Poker Pets

(Left to right) Randy Rasmussen completed a custom painting for raffle winners Melissa and Steve Kugel. Audrey Off donated her services by matting and framing the artwork. Submitted photo.

Randall Rasmussen, painter of contemporary impressionist art, and Audrey Off, artist and owner of Audrey Off Gallery, offered their combined talents for a Door County Humane Society (DCHS) fundraiser in February. They probably thought they would be asked to complete a conventional portrait of a cat or dog companion, but were faced with a unique request.

The raffle drawing was held March 9 and won by Melissa and Steve Kugel, recent adopters of a DCHS cat. The Kugels gave Rasmussen a good laugh, and then a challenge, when they requested a painting of their three animals – Scout, Zoey and Romeo – around a poker table. When Rasmussen finished the special artwork, Off donated her services to mat and frame it. Rasmussen and Off presented the final piece to the Kugels on April 11, and there were big smiles all around.