Dogs make the best sidekicks, both in life and in art. Just ask Jerome Tiunayan. 

Jerome’s sly, supple paintings, most recently on view inside Vertical Gallery’s booth at Aqua Art Miami 2025, showcase the fantastical exploits of his semi-autobiographical signature character and the boy’s canine comrade, a stand-in for the artist’s beloved mini goldendoodle Mochi. The dynamic duo’s misadventures continue with the Feb. 2 release of Jerome’s limited-edition print “Better Half,” the first installment in the new Vertical Collectors Club series. 

“A character like mine needs a partner in crime,” Jerome (@gohomejerome) says. “I think it's cool to come at a story from two different perspectives.” 

Jerome and his now-wife Valerie adopted five-year-old Mochi (so named for Japan’s ubiquitous sweet rice cakes) prior to relocating to Chicago from their native New York City. 

“Val’s a schoolteacher, and at that time, she spent her summers working in a pet shop,” Jerome recalls. “Mochi was ill when she arrived at the shop. She couldn’t be left unsupervised, so Val volunteered us to look after her for a few days. The idea was that the dog would eventually go back to the pet store — Val really wanted to keep her, but I didn't want to have any extra responsibilities. Then, on the second day that Mochi was there, I was drawing on the kitchen table, and she wormed her way in between my feet. She seemed to know exactly what to do to make sure that I would never get rid of her or give her up. It made me realize how selfish I was being, not only about her, but about Val. It grew from there... It felt nice to care for something outside of myself.”

Jerome’s affection for Mochi inevitably spilled into his fictional world. “I didn't really put much thought into it, beyond ‘It'd be cool if my character had a companion when I send him on adventures.’ I love ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ [Bill Watterson’s classic comic strip about a precocious six-year-old and his stuffed tiger], and I'm sure that has something to do with it,” Jerome says. “There’s a balancing act to the work that features both characters. The kid’s an all-work kind of person, which reflects how I am in real life. The dog’s lighthearted, positive outlook is a reminder that it's okay to play every now and then.”  

“Better Half” captures a rare break in the action. The sweet, simple scene depicts the boy offering the dog half of his sandwich — a show of sacrifice, commitment and devotion. 

“I don't look at them as individual paintings. It’s a whole narrative, and I'm just showing you little pieces of it,” Jerome says. “For ‘Better Half,’ I wanted to paint something where they're resting, as opposed to something travel-oriented. Val taught me that feeding somebody, or having somebody feed you, is a gesture that can only be from love.” 

“Better Half” kicks off Vertical’s Collectors Club series, which features exclusive seasonal-themed print releases commissioned from the gallery’s favorite artists. Vertical owner Patrick Hull requested “Better Half” for release in time for Valentine’s Day gift-giving. 

“I wanted to offer collectors something that fit the holiday, but also something that would hang on the wall year round,” Patrick explains. “Valentine’s Day isn’t only about romantic love — it’s also about friendship and appreciation. I knew Jerome would understand the feeling I was looking for, and he captured it perfectly.” 

“We've done a lot of prints in conjunction with exhibitions, but this is the first time we’ve commissioned an original work expressly to release a corresponding print edition,” Patrick says. “The other special thing is that some lucky person will be able to purchase Jerome’s original painting of the ‘Better Half’ print image.”

Moving forward, Vertical Collectors Club will drop a limited-edition print every six to eight weeks, based on a brand-new work by a different artist; email sales@verticalgallery.com to purchase “Better Half” and lock in matching edition numbers on subsequent releases in the series. Vertical is also offering free U.S. shipping on all “Better Half” pre-orders received within the month of January 2026.  

Jerome next returns as one of 13 artists featured in Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Group Show, on display inside Chicago’s Jackson Junge Gallery from Mar. 13 through Apr. 19. While Mochi will almost certainly factor into the equation, don’t hold your breath for an appearance from Jerome and Val’s other dog, Margot. 

“Margot is only focused on ‘What time are you feeding me?’ and ‘Can you make room on the couch so I can sleep 23 hours out of the day?’” Jerome laughs. “I’ve given thought to a storyline where I could depict both dogs — that's very much a possibility, although I don't know how much it would make sense right now. Either way, Margot doesn't give a shit if I paint her or not.”

Purchase the print here.