Title:“Tibetan Mastiff”  

Artist: Crystal Pei

Medium: Western Watercolor Painting in the Style of Traditonal Chinese Watercolor

Price: Inquire

Contact National Purebred Dog Day to inquire about purchasing this piece. 

Painting Details: I wanted to honor the tradition, thinking that its working role as a family protector could not be discounted.  In a way, I wanted to create the image of a champion dog, as a creature not only worthy of aesthetic recognition, but also for its ability to perform as a guardian: fluffy, droopy, and strong.  Its legs are wide apart, stance indicating its confidence and assuredness.  

Artist’s thoughts: There was a time that I could only appreciate dogs from afar. I was afraid of getting bitten! The first few times I really got into petting dogs, I still held a fear that one of them would suddenly turn around and bite me. For this reason, I loved the Golden Retriever, for its excitability and reliable friendliness.

It was not until I was eleven, that I learned of other dog breeds. At the time, I had already a strong appreciation for big, fluffy dogs. There was a special broadcasted on national TV featuring the Tibetan Mastiff—it was incredibly fierce, but also the most loyal. It was said that this dog breed would defend its owners at any cost. It was big AND fluffy, and the coat patterns were nothing like I had ever seen at the time: mainly, two prominent spots of brown above the eyes, enormously fluffy with a big curly tail at the end. People who lived on the Tibetan plateau put red Yak-hair collars around these dogs, which intensified their majestic aura. After the program ended, I could never forget about it. It became my favorite dog breed, since, because of its ferocity and innocence.

This dog breed later resurfaced in my life in the form of a Vice Youtube video, titled, “The World’s Most Expensive Dog”.