Major General Woof

Melissa Smith is a self-taught artist originally from the beautiful countryside of Upstate New York. Raised on magnificent farmland there, surrounded by animals and nature, inspired her to become an adamant animal lover and influenced her creative passion.

Melissa started painting pet portraits after a department store shopping trip in 2005 where she laughed out loud after spotting a framed poster of “Major General Woof” by Massy then went home to paint something similar of her rescued Chihuahua mix.

She has found that being a pet portrait artist is her true life passion, especially capturing candid moments in time, in a cherished pet’s life.

“Our pets give us unconditional love and I am proud to have found a way to honor and commemorate them. The bond between pet and human companion and the profound love people have for their pets truly inspires me, and there is nothing that gives me greater joy than my client’s reactions to their completed painting!”

This dog obsessed artist currently lives in Garland, TX with her husband and their two Chihuahua mix rescues, Dacs and Fox, and shares her heart and home fostering numerous dogs for a local pet rescue.