We’ve noticed that when artists give studio tours during AJF Live events, they frequently introduce us to their pets, who are hanging out in the space—and the audience loves it! So we thought it would be fun to ask our members to share images of these very valued parts of their families with the community. Here’s a lighthearted peek into a personal side of jewelry artists’ lives. Many thanks to all the artists who contributed photos!
Do you want to contribute photos of your own pets? We’d love to add them! Submit photos here.
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/6CCAA38A-AB90-46A9-8CA2-25C131F186DF_1024x768px.jpg "\"Catarina Silva and Clara during lockdown in the kitchen. "The photo was taken by my boyfriend, Hugo, in April 2020," says Silva. "When Clara came into our lives in 2014, she was the size of our hands. She’s the most adorable cat with us, but can be very provocative also. A beautiful furry lady, very snobby, and we love it like that ❤!" Photo courtesy of Catarina Silvapets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/DSC7053-1_1024x768px.jpg "\"Ruudt Peters told AJF, "I never do this pet thing, but my Luna is so beautiful." Agreed! Luna is 12 years old. Photo courtesy of Ruudt Peterspets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/3A5C26E3-FB0F-4BC0-893A-B52C7F9F6057_1024x768px.jpg "\"Eartha is Kristin Beeler’s studio manager and stylist. "She’s my first attempt at a dog and has me quite well trained," says Beeler. "She came with her brother Sealey from the UK three years ago. Sealey resides with Caroline Gore and Oni the greyhound in Philadelphia. They are essential jewelry whippets and spend their days toggling between long bouts of indolence and running 35 miles an hour." Photo courtesy of Kristin Beelerpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/6CA1B961-8499-4E1E-B156-F770B87C9EE2_1024x768px.jpg "\"Sealey and Oni—who belong to Caroline Gore—having a tender moment. Sealey is almost three years old, and Oni is 10 this year. "I’ve always had a dog with me in the studio since I was in graduate school, when I had a Weimaraner," says Gore. "Oni is my second greyhound; it came into my life with my husband. Sealey, the whippet, is our newest addition. His sister Eartha lives with jeweler Kristin Beeler in California. The whippets have melted hearts from coast to coast and keep everyone on pace with a balance of work and play in the studio, bossing us about." Photo: Caroline Gorepets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/22F3F4BD-DBA9-4F38-8F7C-8B013CF2A79B_1024x768px.jpg "\"Märta Mattsson and her lovely little dog, Saga, in Mattsson’s studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. "She’s a two-year-old Portuguese Podengo and she loves resting on a sheepskin rug in my studio while I’m working. She’s a star and has kept me happy during the months of isolation this year. She’s always happy and loves to snuggle!" Photo: Amelia Bille, June 2020pets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/788AA298-6F47-4D75-9406-E456B79B6BF6_1024x768px.jpg "\"Ralph Bakker explains that he lives in a big city (by Dutch standards) and takes three flights of stairs up to his apartment, so he thinks it’s immoral for him to have pets. He has no garden or free space available, and doesn’t like to have caged animals. But now and then there are several visitors in his studio. "This little one was actually fitting very well with one of my works. And at this moment the blackbird is singing his morning song. The bumblebees and the blackbirds are my highly appreciated ‘pets.’ I’m happy with the spare blessings I get." Photo courtesy of Ralph Bakkerpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/BB330232-D936-4D37-8569-BE08E38C3CBF_1024x768px.jpg "\""This is my dog, Peso, and I at a winter holiday celebration with family," explains Aimee Golant. "I believe my sister, Cherie Golant, took the picture about three years ago. Peso is a wire hair terrier, probably four years old at that time." Photo courtesy of Aimee Golantpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/deb-lozier-and-lulu_1024x768px.jpg "\"Deb Lozier and LuLu, a standard poodle, at a rest stop in Utah. "We drove from California to Iowa to visit my mother in assisted living last summer so she could meet LuLu," recounts Lozier. "So grateful we made that trip! LuLu was a big hit with the residents. She’s goofy, kind, and super outgoing. Plus she loves hanging out with me in my studio." Photo: Eivind Sartopets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/DFADFAE8-43BB-4B9A-B4A9-6DCB72A549BC_1024x768px.jpg "\"Léo and Dominique Bereiter reunited after she came back from