【2012 Archives】

Ella Fitzgerald012 Archivesnot only artist Julia Powell's companion, but she's also the artist's toughest critic.

Golden Retriever Art Criticism: Day 3. UPDATE! I did a test and she is clearly drawn to blues and greens and WATER (no interest in red or orange at all and less interest in my birch trees). So all of you water theorists out there stand up! And applaud yourselves. Anyway, after I put on the glasses, she actually looked at the painting for like four solid seconds before yawning (everything is derivative, she seemed to be saying) and then trying to remove the glasses. Which she did, successfully. #oilpainting #dogsarethebest #funnyface #art🎨 #artcritic #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #contemporarypainting #landscapepainting #modernart #abstractart #waterfall #seascape #impressionism #fineart #painting #oilpaintings #goldenretrieversofinstagram #artist #artforsale #artgallery #hilarious

A post shared by Julia S. Powell Art (@juliaspowell10) on May 4, 2017 at 1:30pm PDT

With her discerning eye, 6-year-old golden retriever Ella has been caught staring at various pieces of landscape artwork three days in a row -- which is quite rare, according to Powell. In a phone call Thursday afternoon, Powell said when Ella's looking at the painting she "has this hilarious expression on her face." That expression makes Powell "extrapolate she’s thinking all these deep philosophical thoughts."

The artist even gave Ella some glasses to inspect the work more carefully.

Okay guys - WHAT IS GOING ON! I have to post because this will never happen two days in a row again. Came outside to photograph this work in progress and my dog Ella Fitzgerald was staring at my painting. I have three theories. 1. Yesterday and today I used a lot of blue and green and maybe she is responding to those colors. 2. Both of the canvases (yesterday and today) are linen made by the same manufacturer - maybe they smell a certain way. 3. My dog is a genius and actually sees something here and is going to make me famous by writing about my work in a NYT bestselling art theory book she publishes one day. What do you guys think? Do you have another theory? #oilpainting #goldenretriever #modernart #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #contemporarypainting #abstractart #japanesegardens #landscapepainting #landscapelovers #creative #impressionism #fineart #painting #artcritic #goldenretrieversofinstagram #englishcreamgoldenretriever #wtfishappeninghere #funnyvideos #funnyface #hilarious #dogsarethebest

A post shared by Julia S. Powell Art (@juliaspowell10) on May 3, 2017 at 10:19am PDT

Powell has some theories as to why her dog can't look away. One is that the pooch is drawn to the blues and greens of her water scene oil paintings. She said she tested out showing the dog orange and red paintings, like one of birch trees, and the canine didn't have much interest.

When you walk into your studio and your dog is just staring at your work and then she looks at you like you are the one who's interrupting... My dog, Ella Fitzgerald, annoyed art critic. #oilpainting #impressionism #goldenretriever #art🎨 #artcritic #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #contemporarypainting #modernart #abstractart #landscapepainting #studio #studioartist

A post shared by Julia S. Powell Art (@juliaspowell10) on May 2, 2017 at 7:56am PDT

Another is that Ella enjoys the smells of the canvases. So this might have nothing to do with the visuals. "I wouldn’t call her particularly focused," Powell said about her dog.

The third -- and definitely the most likely theory -- is that Ella is a genius art critic and she's seeing something that the human eye can't even comprehend.

Ella Fitzgerald: cute golden retriever and fancy-pants art critic.