Artist Aims to Give Voice to Animals

What would animals say if they could talk? Local artist Debra Saum has a hunch — and if you’re a pet owner, Saum says you likely do, too.

“Animal communication is the most natural thing, it happens every day between people and the animals they love,” says Saum, who uses that unspoken exchange as an inspiration for her paintings. “I’m simply using art as a medium to show how animals and humans truly understand each other.”

Saum spends 40 to 60 hours on each portrait, taking time to study the character of her animal subjects. It’s a skillset she says she’s developed working as an animal interpreter for the past 30 years, a topic she’s also written several books about.

“I communicate with the animals I paint and they communicate right back,” she says.

A good chunk of Saum’s portraits have been commissioned by pet owners who have asked her to paint their dogs, cats and horses, and she’s also been inspired by wild animals, including gorillas, lions and zebras. Domesticated or not, Saum says she hopes her art helps people grasp the message animals have to share.  

“It is my dream to broadcast the animal’s messages of love, hope and joy. By listening to them, we return to our own sense of what is right in the world.”

Beginning this week, you can view a collection of Saum’s paintings at the . The exhibition, , will be on display Thursday, Jan. 12, through Saturday, Feb. 28. There will also be an artist reception Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery.

The hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. The gallery is closed on Jan. 20, Feb. 3 and 17.

For more information about Saum’s work, please visit debrasaum.com.

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