For Your Pet

Item Description

This stand is painted with a nice rich blue color and little yellow hearts as pops of color. (These little hearts will remind your pet how much he/she is loved every time they use the stand!)We also love the texture that was somehow created with the paint! Art by San Diego artist Donna Butnik.

Item Special Note

This stand is a unique one-of-a-kind piece of art! Because all stands and artwork have been sealed, they can easily be wiped down with a damp towel for easy cleaning.  It is recommended that all stands be used indoors as a precaution against the elements.

Each stand comes with two stainless steel water and food bowls (2 quart for large dog stands, 1 pint for small dog/cat stands).

Approximate dimensions (all dimensions are approximations): 

• Large Dog Feeding Stations:  Height  11”, Width  24”, Depth  12” 
• Small Dog or Cat Feeding stations:  Height 5”, Width 18”, Depth  9”

Purchased stands may be picked up from the FACE Foundation office or shipped to buyers (shipping costs will apply).

Artist Bio:

http://www.artpaintings4decor.com/

Donna Butnik, a native of Los Angeles, California, began her art apprenticeship in the early 1970's under her mentor Dorothy Cannon.   She studied many aspects of painting and drawing media,  and learned a technique using enamel house paints inspired by Jackson Pollack.

In 1973 Donna received a scholarship to study leaded glass techniques with Roger Darricarrere.  In 1974, Butnik had her first one-woman show at the Cannon Art Studio in Studio City, California.   She went on to study at California Institute of the Arts, graduating in 1979 with a BFA in Fine Art.  She studied under noted painters Elizabeth Murray, Susan Rothenburg and Jonathan Borofsky.

In 1984 Butnik working under the direction of John Whitney Sr. received a SIGGRAPH Award as contributor for the Omnimax film "The Magic Egg".

Selected Exhibit’s

2011 Art Museum of Chianciano Terme,Italy

2010 Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art, Las Vegas, NV

2009 Amsterdam Whitney Gallery Chelsea, NYC, NY

2007 Hallmark Gallery,  La Jolla, CA 

2007 Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy

2004 Phantom Gallery, Oceanside, CA

2002 Omma Center for Contemporary Art, Chania Crete, Greece

1999 101 Artists Colony, Encinitas, CA

1993 Oaji Center for the Arts, Oaji, CA

1990 Barnsdall Park Jr. Arts Gallery, Hollywood, CA

1975 California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA

Artist's statement:

“I use the fluid medium of the latex enamel house paints to guide my painting.  The process is organic in shapes that have a mind of their own.  Often they end in stories that are open for interpretation.  I’ve been inspired by the writings of Henri Miller’s essays: Paint As You Like And Die Happy.  Also the words of Joseph Campbell and writings from The Art Spirit by Robert Henri.”

Reviews:

Donna Butnik's technique is especially interesting.  She drips paint on the canvas and then patiently rolls it out, mixing the colors, and slowly gives form to the composition layer by layer. The technique is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, but the result is completely different and all her own; vivid colors and mythic, dreamlike forms, each painting forming its own narrative.

~ Haniotika Nea, 5 November, 2002

"I dream my paintings then I paint my dreams," Vincent Van Gogh once said.  Contemporary artist Donna Butnik paints deeply spiritual scenes that are inspired by both her dreams and the natural world around her, drawing on symbolic imagery and playfully manipulating compositional conventions.  Her work incorporates mythological figures, the beauty of nature and a playful spirit to produce images of joy.  Fantastical animals, angelic characters, bright flowers and ethereal landscapes transport the viewer to the fanciful world of daydreams.

Much like a dream, Ms. Butnik’s subjects feel both otherworldly and familiar, both capricious and grounded.   The use of mixed media also heightens the sense of whimsey in her scenes, with strong lines juxtaposed against fields of luminescent color.  Principally, Ms. Butnik’s paintings are celebrations of intuition and tenacity of the soul. 

Donna Butnik's work is reminiscent of that of the post impressionists for it's use of color and it's expressionistic style, as well as that of Picasso for it's cubistic forms and defined blocks of color and shading.  However, Ms. Butnik also derives inspiration from the great action painters such as Jackson Pollock.  Her favorite method of painting is the drip method using enamel house paints.  Dripping house paint onto the canvas from a stick.

“My inspiration is drawn from my dreams, models and nature surrounding me," Ms Butnik has said.  "My best creations evolve when the painting paints itself.  I just stand out of the way and let the drips turn into a visual melody."  In this way, Ms. Butnik organically connects to her work by allowing the medium to speak for itself.  Her imagery reaches deep into the spirit as it emerges from the very paint itself.  Therefore, the universal appeal of Ms. Butnik's work is that her art follows those basic paths of the subconscious mind which all viewers have traversed