Diary of a Dog: Teddy

A source of inspiration. That’s what it means to be a muse, and it’s a role I take quite seriously. I come from the streets of Los Angeles, but luckily, I was placed in a shelter and then rescued by Wags and Walks, which led to my “exhibition” on petfinder.com. How did I end up in Palo Alto? It’s important to understand that long-time figurative art collectors Pamela and David are drawn to interesting people and complex faces. As Pamela explains, “One reason I am drawn to the figure is that each one tells a story.” When she looked at my whiskered, hopeful face, Pamela felt a zing of connection and decided to transform my bleak beginnings into a bright new chapter. In 2013, Pamela and David brought me home to the Peninsula, forever intertwining my life with theirs and the stimulating world of art acquisition. They’ve given me so much, but I’ve brought them equal measures of happiness—to the point that I’ve inspired them to explore the dog-human bond in art. “I never imagined that I could become so obsessed with collecting the art of dogs,” Pamela says, “but I also never would have imagined how much this tiny little rescue dog would change our lives.” That’s how I became a muse for artists—with works ranging from commissions to cameos—and I frequent galleries, art shows and Instagram (@pamelahornik). In an expression of gratitude, my image can even be found on the wall at the Wags and Walks Adoption Center in Los Angeles. Pamela and David now have dozens of pieces—by artists like David Hockney, Alex Katz and Jordan Casteel—and hope to stage a show some day so they can share what they’ve discovered: “Dog art brings people joy.”