Everyone loves Max!
Max is my Labrador retriever who was born on July 4th seven years ago. Every year we have a big celebration for him here in Boston with music, fireworks and of course plenty of food. The Boston Pops play for us while Max gets his birthday sausage.
Every artist should have a pet. I am partial to dogs. Their loyalty is unshakable, their love unconditional and their intelligence impressive. In fact, they know you better than you may know yourself. A dog can sense your mood while you may not even be aware of your own true emotion. Researcher Alexandra Horowitz will show you the amazing perceptual and cognitive abilities of dogs in her remarkable and delightful book (1).
Max makes a perfect and patient model in my studio and I don’t even have to pay him in money. He likes to hang out in the studio because it is bright and quiet and, like me he likes the scent of paint. Moreover, Max always likes what I paint; he is a true fan in full admiration of my artwork. His motive is not to erode my self-confidence but to please me. It makes me feel good to have him there.
(1) Alexandra Horowitz: Inside of a Dog, What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. Scribner, 2009