Pablo Picasso once said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Nothing could ring more true for Fredericka Krauss Howard, Cheryl Rausch, Sherylee Dodge, and Carol Foster. Blessed with both creative genius and caring hearts, these local artists share their talents to promote animal welfare and humane causes.

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These gifted artists are dog fanciers who share studio space with rescued pets. Not only have these constant companions enriched each artist’s life, but they’ve also served as their inspirational muses. Spending hours with their furry partner while creating art has created a tight bond between artist and pet. Each artist describes closely interwoven relationships with their pets.

It’s no surprise their preferred subject matter has become the noble canine and sometimes a cat. It’s also no surprise these artists have strong desires and commitments to help pets who aren’t as fortunate as the ones resting comfortably at their feet under their drawing tables or easels. They know our shelters are loaded with forgotten pets longing to become somebody’s — anybody’s — muse! These artists do care and haven’t forgotten.

Each artist’s work is unique, exhibiting very different styles. What they share in common, however, is a love of pets and an apparent understanding of the soul and heart of those they depict. Whether working in ink, watercolor, oil on canvas, colored pencil, or through the lens of a camera, each adeptly captures their canine/feline subjects’ familiar expressions.

Being recognized for their artistic accomplishments and seeing their many framed artworks displayed on countless walls in private collections isn’t quite enough for these generous artists. Sharing a common desire to give through their talents, they donate their time and artwork to help pets in need and are making a difference.

Fredericka Krauss Howard has earned more than her “fifteen minutes of fame” in the art world of the Western Suburbs. As founder of Gallery 200, a showplace for local talent in West Chicago, she was awarded the prestigious Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award in ‘09. Recognized for her commitment to community activism, “Fred,” as friends call her, has become a well-known fixture in her community where she taught art for many years, established an art scholarship for young aspiring artists and continues to encourage creative endeavors in her hometown.

Fredericka is never happier than when teaching “Drawing Your Pet’s Portrait” on an “ArtShare Saturday” at Gallery 200. In fact, people who know her claim “animal–speak” is her native tongue. Her students’ ages and abilities are across the board, but with her guidance, they all proudly accomplish a drawing of their pet and leave the gallery feeling satisfied.

Her recent one-woman show, “60 Years of Art,” featured many historic old barns that once stood in our area, but these were outnumbered by her many colored pencil drawings of beloved pets.

Her drawing style is loose and she’ll even scratch into the drawing surface before she puts pencil to paper, capturing the texture and movement of the pet’s fur. Her strokes and colors are layered methodically, although they appear fast and furious.

Fredericka is also an accomplished calligrapher and often will combine her drawings of dogs and cats with accompanying pithy sayings. These are favorites at the gallery.

Fredericka’s love for animals and drawing people’s pets has been her focus for many years. Donating her work to Good As Gold’s Golden Night at the Brookfield Zoo event, Collie Rescue’s Raffle events and Vendor Fair, Naperville Area Humane Society’s Black Cat Ball and Holiday Bazaar with donated items helps re-home animals. Schatzie, her sweet, rescued cocker spaniel reminds her everyday of the great dogs out there who are depending on her to keep drawing. She can be contacted through www.facebook.com/Gallery200.

Cheryl Rausch, illustrator, photographer and graphic designer finds she’s commissioned to draw and photograph many people, especially athletes. She’s an accomplished botanical illustrator as well and participates in the Morton Arboretum’s Artists’ Guild exhibits, but her true calling really shines when she illustrates someone’s cherished pet.  Cheryl says, “My passion has always been animal conservation and pet rescue. Consequently, I have adopted several of my own fur babies as well as fostered shelter pets while they wait for their forever homes. I volunteer in an effort to help find homes for these homeless pets.”

Like Fredericka, Cheryl lives with a rescued dog. She laughs as she affectionately shares, “My fur boy’s name is Tigger. He’s an 11-year-old Dutch Shepherd who came from a rescue as an exuberant puppy.

“He’s been such a handful over the years, and there were times I was tearing my hair out due to his high-strung, naughty personality. But no matter what, he’s always been my sweet, sensitive furry soul who’s always with me in whatever I do. I work from home, so we’re together day and night, and we wouldn’t want it any other way!”  With her humorous tone she admits, “I’ve got tons of stories about him being bad, but I’d rather talk about how he can just stare at me with his soulful eyes and I’ll know exactly what he wants — which is usually love…or food!”

Cheryl says giving back is important to her, and this is why she donates 10% of every illustration or photography commission to an animal shelter or rescue of the client’s choosing. She explains, “This is an effort to not only create portraits for pet lovers, but also help the many rescue organizations that work tirelessly finding homes for every homeless animal. My work is not limited to simply dogs or cats, I photograph or draw/paint pets of any kind — furry, feathery or scaly.”

