About Mary Reed Johnson

I’ve always been a painter of portraits, but mostly of people. Painting dogs is easier because dogs don’t care how they look and aren’t upset if the portrait isn’t flattering.

When I board dogs, I take pictures and send them to their owners. I realized that the more exuberant action shots showing how much fun the dogs are having are not what work best for painting.

I need static poses that show mood and emotion and almost always a kind of dignity. It’s important to me that the portraits show the rich and varied personality of each dog.

With a Masters in Fine Art from U.C. Berkeley, I have shown and taught in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past forty years.