Contact the ArtistHi there!My name is Nick Van Duren and I’m an artist and dog-lover just like you.
 Please contact me if you've got any questions or you're interested in commissioning a custom painting or drawing of your dog. Or... Drop me a line and say "Hello!" Would you like to stay tuned to updates, as well as new paintings and drawings? Sign up on the Dog-Paintings-and-Pictures.com Mailing List. About the ArtistThroughout my life, art has been a creative outlet: drawing, painting, and music. I grew up in a musical family, starting piano lessons at the age of 8. Today, I continue my Classical and Jazz piano study as it is still important to me. Oddly enough, for several years I even made my living by playing gigs, parties, and at Union Square in San Francisco. During my teens and college years, I was also a competitive swimmer. Too bad I’m not as in good of shape as I was then! However, my efforts to handle two dogs in Conformation are finally forcing me to get in shape. Whew! They’ll take a lot out of ya...maybe I’ve been sitting in front of my canvases too long, painting for hours and hours and hours.
 
As for having musicians and artists on both sides of the family, being an artist just seemed the natural course…although, as you’ll read later, I had to figure that one out the hard way. My grandfather is quite an accomplished artist, having taught me many of the techniques I now use with oil painting. I also learned to draw from my Mom. My parents and siblings have always been supportive, and since they are quite accomplished too, they’ve got a good eye....there's no foolin' them! Funny enough, as a child I was always getting in trouble in school because I insisted on drawing during valuable class time. Alas, I do have a stubborn streak (sigh). However, I was not to be deterred and I finally managed to channel it constructively. After completing a degree in Business at Regis University in Denver, Colorado, I created www.Dog-Paintings-and-Pictures.com An artist with a business degree?
After searching long and hard, meeting good people like myself, who worked hard for little reward with absolutely no stability whatsoever, I finally came to the realization that it was time to change my direction.
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