Odin won the best of his breed at the 2015 Westminster Dog Show, which is where I met him and his owner, Carla. Painting Carla’s daughter, Amanda, who is also Odin’s handler, with the beloved Odin was a highlight of the winter season.

I photographed for the painting in Northville, Michigan in November 2015, and was mesmerized by the relationship between the two: an interspecies romance for sure. Odin is delighted to please Amanda, even when asked to sit tiresomely still for the “demanding” artist. One gets the feeling the esteemed dog complies all because she asked. Such dignity and grace. Painting over a span of weeks, one gets to contemplate one’s subject and Odin is one of dogdom’s best. The family will treasure their painting!