Painter Valerie Leonard is the Annie Leibovitz of pet portraits—without the mounting debt and camera, that is. Valerie’s “process” is an insanely involved one: She devotes days to each portrait, studies images of a particular animal, researches traits and characteristics of specific breeds. Then, she researches classic artists for the most fitting painting, using the client’s direction as a guide. And once chosen, she merges the animal image with the human form. In the final product, the animal features and background are often cobbled together from a composite of different images. Wondering what that looks like? Check out the dogs above, and a bunch more of her images, after the jump!

This controversial painting of a naked Madonna and Guy Ritchie, by Peter Howson, is going up for auction at McTear’s Auctioneers and Valuers in Glasgow. It’s expected to make between £15,000 and £22,000. Doesn’t it look as if Guy is trying to get at Madonna’s goods, but she has her mega arm and fist ready to punch?

Painter Justine Lai’s series of erotic oil paintings depicting the artist banging it out with U.S. Presidents massage two nerdy pleasure centers: history and sex. Are you reading this, History Channel? Less Nazis, more Presidential pegging please! The artist’s intent is to break down the mythological idea of the President, expose their inherent humanity and vulnerability, and to comment on the relationship between sex and politics. Since, after all, power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. The work could easily have been an adolescent lark, a snarky art nerd having some frat fun with former Commanders-in-Chief. Instead the paintings transcend this, and end up being rude, gentle, and compelling. Maybe even sexy? Also, you’d never think Abraham Lincoln would close his eyes while getting a knobber. [JustineLai.com via BoingBoing]