Paw Print Artists

Paw Print Artists consists of Gail McFarland and Jeff Danford, who have been creating art since they were kids. They have been married (to each other) since 1974 and not only acknowledge each other’s abilities, but also enjoy collaborating on paintings. In addition to a passion for art, they share a love for dogs and gardening.

Gail McFarland

For Gail, art is about making an emotional connection with her audience. She wants her paintings to tell a visual story and to capture a single, split-second emotion on the canvas to which any viewer can relate. Her favorite medium is oil paint because she can easily manipulate the tones to convey a three-dimensional appearance. This dimensionality is what creates the emotional connection. She then ads highlights and details with acrylics to create a visually pleasing story.

Jeff Danford

Jeff likes to explore forms and colors using abstract techniques while still presenting a recognizable image. He wants his audience to expect unusual presentations, so works in a variety of mediums including ceramics, oil, and acrylic. He alternates between ceramics and painting because they each give him unique opportunities to explore forms, textures, and colors.

Both Jeff and Gail are juried members of the East Valley Art Guild and are frequent exhibitors in the Sundust Art Gallery in downtown Mesa. You can also see their work at from time-to-time at art fairs throughout the Phoenix area, including First Fridays in Phoenix and MacFest in Mesa. See the News and Events page for details of their upcoming events

Gail and Jeff believe in finding good homes for abandoned pets and saving them from being put to death. As a result, all four of Gail and Jeff’s dogs are rescue animals and they donate 10% of their commission on every custom pet portrait to Arizona Chihuahua Rescue, a non-profit organization that finds homes for rescued Chihuahuas and other dogs.

Recently, Paw Print Artists has grown to include their son Robert, who has been selling his colored pencil drawings at Phoestival (formerly 1st Fridays) in Phoenix with his father.