Gift Guide for the Animal Lover

Mexico City-based multidisciplinary artist Carlos Rodriguez creates images for and with community at the forefront of his mind. Exploring sexuality, desire and gender identity, Rodriguez’s second print with ART FOR CHANGE, Garras Protectoras, looks to Paleolithic cultures where men worshiped animal spirits for this composition of support, warmth and protection.

Prior to the Paleolithic Era, the Tyrannosaurus Rex ruled the world, as the largest land carnivores of all time. With hollow bones and a possible max running speed of up to 45 miles an hour, there’s no wonder these storied creatures are equal parts feared and revered in the human conscience. Los Angeles-based artist Liz Markus took a different approach to these ferocious foes, and swathed her Giant Green TRex with rainbow auras and lush, dripping flowers in technicolor hues.

North Yorkshire-based painter Lydia Blakeley has carved a space for herself as an eminent, emerging painter of the domestic animal kingdom. Known for her pet portraits, which secured her a collaboration with ACNE Studios, Reflections 3 (Chonky) is a playful composition with a vast array of jovial and thoughtful hand-embellishments. From fish swimming in the sink, spilled toothpaste along the bowl, or a superhero collar, each unique version of Reflections 3 (Chonky) captures the spirit and personality of our most mysterious furry friends, and a glimpse into their lives and inner thoughts when we may not be looking.

The full moon lights the way for our feline friend in Caris Reid’s meditative composition, Hunter’s Moon. The artist’s mystical, pastel space explodes with bold, saturated hues in a harmonious breadth of colors, creating an otherworldly atmosphere in this quiet work. Named for the October full moon commonly associated with the preparation for winter, Reid’s sharp feline channels this abundant, focused instinct and continually lures the viewer back into its gaze.

In his first collaboration with ART FOR CHANGE, James Ulmer’s silkscreened composition expresses the joy and unconditional love that can only be expressed through our pets. One Foot in the Door demonstrates Ulmer's keen ability to convey emotion through negative space and is an excellent example of the rudimentary visual vocabulary that defines his style. Capturing the childlike pleasure of these first encounters with a minimalist restraint, One Foot in the Door is a work all pet owners can relate to.