By David Farrier
Spraycans are often associated with tagging and graffiti, but a Tauranga man wants to turn that idea on its head.
He's using his skill with a spraycan to paint 100 portraits of dogs.
Graham Hoete goes by the name Mr G, and he loves graffiti – but he calls it "aerosol fine art".
Mr G is keen to change the way people view what he does, so has chosen to move into the dog portrait business.
His goal is 100 dog portraits by the end of the year.
"People see something like this and they kinda wonder, how the heck do you do that with a spray can," he says. "It's about changing perceptions of graffiti art in general."
At a minimum they take about six solid hours to create. 3 News followed as he dropped off his latest portrait, Cruz.
Cruz was shot two years ago. Owner Greg Clarke still doesn't know exactly who did it or why, but found the body washed up in a river.
"It's hard to equate that to the lifeform of what was alive, but then again it's even more so as you feel emotions coming over you," says Mr Clarke. "He's there. The eyes are good."
So Cruz was painted from the missing dog poster. Mr Clarke found out about Mr G from some of his more conventional work.
"Coincidentally he had some artwork on the back of Pap tavern."
Even though he's only four dogs in, Mr G says he's getting used to emotional responses from owners.
"He almost cried eh, the wife was saying. I guess that's a good thing eh, to capture the likeness."
So he wants more dogs and some variety. He's got 16 dogs on the list - that's 84 to go to make the Dogathon 100. he says he'd like some pitbulls, a couple of Chihuahuas and a basset hound.
But don't mention cats.
"Cats are a no-go, mate," says Mr G. "Just not into cats, eh."
3 News
Visit Mr G's website.