A lot of artists try to capture animals as realistically in their works as possible. However, British painter Alison Friend takes a different approach. In her paintings, Friend captures the secret life of animals and shows them being more humanlike than we think is possible.
Friend’s paintings capture cats snacking on a KitKat chocolate bar while resting in a chair, Dachshunds enjoying a self-care routine, and rabbits sipping on cocktails.
According to Friend, she has lots of ideas for her humanlike animals but never insists on producing her vision to a point on canvas. Instead, she takes a loose approach in her creative process, allowing the subjects to take “a life on their own” as she paints them.
“We think of them as having human emotions, and I try to capture that,” Friend explains on her website. “It’s how we connect with the animals in our lives. Hopefully I bring just enough to the work for the viewer to create their own story for the subject. I want the viewer to be part of the creative process.”
Friend shares her paintings on her Instagram profile, providing her followers a frequent dose of cute, adorable, and quirky animals. Check out more of her works below.