a show. "We were just sitting together and enjoying it," says Bereiter. Léo looks totally blissed out! Photo: Dominique Bereiterpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Duomo20adventure201_1024x768px.jpg "\""Hi, my name is Neve," says the gorgeous pooch in this photo. "I had a rough start coming into the world. Someone threw me and my sisters away in a dumpster when I was born in Sicily. By some miracle I ended up with my mommy and daddy in Florence, because they saw my beautiful face on Facebook and now I’m like a prince with a staff. I tend to be very scared of things, so they take me on special adventure walks so I can see the world. Life is great!" Photo courtesy of Marissa Racht Ryanpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_4193_1024x768px.jpg "\"Anika Smulovitz’s newest puppie, Chewie, gets into all sorts of trouble in her studio—"but he's so cute... <3 <3 <3!" writes Smulovitz. "Chewie (full name Chewbacca Frodo Kinberg) is an 11-month-old Whoodle: a Wheaton Terrier/miniature brown poodle. We adopted him in December 2019. The photo was taken in my studio by my daughter, Ruby, age 10." Photo courtesy of Anika Smulovitzpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_8275_1024x768px.jpg "\"Katja Toporski tells us, "Ginny had just spent the night on doggy intensive care with heart failure. My daughter Alisha is her favorite person on the planet, and seeing them snuggle again was the first step on her way to recovery." So glad Ginny’s doing better! Photo courtesy of Katja Toporskipets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_8330_1024x768px.jpg "\"Deb Zinn’s cat, Zoe. "I always enjoy sharing her photo!" says Zinn "She LOVES to be brushed and to be chased up and down the stairs." Photo courtesy of Deb Zinnpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_20200724_214225_1024x768px.jpg "\"Rebecca Hannon’s dachshund, Otto, is about four years old. "He was born in California, so I don’t think he appreciates the cold Nova Scotia winters. Otto seemed like the perfect name for a German dog, but I had no idea my former professor, Otto Künzli, would visit our Nova Scotia home during a jewelry trip, and he raised his eyebrows at the naming of our dog!" Photo courtesy of Rebecca Hannonpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/jekyll-crown_29863_1024x768px.jpg "\"Look closely at the trinket between this fancy feline’s ears! Anastasia Young tells us, "I made Jekyll a crown for her 18th birthday this year. She does visit the workshop regularly, especially if there’s a video being shot; she has always been very well behaved and knows not to go near the soldering area." Photo: Anastasia Youngpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/spying20on20the20hunter27s20secret20boots20nov2015_1024x768px.jpg "\"Alexia Markarian’s cat, Clicquot, checking out Markarian’s work, The Hunter's Secret Boots, from her solo show, Glamour at the End of Time, 2014. "Clicquot, an American short hair, has always shown an interest in everything in the studio," says the artist. Photo: Alexia Markarianpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Wendy_McAllister_20LUNA_1024x758px.jpg "\"Wendy McAllister’s Corgi is named Luna. "The eyes are windows to the soul." Photo courtesy of Wendy McAllisterpets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20_1024x768px.jpg "\"Paula Castro sent in an absolutely gorgeous image that gives off a great sense of peacefulness. "This is a picture of my cat Micas with me in my studio," she says. Photo courtesy of Paula Castropets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AD9F845E-A704-4B22-B25C-CC8777CF71A5_1024x768px.jpg "\""When my workshop door is open, my donkeys Storm and Mickey like to pop in for a visit!" says Kate Case. "They’re really friendly and curious, but I suspect they’re also keen to eat my books and cardboard boxes—I have to keep an eye on them!" Photo: Kate Casepets\"")
!["pets"](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Image2012_1024x768px.jpg "\"Our AJF Live with Sharon Massey is the one that launched this Jewelers & Their Pets feature. After watching that event, seeing Sharon Massey’s dogs in the studio, and noticing a pattern of seeing pets in the previous AJF Lives, one of our board members said, "Hey, wouldn't it be fun to publish something like this?\ Massey sent in a snapshot of Clementine and Anna. "Even though I take tons of pictures of my dogs," she says, "none of them really show my studio, too. I tried to get an image that shows both. It was harder than I thought to get a picture with both dogs!" Look at that pinpoint focus—who wants a treat? Photo: Sharon Masseypets"\"")
