“Love Bite”
Artist Alison Friend shows how contagious happiness can be through her quirky oil paintings. Love Bite, a recent portrait from her growing portfolio of extraordinary work, offers her signature style of anthropomorphizing an adorable animal with a unique twist. As she tells My Modern Met, “I paint funny contemporary portraits of animals with modern relatable vices, like snacks, booze, and cigarettes.”
The juxtaposition between the subjects and the style emphasizes the characters and how unusual or out of place they seem, which can be disarming yet alluring. “They are the complete opposite of the dour porcelain-skinned human subject in the Old Masters,” Friend explains, “but something about painting my characters in this traditional way gives them more gravitas and makes them even funnier.”
From the subjects’ expressions to their random array of objects, Friend sets the scene in each painting to feel a range of pleasant emotions—be it joy, whimsy, or even nostalgia. In a piece titled U Ok Bun?, for instance, Friend evokes a tender sense of empathy and a gentleness that’s reminiscent of childhood as two doe-eyed bunnies share a tender moment reading a book together. Meanwhile, another painting titled The Agony and the Ecstasy relies on visual irony and situational humor. In this artwork, the subject is a dog with an outstretched tongue that falls just short of licking the ice cream cone in his paws because he’s wearing a cone himself.
“I make these paintings because I love the act of painting,” Friend admits, “but I also love being entertained by these animals as characters and how they unfold as the paintings progress.” She leaves the story behind each piece open to interpretation. They can have as much or as little meaning as the viewer wants, making them accessible and digestible for anyone, regardless of whether they are an art lover or not.
Her book Dog Only Knows contains more of these adorable, anthropomorphized animals, each with its own story for the viewer to indulge in. “Looking back at the pieces from the show that really resonated with people made me realize how important storytelling is in my work,” the artist says. “It can be something as simple as a side glance or a tight squeeze of a toy, but even these small things make the viewer think about that character’s bigger story.”
Artist Alison Friend combines contemporary pet paintings with traditional stylings of the Old Masters to create something extremely charming.
“The Agony and the Ecstacy”
“Rosie”
Her oil paintings anthropomorphize animals, giving each of them a distinct personality, as well as hints at their interests.
“Rabbit Had Bad Habits”
Each portrait gives the viewer the freedom to imagine an entire backstory for the quirky character featured.
“Falconry for Beginners”
Friend discovered the significance of storytelling through her art and believes every little detail can be another Easter egg in a much bigger story.
“Crowned Prince of Squirrel Chasing”
“She Followed Him Home”
Though her subjects often have a prop or two with them, even those without any have very expressive faces that are sure to make you smile.
“Crystal”
“They Called Him The Big Fondue”
Friend now has a book, called Dog Only Knows, featuring over 125 of her animal portraits.
“Self Help and Pickles”
“U ok Bun?”
Alison Friend: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Alison Friend.
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