Luxe Cats” Hermes & Tiffany by Troy Broussard, 2019 on 18 x 24″canvas. Private collection, Houston.
Approximately 70% of American households own pets, according to a statistic I saw somewhere. And everyone that I know thinks of their animals as members of the family. So with the billions of dollars Americans spend on their pets, I hope to get a few more canvases on the easel.
I have painted and sketched animals from life, it is a much more convenient process to work from photographs. Besides, most of my clients have a photo that signifies a particular event in their lives of is a particular favorite of the animal and my painting will make the scene more vibrant.
The photograph will tell me the size and medium that I will use. I usually study the photo for a few weeks until it speaks to me. And I cannot begin until I answer most of the little questions in my head.
“Winston” by Troy Broussard, 2019 on 8 x 10″ canvas. Private collection, Houston.
My paintings are usually given a name that describes the picture, like Dogs on a Tile Floor or Dog on a Green Sofa. But not always–I just finished a cat named “Winston” and a dog named “Bear”. Verso, along with my signature and the title of the painting, I record the year and the name of the animal or animals.
It is such a rewarding experience to deliver a finished pet portrait, for both me and the person who commissioned it. As the artist, it is gratifying to see the look on the face of the person receiving the painting. And when the awful day comes when the subject is no longer of this world, I often get a call or an email from the owner telling me how much it means to have the painting and what a cherished part of the household and family heirloom it has become. That makes me feel good too.
Pet portraiture has become big business. So what better way to commemorate your fur baby than to commission a formal portrait? Click this link to see more pet portraits: TroysArt – Pets Gallery
Troy Broussard Exhibits:
“Troy Broussard Paints the Town”, W.H. Tupper Museum, Jennings, LA 2008
Feature Artist (Louisiana Landscapes), Jennings Alive, Jennings, LA 2007
Feature Artist (Louisiana Landscapes), LA Ducks Unlimited State Convention, Baton Rouge, LA 2007
“Bear” by Troy Broussard, 2018, pencil on 8 x 10″ paper. Private collection, Jennings.
“Inside the Lines” (Still Life Paintings), Wade Wilson Art & Tart Café, Houston, TX, 2006
“Mimosas & Art” (Mixed Paintings), Artist’s Open House & Studio, Houston, TX 2006
“Two Guys Painting” (Still Life Paintings & Nudes) Lowell Collins Gallery, Houston, TX, 2005
“Home for the Holidays” (12 Years of Louisiana Oils, Recent Still Lifes, & Mini Ornament Paintings), Zigler Art Museum, Jennings, LA, 2004-2005
“Cocktails, Fine Dining, & Art” (Still Life Paintings) Pujo Street Café, Lake Charles, LA, 2004
“An Artsy Fartsy Thing” (Still Life Paintings & Nudes) Spa 1107, Houston, TX, 2004
“Cajun Art on Canvas” (Cajun Genre Oils) The Southern Cup, Welsh, LA, 1997
“Cajun Louisiana on Canvas” (Cajun Genre Oils) Work of Art Gallery, Houston, TX, 1996
“Diversed Works—Sporting to Interiors” (Mixed Paintings) Work of Art Gallery, Houston, TX, 1995
Selected Group or Mixed Exhibits:
Delta Dawn sketch, collection of the artist.
Group Exhibition (Louisiana Landscapes), Gallery 549, Lafayette, LA, 2008
Group Exhibition (Louisiana Landscapes), Gallery 549, Lafayette, LA, 2007
“Trains, Things, & Christmas Too” (Mini Ornament Paintings), Zigler Art Museum, Jennings, LA, 2007
“A Christmas to Remember” (Cityscapes), W.H. Tupper Museum, Jennings, LA, 2007
Feature Artist (Still Life Paintings), Empower Houston, Houston, TX, 2005
Spring Show (1st Place Print), HCCS Main Gallery, Houston, TX, 2002
Grand Opening Exhibition (Vortex Paintings), Arabica Gallery, Houston, TX, 1996
Troy Broussard’s Awards:
2004 – Voted favorite male artist, Houston Voice Awards
1994 – Houston-Harris County Fair, Blue Ribbon in Seasonal Crafts and Reserve Grand Champion in Decorative Arts for a small Christmas portrait of a dog Penny Lane.