I am your old pal Rupert, but everyone likes to call me Bear! I was named after the Rupert Bear story books — I hope you see the uncanny resemblance. I suppose you could say I am a studio assistant, really a glorified model for my artist sister, Ari, who is always paying me with lots of biscuits.
Sorry, she nudged me to say her full name: Arianna Taliadoros. Gosh, you’d think this was about her!
As I was saying, most work I get involved with is content creation, you know: reels, TikToks, Insta posts (look us up at @artdesignbyari), that kind of thing. It’s a lot of work: We must brush my fur, which I hate, and then Ari sets up the studio so it’s ready for me to sit by her and pose for the photos. Ari does all her own marketing and social media, that’s why I like to help by giving her a paw every now and then.
She paints lots of flowers and ocean scenes — I reckon she must get inspired by our dog walks. I’m too busy to notice, far too many smells to pay attention to! Her studio is messy, so I’m always ushered around the wet art. That’s okay for me, because I love to sleep in my studio bed. While Ari paints those pretty florals, I relax into a deep slumber with the smell of the lavender candle — that’s the best vibe in the studio.
While she cracks on with work, I like to peer out the window, keep check of all the neighbours. It’s a home studio, so super warm and comfy. Ari and I are based in Hampshire, England, in a sweet little town a stone’s throw away from the beach!
Occasionally, I get to jump in the car and head to Romsey, which is about 30 minutes away, and drop off artwork at Forest and Cove, a gallery Ari displays her work at. They are super dog friendly; I even bump into some of my dog pals there, too!
I am an Old English Sheep dog, so we are used to being around paint — but I do not like the noise of a sewing machine! Ari loves textures in her art and will sometimes sew into some of her paper pieces. I hide downstairs while she does so, far too much commotion for my liking.
We love a visitor to come to the studio. Our favourite is Emily, Ari’s friend who she collaboratively paints with — and has a pet friend called Bear, too! I am proper chatty so it’s usually me doing the entertaining around here. Anyway, I must pop off, it’s time for my afternoon scone and a quick nap before more content making!