One artist is capturing the special bond between humans and their dogs in her beautiful illustrations.
Yaoyao Ma Van As lives in LA with her husband and their beloved pup, Parker, a Chihuahua-cocker spaniel mix they adopted four years ago.
In her artwork, Ma Van As illustrates many of the adorable little moments dog parents will recognise, inspired by her daily life with Parker.
When you get those sweet, sweet puppy snuggles:
And kisses:
When you’re reminded that it’s time to take a break:
Or when you sing off-key with zero judgment:
When your canine companion doubles as a trusty alarm clock:
Ma Van As told HuffPost that Parker is an “amazing” roommate because he’s good at communicating his needs and always offers love and affection when she needs it most.
“He’s very vocal about what he wants and is always there for us when we are down,” she said. “Sometimes we act goofy and jump around when we’re happy, and Parker is right there with us jumping up and down. Whenever we’re feeling down, Parker is immediately there to sit on our laps to comfort us.”
Of course, there are moments when Parker, like any dog, misbehaves ― hey, no roommate is perfect! But who can stare into those irresistible puppy dog eyes and stay mad? No one, that’s who.
Although Ma Van As is married, she enjoys capturing the intimate magic of living alone in her work, reminiscent of the time she lived on her own in her early 20s.
“When you live alone, your time is accountable only to you, and it’s a really great opportunity to figure out exactly what it is that you actually enjoy doing and then having the time to actually do it without feeling guilty,” Ma Van As said.
