The ethical concerns around AI training data apply to both image generators and large language models (LLMs).

Image generators like Stable Diffusion and DALL-E were all built on a dataset called LAION that was created from billions of images in Getty Images, Flickr, Behance, Pinterest, and websites. There’s a good chance, if you had photographs on the internet any time between 2008 and 2021, your images are in there somewhere.

For LLMs, Common Crawl was the foundation dataset, and it went through 3.1 BILLION web pages including blog posts, forum comments, Reddit threads, and personal websites. Online newspapers, like The New York Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, as well as Books3, which contains nearly 200,000 copyrighted books, also got sucked into the training data.

No one asked for permission. No one was compensated. And no privacy law can remove your content once the training is complete. You can block future crawling, but the data already collected is baked into the already deployed models.

There are several real concerns when it comes to AI. One of them is about resources, specifically water and power. Datacenters or “server farms” require fresh water to cool down and power to work.

The concept of artificial intelligence has been around for a while. Alan Turing proposed a test to check the sentience of artificial systems back in the 1950’s. So, I’ve often said that AI has been around forever and then talk about autocorrect, spam filters, and fraud detection. That is technically true. But when it comes to the current concerns about resources, copyright, and the potential SKYNET situation, we’re talking about the third generation of generative AI (image and video) and large language models (LLM) that power the AI assistants.

When John mentioned, only last week, that they have paintings of every dog they've ever had hanging on their walls, every dog except Mackie, Margie filed that away.

A few weeks ago I drove to Lovettsville, Virginia to co-teach one of our Hybrid Artist workshops with Judy Reinford. This one was a little different.

Susan saw Daphne's photo before they ever met — a Large Munsterlander listed as a new foster through SWESR — and knew immediately she was meant to keep her.

From the dogs of the Khoikhoi people to the lion hunting packs of 19th century Zimbabwe - the history and character of the Rhodesian Ridgeback, and the painting created for The 205 Project.

One of the oldest pointing breeds in the world, the Spinone Italiano has been a fixture of Italian art and hunting for over 2,000 years. A look at the breed's history and the painting created for The 205 Project.

From the moorlands of Ireland to a Walt Disney movie that nearly ruined the breed, the history and character of the Irish Setter, and the painting created for The 205 Project.

One of the oldest pointing breeds in the world — the Bracco Italiano's history, character, and the Tuscan Storyscape created for The 205 Project.

From Brussels stable dog to royal lapdog — the history and character of the Brussels Griffon, with two paintings that tell both sides of the story.

The Flat-Coated Retriever is one of the most joyful breeds in dogdom — and one that nearly disappeared entirely. A look at the breed's history, character, and the painting created for The 205 Project.

A Pomeranian painted in the Old Masters style — breed history, royal connections, and what makes these tiny dogs unforgettable portrait subjects.

Henna was all that was bright and good and joyful in this world, and it will never be the same… I will never be the same … without her.

If you’ve started researching pet portraits, you’ve probably noticed something right away: The prices are all over the place. Let’s break it down.

English Setters hold a special place in my work.
If you’re curious why, you can read more about my experience living with and painting the breed here.

Wondering if a pet portrait can be created from older or imperfect photos? Here’s what matters, what helps, and what an artist looks for.

What to Look for in a Pet Portrait Artist Choosing a pet portrait artist isn’t just about finding someone who can make a nice picture. It’s about trusting someone to translate memory, personality, and connection into something tangible, something that will live in your home long after a favorite companion is gone. Something that brings back the memories and makes you smile.

Danica Barreau of Pouka Art & Photography in Grove City, OH was named a Silver Medalist in Pets and Domestic Animals during Professional Photographers of America's 2026 International Photographic Competition.