Betsy Doody is a yellow Labrador reincarnated. Since 1992, she has evolved as a pet portrait painter, devoting most of her work to the 'canis domesticus'. Her style reflects both her whimsical point of view and formal training at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art. Painting primarily in oil, other mediums have included gouache and watercolor. She has also studied printmaking at Tulane University.

Prior to Betsy's immersion into the lives of dogs, she studied Economics at Denison University and did a short stint at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. Realizing that most of the economists were rarely in agreement and that the profession was anything but an exact science, she quickly exited that dreary gray world for years of retail exposure in clothing stores, restaurants and funeral homes. All of this lead to to spending more time with her dogs, caught in the quiet where she discovered her passion . . . being with and painting dogs.

We have all heard it said that, "the eyes are the window to the soul." Dogs are no exception. Each painting begins there, offering a glimpse into the personality of that particular dog. The eyes actually determine the direction and success of the entire piece, inviting the artist, owner, and observer into the heart of the dog's inner world.

Betsy lives with her three dogs - Emma, Birch, and George - in New Orleans and Northern Michigan. Her works to date are primarily private commissions and her client-base is worldwide. Betsy can be reached at betsydoody@canineart.com

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