“Realism” best describes Cheryl’s style and her mediums are diverse. She works with colored pencil, graphite, acrylic wash as well as her camera. Often a photo commission will become a portrait request.

Every pet she’s been commissioned to draw or photograph has a story. For example, there’s Buddy, the beagle. She’s drawn him sitting in his cozy ‘n comfy spot, a stark contrast to this guy’s past. Buddy was found on the streets in subzero temps alone, cold, and hungry. Cheryl explains, “Since that miserable day Buddy was rescued, he’s lived a life of total happiness with a family who adores him. It was great to meet him, seeing him so happy and content. There was none of that desperation I see in my fosters who are trying to figure out who will love them. Buddy knows he’s loved forever.”  Cheryl’s work celebrates these happy endings.

Cheryl has many anecdotal stories and shares, “Many are sad, but so touching. For example, I drew Babe for a retired police officer.  Babe had sadly passed away, so I was working from photos. I was so impressed with the obvious heartfelt, tender love this strong, gruff policeman had for this dog. He described how Babe had protected his home and children when they were very young. He was so proud of that Lab and missed him so much. It was very important to him that I positioned the police collar and tag front and center in my drawing. Creating that piece for him really meant a lot to me.”

“I photograph adoptable cats for Cat Guardians, a local rescue. For their raffle, I agreed to photograph a cat and then draw the cat for an upcoming fundraiser. I arrived with my camera and was greeted by a big tabby cat that looked just like the infamous Morris. Conveniently, using my camera as a stepstool, this guy climbed up on me wrapping his whole body around my face so he could affectionately rub me all over. He reminded me so much of a stray tomcat I cared for when I was just a kid.

“I was not allowed to let him in the house, but I fed him, which did not make my parents very happy. He’d sit on the fence and wait for me. I depicted this orange tabby, who was actually sitting on a washing machine when I snapped the photo, on that fence as I remembered it. I drew him just as I recalled my tomcat — sitting there waiting.

He looked just like my ‘Mr. King’ when I finished.” Cheryl enjoyed that project and said it was especially fun for her. She was quick to mention the good news, too: “The friendly orange guy, now known as Garfield, did get adopted.”

Cheryl also volunteers with Simply Shepherds Rescue and fostered several lucky dogs last year.  Her dedication to rescue is commendable and her talent is amazing. Her work can be viewed on her website, www.cherylrauschartandillustration.com or at the Windy City Pet Expo.

Artist Sherylee Dodge is what we rescuers jokingly refer to as a “foster failure.”  This isn’t a bad thing… in fact, it’s great!  Due to her failures, Sherylee has three happy dogs: Coal, Cleo and Carrisa. They came to her family as fosters and never left.  However, Sherylee and her family have fostered and re-homed eighteen dogs in three years for Collie Rescue. Sherylee is also a transporter, volunteering to pick up and deliver dogs to wherever they need to be before they are adopted.

Sherylee’s business, Faithful Faces Pet Portraits, has grown like gangbusters in three short years!  It’s not surprising because her work is stunning.  Her style is realistic and can be described as incredibly dramatic. She works with an ink pen creating stark black and white images. In the beginning, Sherylee’s drawings were inspired by a fostered dog named Lily.

Sherylee recalls, “Lily was a Pyrenees mix with huge, soulful, amber-colored eyes. I photographed her and drew her eyes.” Sherylee continued drawing her foster dogs’ eyes in great detail, enthralled by the expressions she observed reflected in the gentle eyes of the many homeless dogs she was caring for. Little did she know, these images would spark her thriving art business.

Once called Foster Faces, referring to the fact she exclusively drew her foster dogs back then, her business is now called Faithful Faces. Due to her popularity, she is drawing lots of dogs (and cats) from all over the country these days as she continues to volunteer. www.faithfulfacespetportraits.com  showcases her beautifully drawn pets.

Ironically, for this artist who initially drew only dogs’ eyes, her own rescued dog, Coal, only has only one eye. It doesn’t seem to detract from his appeal. He’s very handsome and is showcased as part of her gallery.

Also ironic is the story of Halo. Halo is a foolishly bred, double dilute who was born blind and deaf. Collie Rescue of the Carolinas is using Sherylee’s portrait of Halo as a fundraiser. Though Halo hardly has an opening for eyes, Sherylee was able to convey the sweet, gentle personality in her rendition of this white angelic dog. Some of Sherylee’s images are also available on select items found on Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois Inc.’s website as a fundraiser.

Like the other featured artists, Sherylee is asked to draw memorial portraits. She finds these rewarding. “People are so moved. In turn, I am so humbled when I see how the drawing I’ve created for them is so meaningful. This reaction was so unexpected when I first started out, but now I see it as such a blessing. I’m so happy to know I can help people grieve in some meaningful way.”

Sherylee shares, “Now I have a reason to be drawing. Knowing I have been given a gift, but sadly, for years did not use it is unfortunate… but now?  I know why I’ve been given this blessing and it’s fulfilling.”

