What you might not know about the frankie office is that it contains some of the biggest dog perves going round. If a cute pooch is in the vicinity, we know about it, and have probably ooh-ed and aah-ed over its radness before you've had a chance to realise it's there. That's why when we came across Clair Hartmann's utterly adorable doggie portraits, we had a mini conniption before sending off an interview request, stat.

She was ever-so kind and agreed to have a chat, so here you can read about her inspiration, creative approach and the reason for her puppy love.



What is your name and how old are you? My name is Clair Hartmann. I am 49 years young.

Where were you born and where do you live now? I was born in Jacksonville, Florida and I moved to Wilmington, North Carolina about eight years ago to be with my fiancée.



How does where you live affect your art? Living near the beach has always been important to me. Because I grew up near the beach it has a familiarity almost as if it is a part of me. I have lived away from the beach at times and it just feels dry and empty - lifeless. When it's warm, I try to walk on the beach a few times a week. The only way I can describe it is: you know that feeling when you haven't really breathed for a while and you take a deep breath? That's what the beach feels like to me. It's like fresh oxygen, inspiration, clean, meditative, rejuvenating. SO, when I feel these things, my art flows easier because I feel more centred.

What kind of mediums do you use? Why do you choose to use these mediums? I have tried a lot of different medias, but I always go back to oil on canvas, fabric or wood. It just feels right. It dries right for me. I've tried acrylics, but I feel so rushed with them. Every so often I put acrylic on my palette to see if my evolution in my art accepts it better. So far, it's just stressful.



Is there a running theme to the work you create, or do you just make whatever comes to mind? Mostly I like to paint dogs, but my mind is everywhere so I paint what ever inspires me - flowers, crabs, shrimp, landscapes, etc.

What kinds of ideas and things are you working on at the moment? I've been playing around with a mermaid painting idea. Right now it's just in the drawing stages. I haven't done anything like this before, so I'm a little nervous about it. It may make it to painting and it may not. If it's meant to be it will happen.

How has your style changed over time? As I have been training my eye to see what makes realism and translate it to the surface, I have tried to paint more like that. But as I get older, I like the way painting feels and looks. So maybe a combination of the two is where I'm at now.



What is the strangest thing or thought that has inspired a piece of work? I did a painting two years ago called "Desire". It's of a Boston Terrier with a monkey on its head, eating an orange. To me, it represented addiction. It just came out as if it painted itself, and after the painting was finished it revealed the meaning to me.

Are there any other mediums that you'd like to experiment with? I love water-colour and use it quite often. Painting blue crabs and tropical fish are my favourite subject in water-colour right now.

Which era of art do you appreciate the most? I don't think of painting eras, just painters and paintings. But if I had to pick one, it would be now. There are so many great painters I see every day that just blow me away!

What do you doodle when you are daydreaming? I doodle a lot of eyes and faces. Since I design jewellery as well, I doodle jewellery designs.



What other budding artists do you love? Barbara Kacicek, Duane Keiser, Alyssa Monks, Jeremy Lipking, Brad Kunkle, Aaron Westerburg and lots of others!

What do you enjoy doing when not creating art? I love making jewellery, which is fairly new to me. I also like gardening, cooking and working in wood.

Where can we see more of your work? I have a gallery in Wilmington, NC or you can see my Etsy shop where I have all available paintings and prints. There's my blog too!