Horses and Parrots and Fish, Oh My! Top Animal Art Shows Creativity Unleashed

Now Open! 2nd Annual Best in Show Pets Art Competition

Top “Other” Winner

Fire and Ice

Living in Alaska gives Diane Paoletti ample opportunities to capture the majesty of animals and nature. So what was it about this horse that sparked her imagination?

“My biggest inspiration for this painting was my granddaughters, who are currently taking horseback riding lessons,” Paoletti explains. “The biggest surprise in creating it was the background and how much I enjoyed the process of the abstract coming together with the realism of the horse.”

Why It Stands Out

“The background enhances the narrative and the painting has a great quality and wonderful light. I love the fiery background against the cool of the subject, which really made this horse jump off the page.”

Bev Jozwiak
Juror

Meet the Artist

Diane Paoletti

Diane Paoletti is a self-taught artist who learned by studying the techniques and methods of the European Old Masters. For the past 8 years, she has taught oil painting from her studio in Alaska, where the majestic landscape has led her to embrace plein air painting.

“I believe it is my privilege to teach the means of making art, not the ends,” she says. “I hope to give students the skills they need to express their own creative ideas.”

Explore her work

Diane’s Advice for Artists

CAPTURE THE ANIMAL’S SPIRIT

“I think the biggest asset one can achieve in being an animal artist is to be able to capture the spirit of the animal. I believe that when God created each animal He gave each a spirit and to be able to convey that is always my goal in painting.”

Honorable Mentions

READ MORE ABOUT THEM BELOW

Red Orange Symphony


St Elmo’s Fire


Bellus Equus


Moooo


Aly and Buster

Red Orange Symphony

“I have a koi pond and always love how the fish surface and the water moves around them! I pushed the color with anticipation of evoking a brilliant, sunny day. I was aiming for a level of completion that would marry a refined focal point with an abstract secondary focal and background.” —Michelle Held

Why It Stands Out

“I just love the grace, movement and color that exudes from these beautiful fish! Great contrasting colors, nice painterly feel, and wonderful edge work.”

Bev Jozwiak
Juror

St Elmo’s Fire

“This was the first painting I created after my dad passed away. I was interested in exploring introspection, memories, and spirituality to understand the changing world around me. St Elmo’s Fire represented a moment where nature transcended into the otherworldly—a symbolic and surrealist narrative to visualize my own relationships with grief, peace, and hope.” —Ally Morgan

Why It Stands Out

“This painting really makes you think. It glows, and the jewel below the fish makes for a compelling story.”

Bev Jozwiak
Juror

Bellus Equus

“I adopted a two-year-old Pryor Mountain Mustang filly who had been rounded up by a helicopter. By the second day, she trusted me enough to allow me to touch her and then began to follow me around. She was a joy to train and I enjoy every moment in her company. Because of my feelings for her, the artwork just came together.” —Rosellen Westerhoff

Why It Stands Out

“This is so much more than just a portrait. There is no denying the technical skill involved. You can almost reach out and touch that coat in all its glorious colors, and the shadows under the mane are a stroke of genius.”

Bev Jozwiak
Juror

Moooo

“I took the original reference photo for this at an Amish farm on a local bike trail. I walked up and this cow was so friendly that I snapped some candid shots. I loved the bubbles from her nose, the reflection of light, and her kind, gentle eyes. I was just in love with her from the start.” —Kathy Leib

Why It Stands Out

“The background helps to tell the story, but doesn’t detract from the humorous subject.”

Bev Jozwiak
Juror

Aly and Buster

“Each spring, at the end of the California rainy season, herds of goats are brought into the neighborhood park to eat up the dry, flammable brush and fertilize the soil. Aly and Buster stood out from the crowd as calm, silent leaders. A sketch onsite, a reference photograph, and some rearranging while I drew resulted in this friendly portrait, with Aly chewing her grass nonchalantly, while Buster watches over her protectively.” —Paul Ranshohoff

Why It Stands Out

“A fun story, depicted in such a spontaneous way.”

Bev Jozwiak
Juror

Calling all animal-loving artists! Put your best paw forward in our pets themed art competition for a chance to win $1750, an artist’s spotlight, and more!
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