Anne Zoutsos

I think that probably my first knowledge of animals in need of help was my daily encounter as a little girl with two German Shepherd guard dogs. These dogs had only the basics of care and were chained up all day and night. Most people were too scared to walk by as they would lunge out barking, fangs bared. Never having been scared of animals, they didn't scare me and in fact I don't remember them barking at me. My father eventually could stand it no longer and used to creep out, when it was dark, to take food to them and the only problem he had was to keep them from making too many happy sounds when he approached!

I detest cruelty to the vulnerable and animals are vulnerable. When I look at my own dogs, I know that their happiness and welfare depend entirely on me. My dogs are loved but there are so very many who are not and it is too awful to think of their suffering. When I became a professional artist many years ago, it seemed only natural that I would offer my skills to help raise money for animals in need. When I accidentally discovered Art Helping Animals I immediately applied to join them and was thrilled to be accepted. Now, unable to help rescue directly, I am, through Art Helping Animals, able to help animals on a regular basis which gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

Bio

As a child I longed for a puppy but my beloved cat detested dogs and I loved him more than I wanted a dog so my childhood was dogless. I made up for this by drawing all the dogs I wished I could own.

A few months after my marriage my husband bought me my longed for puppy, a little Dalmatian girl. I adored her. When she was two, we bought another Dalmatian, this time a well bred puppy who we showed and made up into a Champion. All our Dalmatians have been descended from her and we currently own her great great and great great great granddaughters. When I started showing dogs, I started painting them as well and although I long ago gave up exhibiting dogs, I have continued painting. I have now become renown for the accuracy, fine detail and 'life' of my portraits and have been commissioned to paint some of the most famous show dogs in the world. I am self taught and paint mainly in watercolour but also enjoy using acrylics. Although I am well known for my dog portraits, I have also portrayed cats, horses and flowers. (I have actually painted people but keep this to myself as I don't enjoy this as much as my other subjects!) My paintings are owned in very many countries of the world and through them I have made some wonderful friends over the years. I work mainly to commission and always fall in love with each of the animals as I paint them - sometimes quite hearthwrenching when it is a painting of a rescued animal. It is a joy to be able to see and be inspired by all the wonderful work produced by all my fellow artists who make up Art Helping Animals and as times goes by, to become more and more involved with their work.

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