Taly and Pat Walsh met in art school and it was love at first sight. They enjoy the same music, hiking, politics, movies and laughs.

Taly was born in Israel and lived in East Africa and South Africa growing up. She moved to the U.S. in 1980 and has lived in Northern Virginia ever since.

Although she studied commercial art in college, Taly didn’t have a chance to practice and grow until much later. For years she worked as a marketing strategist at several non-profit organizations. But under the surface, being an artist beckoned!

Around 2017, Pat gave her a gift of art lessons at the Art League in Alexandria. She was so excited and happy, she immediately signed up for an oil painting class. Since that time, Taly has produced many paintings, experimenting with different techniques, tools and styles in oils, watercolors and acrylics. She enjoys creating both large- and small-format paintings, exploring abstract possibilities as well as hybrid abstract-realistic results. While she specializes in pet portraits, she is skilled in creating other types of subjects, including landscapes, abstract shapes and people.

Taly is an artist-in-residence at Palette 22, a local restaurant. The artists there practice their craft in weekly shifts in the presence of restaurant customers, and their paintings are displayed on the restaurant walls.

Pat was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. He is fascinated with everything Irish, since his paternal grandparents emigrated from Ireland. He is a fan of Washington area sports including football, baseball and basketball.

After studying commercial art and illustration in college, he worked as a graphic artist for the Department of Defense, Fairfax County Journal newspapers, and as a freelancer.

Pat specializes in using colored pencils and watercolors to create political cartoons and portraits of people and pets.

Pat and Taly have grown twin boys, several grandchildren, and two dogs, Buster and Lucy.

About Park Bench Pets

For any Jethro Tull fans out there, you may be familiar with the line “Sitting on the park bench…”! Pat started Park Bench Portraits to offer portrait sketches and paintings, as well as editorial cartoons. Park Bench Pets is a spinoff that focuses on pets (and other creatures).

Depending on the preferred style of the customer, when an order comes in the team decides who will complete the painting. Taly and Pat work in adjacent home offices, and give each other critiques on the art as it’s being created.

Each painting is worked on with love and care.