Unique Products Designed By Artists

Kathy Lamont

Kathy Lamont lives in Newfane, New York, right near Lake Ontario with her husband Tom and their Weimaraner, Bugsy.  She was an Elementary Art  teacher for 13 years and is currently on leave working in the Natural Pet Health & Supply Shop that she and her husband own.  They volunteer with New York State Weimaraner Rescue and support other local Rescue organizations in various ways. With a BS in Graphic Design and a Master's in Art Education, both from State University College at Buffalo, she has been creating art (in some form) pretty much all of her life.

“Along with our passion for educating people about natural health issues for pets, we are also very interested in Celtic Culture, and I’ve always wanted to have shirts that featured both Celtic Design and the various dog breeds of those countries—Ireland, Scotland & Wales.” It is this interest that drives her desire to create the Celtic Dog images we have on our site, and which she sells at various Celtic Festivals. Because she is so dearly in love with the Weimaraner breed, she has started another series of designs based on them.  And someday she hopes to expand her current series with those Weimaraner designs, and maybe other breeds, too.


Carol Laughner

Born in Darien, Connecticut, Carol Sanchioni Laughner knew at an early age she was destined to be an artist. A graduate of Parsons School of Design with a BFA in illustration, she made her home in New Hampshire, where she continued her studies in Commercial Art at the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences. She also did graduate work in Art Therapy/Counseling at Notre Dame College in Manchester, NH, and enjoyed teaching art to children both at the Sharon Arts Center in Sharon, NH, and at the Stephenson Memorial Library in Greenfield, NH. Carol has completed many privately commissioned and commercial illustrations, including some for stories in several magazines published by Cobblestone, a publisher of children's books. She's also done editorial illustrations and in-house design for McGraw-Hill and Helmers Publishing.

Carol and her husband Vinoy (also an artist) continue to live with their beloved dachshund Lilly in New Hampshire. Lilly and her friends are inspiration for Carol's designs. We saw Lilly and later discovered Carol’s wonderful designs at an art faire in New Hampshire, and many of our customers are glad we did.


Gloria Lee (Pop Dogs)

The first of Gloria Lee’s colorful, hand-painted canine masterpieces featured her family’s Pembroke Welsh Corgi. A gallery owner who had a Pug asked if she would paint a picture of her pug in the same style, and other friends wanted their dogs done in Gloria’s own pop art style. Gloria has been interested in art since her youth, and as a child she entered comic book and magazine drawing contests. She sculpted and drew in college, and she worked as an art consultant for a brief time. She tapped into the art of her early years when she created her very own pop-art style dogs, a style that has resonated with many people.  For the past seven years, she has honored requests from fans who wanted their breeds done by her, and she’s now created 40-plus dog breed portraits—all available right here on our site. With so many breeds to go, she’ll never catch up, but you can bet she’ll try, if she can just stay ahead of the American Kennel Club.


Karen Olsen

Hi.  I'm Karen Olsen, and I'm a graphic designer and illustrator.  My career has long had a focus in the high-tech world of Silicon Valley, but these days, I'm doing less of that and more art featuring my favorite subjects—cats, dogs and wildlife.  And, I'm having a lot of fun!  Out of this work has come FantastiKritters, a line of apparel and other products that feature my animal imagery.  I enjoy cat and dog shows, where I see the wonderful pedigreed animals that are the inspiration for some of my favorite designs, but my own cat, a long-haired tuxedo kitty named Rusty, is a mixed-breed...and quite unashamed about it.  Rusty is my muse, my companion, and as my gentle critic, is always at my side when I work.  Except when my husband is fixing a tuna sandwich.

Karen is also a published writer and an accomplished composer. She participates in the Ashiko Orchestra, which performs African drumming at many events in the San Francisco Bay Area. After the birth of her granddaughter, Karen gently prodded SRAS Pet Pourri into developing a section of products, including some of her own designs, for toddlers and young people.

Mark Parisi

Award-Winning, Nationally Syndicated artist Mark Parisi grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and wanted to be a cartoonist as early as he can remember.  "I was a bit shy, but loved humor.  I could draw the teacher with fangs and hairy armpits and get laughs without actually having to say anything."

