Jon Stojan
Since the earliest civilizations, artists have depicted the natural world around them, and animals have often become central characters — think about prehistoric cave paintings, Egyptian gods, or medieval bestiaries. But animal painting emerged as an independent genre relatively recently, and much later, it began to focus more on the inner world of animals than on their static presence on the canvas.
Contemporary artists, such as New York-based Regina Loginova, are attempting to combine an academic, precise approach to depiction with new techniques that convey the inner energy and varied range of emotions in animals. The artist has been working in the direction of emotional animal portraiture for several years, and now shares how this approach influences contemporary painting.
From Siberia to New York: The Formation of an Artist
Regina grew up surrounded by the diverse Siberian landscape from an early age. At some point, she developed a passion for equestrianism, and so noble horses became central subjects in her paintings. After completing her academic education, she acquired skills in classical painting, working with anatomy and form, but she felt that the traditional approach to depicting animals as natural objects was insufficient. She began to seek new ways to express her ideas.
Soon she moved to New York and continued her studies at The Art Students League of New York, one of the city’s oldest art schools. There she met artists from different countries and encountered a range of approaches to figurative painting. Here, she began to work even more freely with color and texture to more vividly convey the animals’ emotional states and become a conduit for dialogue between them and the viewer.
Early in her career, Regina Loginova had already created over a dozen works depicting graceful horses, noble dogs, and other animals. With these works, she has participated in international, gallery, and group exhibitions, presenting her art to diverse audiences and publishing articles in magazines dedicated to contemporary figurative painting as well as in online publications. In 2026, one of her art exhibitions also took place, and many more similar events lie ahead for Regina. As Regina herself noted, she is pleased that emotional, animal-themed paintings are attracting more and more contemporary artists.
Animals as Emotional Subjects Rather Than Objects
“I have always wanted animals in my paintings to be the main characters. I love equestrian sport, I love being around horses, and I see so many unspoken emotions in their eyes — emotions I can capture and share with others on canvas,” Regina says about her approach.
This can be described as a method of the emotional animal portrait. In traditional realism, animals were often depicted for anatomical accuracy, symbolic meaning, or to capture a particular scene. Regina’s approach shifts the focus toward the inner state of the animal — whether it is a horse, a dog, or even a fox.
At the core of her compositions is the animal portrait: a close-up depiction of the head with special emphasis on the animal’s gaze. As the saying goes, the eyes reveal the soul — a look can convey the most subtle shifts of emotion in living beings. To keep these emotional nuances at the center of the painting, Regina often uses soft, calm background tones, natural shades without excessive detail.
Technique, Observation, and Artistic Method
From a technical perspective, Regina Loginova combines an academic foundation with a freer painterly approach. She carefully renders anatomy and form while using textured brushwork and raised paint surfaces, giving the image a strong sense of life.
Observation of movement plays an important role in her work. Having participated in equestrian competitions, Regina understands the anatomy of horses. She conveys the animal’s energy and psychological state through the precise positioning of the body on the canvas.
Regina Loginova shares details of her creative process: “I can depict a slight tension in the neck or a turn of the animal’s head to convey the concentration of energy at that moment. Or, in one of my paintings, I depicted a horse in a calm state and “wove” flowers into its mane to emphasize this peaceful state.”
Her refined technique, combined with the emotional expressiveness at the center of the canvas, contributes to the development of contemporary figurative painting. Regina’s work in her paintings helps open new dimensions in the dialogue between artists and fauna.
A New Direction for Animal Painting
Regina’s works offer a new perspective on contemporary animal painting. In her paintings, the animal becomes the central figure of the canvas, because she sees in it, above all, a unique character and emotion. The combination of strict academic traditions and Regina’s signature techniques allows for a fresh perspective on the relationship between the artist, nature, and the viewer. The dialogue with the canvas extends beyond its frame and continues even after the lights go out in the exhibition hall.
In the future, the artist plans to expand the reach of her work: she will participate in various international exhibitions, where she hopes to share her approach with other artists.