Italian music fills the room where Joy Caros paints at the Courthouse Gallery.

Internationally acclaimed for her portraits and other paintings, Joy and her husband James Rawley have lived in 11 different countries but have spent the better part of the last 35 years in Italy, a place they say they can’t get out of their blood.

This month, however, they have set up a studio here in Merritt at the gallery and are working on paintings that will be auctioned to benefit the Angel’s Animal Rescue Society run by Joy’s son and daughter in law, George and Judanna Caros.

“We came to Merritt to visit our son, but before we go back we wanted to do some painting at the museum and do an exhibition and combine it with the dogs,” said Joy. “They need the support and we can bring some culture to Merritt.”

In an evening at the gallery called Art for Bark on June 3, Joy and James’ paintings – some with animal subjects – will be auctioned with the proceeds going towards Angel’s Animal Rescue.

“We like what they’re doing and there seems to be a need for it,” said James, adding that his wife is no stranger to painting animals. “Joy has done some famous horses in Italy.”

While the subjects of her paintings vary, Joy is most noted for her portraits of interesting and famous people around the world – people like Andrea Bocelli, the Chefs of the B.C. Hall of Fame and all prime ministers and presidents of Israel among others.

Though her experience with art began as a young girl painting in Stanley Park and a one-week art course, which was all she could afford, Joy began her professional career painting portraits of clients at “Trader Vic’s” restaurant in Vancouver. As people were drawn to her work, she developed quite a following in Vancouver then moved on to Hollywood where Stanley Kramer commissioned her to paint the portraits of the stars of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” After that, she fell in love with Europe and spent the majority of her time in countries like France, Holland, Germany and Italy.

Meanwhile, James fell in love with Joy. Working as a plumbing contractor in Victoria, James met Joy in 1976 on a blind date. All it took was a visit to Italy and he sold his things in Canada and moved to Italy to learn to paint.

“We’ve been together 36 years,” he said. “I just follow her around as her full-time student and husband.”

Since that time, the pair continues to do exhibitions throughout Europe and their prints are distributed in 83 countries around the world. But still, their hearts remain in Italy.

“It’s the whole tradition of art, that’s in their blood and in their history,” said James. “There are 60 million people living there in an area half the size of B.C. and they’ve been there for six thousand years; it’s like living in a museum. It just rubs off on you.”

His wife agrees.

“Rome and the Sistene Chapel – every part of Italy is beautiful,” said Joy. “Once you visit Italy, you can’t get it out of your blood. We paint the people. They’re an emotional people. Life is first, then everything after.”

And so, in between visits to their eight children, the couple will continue returning to Italy, but in the meantime, Merrittonians can enjoy their artwork at the Courthouse Gallery. Art for Bark will take place on June 3 from 6 to 9 p.m.