Artist Looks Back on Decades of Work With Miami Art Week Murals

UK-based creator My Dog Sighs has loved art throughout his entire life. From sneaking it into side gigs to fortunately turning it into a living, he ultimately aims to become better and better with every project he completes. After all, creating art is more than just a job for him—it's the one thing he loves, and he considers himself lucky to be able to do it time and time again.

While some recurring motifs have become synonymous with his work—from eye murals to can art—the true beauty in the work of My Dog Sighs is in the details, making each mural, each painting, and each experimental project unique and special.

Recently, My Dog Sighs took his now world-famous colorful eyes to Miami Art Week. There, he transformed four walls into brightly colored pieces. While still connected thematically, the pieces serve as the perfect example as to why standing by a design or pattern doesn't limit an artist. Instead, it inspires one to use their creativity to the fullest.

My Modern Met has been following the work of My Dog Sighs for over a decade now, seeing him experiment with projects big and small, and canvases that go from the traditional to the unexpected. We recently had the fortunate opportunity to catch up with him and take a look back at his long career. Read on for My Modern Met's exclusive interview with My Dog Sighs.

How did your painting journey begin?

I’ve always painted. In the ’80s it was friends’ leather jackets, the ’90s rave backdrops but I never thought I’d be able to make a living from it. So I got a “proper job” and moved on with my life. In the early 2000s, I stumbled across the emerging street art scene and was hooked. It was the perfect opportunity to create with complete freedom. No galleries curating. Just my own creative drive pushing me forwards. As the scene exploded, I was in the right place at the right time.

Can you tell us what your creative process look like?

I’m lucky to work in a few different styles, both in my street art, mural painting, and studio work, so no two days in the studio are the same. I have a very short attention span so I’m often flitting from one piece to the next, with 30-40 pieces on the go at the same time. It means my studio is chaos. But it’s my happy place.

We've featured your work for over 12 years now! Looking back, how do you feel about the evolution of your practice over the years?

I’m incredibly lucky to have found the thing I love. Over the years, I’ve only ever strived to better the last piece I’ve created and the journey has been just that. One piece better than the last. The importance of play and experimentation has been key. I love the quote attributed to Picasso, “Inspiration exists but it has to find you working,” and I’ve followed that mantra, keeping busy all the time, in the hope that with every artwork I produce I get a little bit better.

Since you've experimented with both as an artist, what do you like about smaller canvases and what do you enjoy about large-scale murals?

I love the variety. Mural work offers me the opportunity to travel and meet up with other artists. Working on the street offers excitement and the opportunity to interact with the audience but my studio work keeps the introverted side of me content. Sometimes hiding away in my studio painting with a tiny brush with only three hairs and lost in tiny details is the perfect meditations, other times, being among different communities, playing with scale and throwing paint on huge walls with spray cans gets my juices flowing. I’m also moving into more sculptural work which is pushing my skill base and keeping everything fresh.

Is there a story or meaning behind the recurring eye motif in your work?

I stumbled into the eyes quite late in my creative journey but find it the perfect vehicle to explore stories and narratives. I’m often touted as the artist who paints eyes but for me it’s the ability to hide stories within the reflections. Stories of love, loss, people and place.

You're also known for your can art. What's the latest with that project?

I was honored to be invited to have a museum show in Paris last year with a focus on my cans, pushing myself to move to oil paint as a new medium, this new medium really stretched the possibilities and outcome of my cans. They are like family. Each with their own history, their own personality. Each stepping into the world to lead their own journey.

Is there a particular painting you're most proud of?

It’s a cheesy answer but the best artwork I’ll ever create is the next one. Every piece an artist makes has elements they like and elements they’re not happy with. I pull the good elements forward and work on the bits I don’t like.

What do you hope people will take away from your art?

The hope, with everything I make, is that there is some connection with the audience. The dream is that some element gets stuck in their head/heart and that it makes them view their world in a slightly different way.