He had a fairy typical progression of influences.  First there was peanuts, then came Mad Magazine, the The Far Side.  He dabbled in video production at Salem State College, and even had a music video appear on MTV, but cartooning was always his first love.  After many odd jobs and a degree in graphic design, Mark realized he had two marketable skills: cartooning and grocery bagging.  "I picked cartooning," Parisi, "even though it didn't pay as well."

In 1987, he shopped his 'off the mark' comic panel around to local newspapers and began picking up clients.  It was a very slow build, but today he has 100 clients, and is nationally syndicated by United Features Syndicate.  One newspaper editor describes his art as "sweet-natured and devilish at the same time."

Mark serves as Chairman of the New England Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, and he won the 2008 best newspaper Panel division award for his comic panel, "off the mark".  The National Cartoonists Society presented the award in May of 2009.  He was previously nominated twice for this award.

Mark's cartoons are found on four greeting card lines, T-shirts, books, calendars, and medical reminder cards.  Also, four compilation books: "A Cartoon Collection," "Think Outside the Cat Box," "The off the mark Science Fiction Picture Show," "Rebooted" and "Chew This Book" a dog cartoon collection, have been published.

"My girlfriend, Lynn, encouraged me to pursue cartooning when I thought it was unattainable," says Mark.  "Now she's my wife and business partner."  Together, they have a daughter, 3 cats and a dog, and a pond of koi, all of who are sweet-natured and devilish at the same time.


Candace Reiter

Candace Reiter is one of those fortunate people who's been able to lead her life doing the things she loved most. Her fine art degree in college in printmaking prepared for a lifestyle pursuing a variety of creative endeavors in the arts. First and foremost she proclaims herself to be a playful person and her artwork definitely reflects that. Before she was designing ceramics with whimsical cat motifs, she was pioneering bright anodized jewelry in iridescent colors, and luscious organic shapes for West Coast galleries. And before that, during the ten years she lived in London, she worked in textiles making cat themed wall hangings for local street markets and couture evening bags for high end stores and boutiques that liked her playful and original styles. Best of all she, and others, loved her whimsical Cat themes that sprung from her affection for her marmalade-colored cats Piccaso, and Godzilla. "These two were my muses." says Candace.

Today, with her son all grown up, Candace and her husband run a couple of European style farmers markets they founded and fashioned after the markets they loved in London and enjoyed in their travels abroad. Over the last few years, in between design work and market life, Candace has ventured into amateur performance art with the Cirque de Flambe, a tiny vaudevillian fire circus, and a local theatrical group that does stage productions of fractured fairy tales in the fun interactive British Panto-style. This year she's keeping busy launching her own studio-line website which will feature her best designs and taking voice lessons so she can land some singing parts on stage.

Laura Seeley

Laura Seeley is a New York Times best-selling children's book illustrator, as well as an award-winning author/illustrator of children's books.  Her books include The Book of Shadowboxes, Shadowbox Hunt, The Magical Moonballs, and McSpot's Hidden Spots.  Most recently she teamed up with Ray Negron, illustrating his New York Times best seller The Boy Of Steel, as well as his Amazon best sellers The Greatest Story Never Told and One Last Time.  Among other titles she has illustrated are Carmen Deedy's Agatha's Featherbed and Ruth Tiller's Cats Vanish Slowly.

Laura's paintings of cats have been seen in galleries around the country.  Her series of cats, Feline Fantasies, and of dogs, Canines In Color, are available as prints and giclees.  Commissions are welcome.  Her Kats For Kauses and Pups For A Purpose programs, in their infant stages, are designed to help raise funds for animals shelters, rescue foundations... any organizations for animals in need.  She participates in fundraising events and benefits, where partial proceeds of print sales go to help these causes.  Online purchasers can also elect to have a portion of their purchase proceeds go to the charity of their choice when they check out.

Since 1990, Laura has been doing interactive programs in elementary schools and libraries.  Emphasis is on the importance of rough drafts, editing, the power of words and self confidence.  The children draw with Laura while being encouraged to add stories to their pictures.  Book signings follow each session.

Laura lives in San Francisco with her three cats, Ebi, Fig, and Basil.

