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A Dog-Gone Fabulous Artist "You know, everyone is busy - our lives are so full. I have clients waiting for
their commissioned pieces. But, this is important, community is very important to me"
That is why Gloria became involved with this event. Last year was her first year as a participating artist, her piece "Mother Hubbard's Cupboard" (a floor cabinet with a door adorned with a fabulous painting of a playful terrier) sold for nearly $600. This year, her piece "Dogwood" is a stately grandfather clock with, of course, a painting of a purebred dog. It pays homage to Maude Earl, a preeminent painter of dogs in the nineteenth century. Gloria, a trained artist and, once, a full time artist in advertising, was, in fact, led to this recent full-time vocation as a pet portraitist after being inspired by the support of community when her dog, adopted from the SPCA, required expensive surgery. To pay for the surgery, Gloria hit the pavement selling small hand painted buttons of her dog, Trucker. "It was amazing to see people who I didn't know, pay $5.00 a piece for these buttons… and many even took large quantities to sell on their own on Trucker's behalf."
"I have learned a lot about The Friends Program. I truly appreciate its grass roots, community based programs…I recently learned about its Interfaith Caregiver Program, which provides assistance to older adults. I thought about my Mom in Rhode Island who receives a lot of support from her community. It made me think about Mom's here in Concord, or other older family members whose families might live far away. This kind of help for others is so important. It is what makes a community work. It really touches my heart," explained Gloria. For more information about Gloria Najecki's work and her background, read an article about her first show of pet portraits printed in the Concord Monitor on July 8, 2004. |
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