“My paintings are always narrative pieces, never simply portraits of poodles or pugs. In many ways, the dog is our emotional equivalent and excels in the expression of such feelings as jealousy or remorse.”

As an Oberlin College undergraduate, Polly Thompson was influenced by taking art history classes and the occasional studio course; but she was drawn to science as well, and majored in geology. Thompson has taught high school art and science and attended Bennington College for both pre-med and drawing. She has now been painting and exhibiting for 23 years. Most of her compositions have had dogs in them. But she doesn’t label herself a “dog painter” in the traditional sense. She would say that she uses dogs as a means to an end. She uses dogs to tell stories about relationships and about reactions to environments. Thompson is represented by galleries in Vermont and New Mexico. Her paintings have been included in numerous museum shows, such as the Florida National, the Cheekwood National Contemporary Painting Competition, and the Springfield National. She was invited to publish with Wild Apple Graphics and Pomegranate Communications.

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