A one-eared dog named Van Gogh is just like his namesake, the legendary Dutch impressionist Vincent Van Gogh, though he has a different method for creating his artwork.
The dog, a Boxer-pit bull mix who was rescued from a North Carolina dog-fighting ring and had to get his ear amputated after severe injuries, uses his tongue to create art from his temporary home at the Happily Furever After Rescue in Connecticut. Van Gogh the painter also famously had one ear after cutting off his left ear in a fit of madness.
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Jaclyn Gartner, the founder of the rescue, got creative when teaching Van Gogh to paint with his tongue. Gartner said she placed paint and canvas into a plastic bag coated with peanut butter, which he then licks off, smearing the paint around.
“So his painting is him licking peanut butter off,” Gartner explained to the Washington Examiner. “And while he’s licking peanut butter, all the paint is smeared around and makes the design.”
Gartner and her co-worker select the colors for each piece and set up the peanut butter and canvas, but the design is all Van Gogh, Gartner said.
The dog, who has created 30 paintings, even had his own art show, but only two people showed up, which Gartner said was a “letdown” and a “disappointment.” However, he has seen massive success since and has sold all of his paintings at an average of $40 each. He has also been commissioned for more and will hold a silent auction for artwork made during this week on Friday, Gartner told the Washington Examiner.
When he’s not painting, Van Gogh loves cuddles, car rides, walks, and playing with toys, according to Gartner. Van Gogh is undergoing the process of adoption, and has even attracted international interest, though no official adoption has been finalized. However, the person that could become Van Gogh’s owner is interested in keeping his artwork alive after the adoption and to keep his journey as an artist okay, Gartner told the Washington Examiner exclusively.
“My goal when creating all of this was to find him a forever home,” Gartner said. “He deserves that. He’s amazing. My father jokingly told me that Van Gogh is more famous than the real artist because [Vincent] Van Gogh didn’t sell many paintings.”
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Even though Van Gogh is going on to a better life, dog fighting remains a pervasive crime in the United States, with 16,000 dogs estimated to die as a result of the practice each year, and 40,000 people are believed to be involved in the illegal sport. Dog fighting is considered a felony in all 50 states, according to the Humane Society. In certain states, even being a spectator at a dog-fighting event is considered a misdemeanor.
