Will Rannells

Will Rannells (July 21, 1892 - February 3, 1982) was made famous for his remarkable watercolor dog portraits. Rannells grew up in the Zanesville area and graduated from the Cincinnati Art Academy. In 1930, he was commissioned to design the Christmas card for the Orphans of the Storm dog shelter in Chicago. Throughout his lifetime, his dog portraits were featured on magazine covers across the country including The Country Gentleman. Mrs. P.T. O’Connor, author of Dog Stars, also used Rannells’s work for her book’s cover. Rannells was employed as a fine arts instructor at The Ohio State University.

S.H.