Sherylee describes what she does as fun, but at the same time admits, “It’s hard work as well… it’s hard work mentally. Drawing is like mental gymnastics, especially when I was just beginning. It’s gotten somewhat easier, but the tension can be there. I didn’t know who would win — it or me?  That doesn’t happen too much anymore. It just seems to come… it flows. I step back… satisfied; I look at the dog or cat I’ve completed and say, ‘okay.’”

Professional artist Carol Foster is a plain air traditional oil painter who likes to be out in nature when she’s working on landscapes. Her style is impressionistic and her canvas is generously layered with rich, vibrant color. Her studio, “Foster Moments” is so named because Carol’s intent is to foster fond memories, freezing them in time on canvas.

When working on a pet portrait, Carol prefers, if at all possible, to meet her subject to size them up. She likes to get a feel for the pet’s personality and character and uses photos for details. Most of her dogs are placed in beautiful surroundings familiar to them.

Carol paints with her rescued dog, Shannon Irene, by her side, location permitting.  Shannon is a cherished member of the family. Carol recalls, “My dear friend Pam rescued Shannon from a family who didn’t want her anymore, as she was on her way out the door to a shelter. We agreed to take her in, sight unseen. She’s my husband’s first dog and I like to say the right dog found us. She adjusted easily to living with her three feline friends and was housetrained in one day.”

Carol has exhibited at The Barrington Arts Festival, Art in the Park, Crabtree Nature Center, The Garlands of Barrington, Ela Public Library, and Lake Zurich’s Main Street Art Centre, to name a few. She’s in demand, but she still finds time to contribute to silent auctions and fundraisers benefiting homeless pets in need.

In fact, Carol’s first painting,  entitled, “Missing You Too,” was created for a silent auction fundraiser, “Collie Follies” a few years back. It fetched a pretty penny for the organization, and Carol was thrilled to have made a significant donation. This good deed encouraged her to keep painting. In fact, this painting has become Carol’s trademark and the iconic image on her website, www.fostermoments.com, inviting the viewer into Carol’s Foster Moments Gallery.

Carol says her life has not been the same since she began painting professionally. She owes it all to her desire to pick up a brush and paint her childhood memory of her beloved sheltie, Teddy. In a tranquil, snowy landscape where time stands still, her beloved, childhood pet is looking into a world quietly at peace, waiting. She says it is also reminiscent of the way her Shannon sits in the driveway waiting patiently for her dad to come home.

Ewa Jankowski, one raffle winner, was thrilled when her lucky ticket was pulled at an event. The entire family holds dear Carol’s painting of Hobbes, who has since passed away.  “It’s definitely my family’s cherished possession. We love it! It brings back so many happy memories for all of us. Carol did such a wonderful job picturing our boy, Hobbes. It’s such a beautiful keepsake,” Ewa shares. Knowing the funds from the raffle helped homeless pets makes the painting even more special for Ewa, who also fosters homeless pets.

People often ask Carol to paint a dog as a memorial. She shares, “Each painting I do of a deceased pet is such a gift to the owners who are dealing with a loss. But it’s a gift to me as well. Seeing the loving tears flow upon the presentation of my painting is what I love. This part of creating and giving to others is so rewarding. I always ask for stories, especially for deceased pets so that I can get a feel for their personality. This information helps me create the emotional feeling of the portrait and get a feel for the client’s preferred color palette.”

Carol relays many interesting stories, but the most charming may be that of Marie. She was rescued from a garbage dumpster in a forest preserve by a worker. The worker dumpster-dove to save her and found a good home for her with a friend. From that day forward, the adopter and Marie were best buddies. The unlikely pair sat together on the couch watching TV and sharing popcorn. Marie’s portrait certainly shows off her cute little rodent nose and whiskers. Chuckling, Carol remembers, “When I received the inquiry, I misheard the description and thought I was to paint a black cat. Imagine my surprise when I met a black rat!”  Carol admits she fell in love as she was painting her.  Thus, the surrounding background is one that oozes love. BUT, then again, who couldn’t love this cute, affectionate rat who lived “happily ever after” in a real-life fairy tale?

Carol is a passionate painter who puts all of her being into each and every brushstroke. Knowing her painting is about a client’s special moment, beloved family member or cherished friend is a big responsibility this painter does not take lightly. Somehow, intuitively, Carol Foster always successfully creates a moment that lasts forever.

Fredericka, Cheryl, Sherylee and Carol not only give their clients a treasured gift with each finished piece of art, but with pencil, paint brush or camera in hand they’ve made a difference for countless pets. Each agrees a loving home for an abandoned pet is the best gift of all. Having their adopted dogs at their feet in their studios is a daily reminder for these compassionate artists who are as passionate about rescue work as they are making art.