In a quiet workshop nestled in the woods just outside the small town of Jacksonport, Wisconsin, artist Mike McCartney has built a successful career doing what he loves most – drawing man's best friend. What began as a simple weekend favor for his mother at a dog show has evolved into a decades-spanning business creating whimsical canine art that brings smiles to dog lovers everywhere.
"Puppies. Dogs. They got that contagious smile," McCartney said, beaming at his own dog, Joey. "They're entertainment. They're therapy. You take them for a walk out in the woods and let them do their thing and watch their nose."
Born and raised in Chicago with a natural talent for art, Mike and his wife, Dede, moved to Door County when he was 21 to be closer to her family. While working in a shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, far from the bustling art scene of the Windy City, Mike found ways to nurture his artistic passion. "I was always drawing (at) little fairs around Door County, caricatures," Mike explained. "It was fun to do but not a living. I went to the other shipyard and lasted about ten years there and I go, 'I got to draw.'"
The turning point in Mike's artistic journey came through an unexpected request from his mother. "My mom asked me come to Great Dane National. I had no idea that I'd be drawing dogs," Mike recalled. "It was pretty easy, because if I'm drawing a person like yourself, I really got to make, get it right, otherwise people go, 'That doesn't look like me.' When you do the dogs, one Great Dane looks like all of them. It was a blast."
The success and enjoyment from that first dog show led Mike to another event, then another. By the third dog show, he saw the potential for something bigger. "The third dog show I went to, I told my wife, 'I think we could do this. Let's go all in.' She was all for it," Mike said. Despite skeptics who warned that making a living as an artist was unrealistic, Mike persevered through what he calls "the school of hard knocks" – stumbling, tripping, and falling his way to success.
Mike's determination paid off as he transformed his simple black-and-white card drawings into a full-scale family operation. Working from their property in Jacksonport with help from his wife and children, the business expanded dramatically. "We had all the kids working here, our son and daughters' high school friends, and then I had a lady who would come in the evening and just run prints. They would just print shirts, cases, and cases of shirts, just keep printing shirts," Mike recalled.
The business continued to evolve and grow over the years. "I made the big leap from black-and-white into color, then we did some posters, and then those mugs I told you, we made travel mugs. We built this barn and found out what kind of equipment to do and how to do it ourselves. Little at a time, that's it. It was a good family operation." The McCartneys developed catalog deals and built their enterprise step by step, learning the business as they went.
Decades later, the operation has scaled back considerably. The children have grown up and moved away to pursue their own careers, and Dede now owns and operates a wine shop in downtown Sturgeon Bay. "No more employees," Mike said. "No more traveling to dog shows." However, this doesn't mean the 70-year-old artist has slowed down – he continues creating with his faithful companion Joey always by his side.
Mike's current focus centers on his annual cartoon dog calendar, which requires considerable time and effort. "Seven days (a week) drawing that calendar. It's a lot of drawing, a lot of time to compose it after you draw, ink it and pencil it," Mike explained. He sells these calendars through his website and in Dede's shop, describing his work as wholesome entertainment. "They're all whimsical. It's all rated G and colorful and funny and silly. It's all just to make you smile."
For this small-town artist with immense talent, retirement isn't on the horizon. His love for creating art that brings joy to others continues to drive him forward. "I can't think of retiring. 70 years old, I just keep drawing silly pictures," Mike said. "Make a drawing last all day." Those interested in viewing Mike's work can visit his website, McCartney's Dogs, where his decades of canine-inspired creativity continue to delight dog enthusiasts and art lovers alike.