Visit her website to see and learn more, www.lauraseeley.com


Kathleen Sepulveda

Kathleen Sepulveda brings “a new approach to the art of dogs” having created portraits of more than 90 breeds in several different design styles. She has been drawing and painting dogs since childhood. Her first awards were won before her teens, with many to follow after that. A native of Southern California, she traveled throughout the United States, South America, Puerto Rico and parts of Europe, studying many examples of each breed for many years. Her work is well known for capturing the true spirit and character of each breed. Her exquisite attention to detail is her trademark. Her art is a part of private collections throughout the world.

"I believe dogs enrich our lives, and therefore I celebrate them through my art".  Kathleen’s versatile designs begin with beautiful real life portraits which incorporate strong graphic design with fine watercolor drawings and paintings. Her portraits are available on many products in several design styles—Dog Breed Portraits, United Paws, American Flag Series, Designer Series, and Holiday Designs.

Teresa Silvestri

A native of the California San Francisco Bay Area,  Teresa Silvestri showed an interest in artistic and creative pursuits from an early age.  In 1984, Teresa gradulated from California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, and subsequently enjoyed successful business careers in the corporate world.

In 1999, Teresa took her first art class, studying watercolor painting with Burlingame artist and teacher, Leona Moriarty.  She instantly enjoyed the beautiful transparency of the colors and the challenge of the medium.  Teresa's realistic painting style is known for its softness, utilizing many layers of washes and glazes.

Teresa was recently juried and accepted to exhibit at The Main Gallery in Redwood City, an artists' cooperative with some 22 members, showcasing the work of the best local talent in the Bay Area.  She is currently a member of the California Watercolor Society, Society of Western Artists, Burlingame Art Society, Sequoia Art Group, and Filoli Art Committee.  She has won numerous awards in local shows, including a Second place ribbon at the 2007 San Mateo County Fair.  She has enjoyed solo exhibits at Peninsula Medical Center and Mission Hospice of San Mateo County.  In addition, Teresa has participated in numerous group exhibits, including the invitational Filoli Garden Estate Bay Area Wildlife Exhibit, Society of Western Artists Annual Exhibition in San Francisco and California Watercolor Associateion.  Her artwork resides in collections nationwide.  She welcomes commissions for pet portraits, capturing each animal's gentle spirit and soul.

Teresa, her husband, and their three rescued dogs reside in Belmont, California, where she enjoys her continued growth and journey as an artist.

Mary Sparrow Smith

A graduate of St. Mary's College in Raleigh, NC, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mary Sparrow Smith began her career in art as a graphic artist and illustrator for Spectator Magazine, an arts and entertainment publication in Raleigh. She ventured out on her own, specializing in decorative painting, trompe l'oeil, murals and later, portraits of children and pets. Her paintings hang in private and corporate collections around the world.

Mary has been painting portraits, for over sixteen years, and many of them are of West Highland Terriers. She has Corgis, Poodles, Airedales, and an occasional cat in her portfolio, too. Her paintings and art on various products benefit several dog rescue organizations, including WestieMed, CorgiAid, and Airedale Rescue (NARA).


Emily Youngreen

The imaginative, flowing brush art illustrations of Emily Youngreen offer a unique look at cats, dogs and horses. Horses have long been the subjects for her illustrations and paintings, which have been displayed in galleries and private collections in Canada and the U.S. Her life-long relationship with horses ultimately provided a stirrup for today’s creative ride—helping her successfully leap from horses to dogs, cats, and animals of all kinds.

She studied Design and Logic and Form at California College of Arts in Crafts in Oakland, California in the late 1960s and moved with her family in 1970 to the Kootenays in Southeastern British Columbia. With her artist and cartoonist husband, they raised goats, chickens, sheep and Arabian horses on their 28-acre farm. Just recently they launched a business selling handcrafted furniture for dogs and cats. Emily also has worked as a freelance illustrator for the Province of British Columbia’s Health News, The National Network of Women in Trades and Technology, Horned Owl Press and Bantam-Dell Publishing. She recently illustrated a series of children's books for a British Columbia author and is working on her own two books, Sergio the Kaslo Kitty and the Grandma Stories.