"I Love Ya, Bro."

Also known as Creed.

Pastel, 10"x8"

This past summer, my niece, Brooke, showed me some photos of a boxer dog she absolutely adores--Creed.  His owner is a friend of her and Clay.  This was one of those "I have to paint this dog".  The look on his face was so enticing and I loved this coloring.  He is a Fawn Boxer dog.  Brooke contacted Creed's owner, who sent me more pics and gave me permission to paint him.

The one photo that had the look I wanted was not good for referance (too dark in background, and the light source washed out his coloring).  However, the other photos gave me good referance on coloring, and I did my usual research on getting to know my subject matter better.  I am finding out that by researching about my subjects involves me more with my paintings.  I hope I get to meet Creed some day.  He was a joy to paint!

Enjoy!!

Here are some work in progress shots.

Transferred my design and started working on the darks. 

Started on his eyes and lighter colors.

Working on lighter and medium colors to get my form.

Playing with background.

 Finished.

"Celebrate"

"Celebrate", Pastel on velour, 18" x 16"

"Celebrate" is #3 in my series "Paint What You Love".  The first two have my dog, Fancy, in them.  The idea for it came to me because I had received 1st. place awards for the first two, and I wanted her to get a 1st. place award for painting me, aka Fancy's mother.  If you don't catch on to that--I posed like in the famous painting, Whistler's Mother".  I have a lot of referance photos of Fancy, but not one of her jumping.  So, I took time to learn more about a dog's anatomy and did several sketches to see if the proportions were right.  I also took more photos of her in various positions.  Poor thing--she couldn't lay down for a nap without me bothering her.

"Celebrate" is currently in the Canyon Lake Art Guild's, Lasting Impressions Show, at the New Braunfel's Art Gallery, in New Braunfels, Texas, through Mar. 30th..

ENJOY!!

"Paint What You Love", Pastel, 16"x20"

"Have Fun", Pastel, 20"x16"

"A Loving Worker"

I would like to introduce all of you to Bailey, an Australian Shepherd.  I met Bailey, and her owner, Bridget, at our local library, a year ago, and instantly fell in love with Bailey (please don't tell Fancy, my border collie!).  Bridget gave me permission to take some photos (glad I had my iPhone), and Bailey enjoyed every minute of it.  Every time I would see the photos on my computer, I always thought to myself--you've got to paint this dog!!  Finally, I did.  The whole time I was working on the painting, I remembered that day at the library--there was a smile on my face every minute.  Knowing your subject first hand does make a difference when you go to paint it.

Bridget and Bailey are members and workers of Pet Partners, a service program of the Delta Society.  Registered Pet Partners bring the physical and emotional benefits of human-animal interaction to people in a variety of settings.  Delta Society's mission is to improve human health through service and therapy animals.  You can find out more information and view a wonderful video of their work at:  www.petpartners.org.  Bailey's resume is quite impressive (wish mine looked that good).  She has completed several obedience programs and has completed her AKC Canine Good Citizen program.  Besides being involved in various special school classrooms, such as Life Skills, Alternative Behaviour, Autistic and Severely Emotionally Disturbed students, she has worked with brain injured adults at the Texas Learning Center in Galveston, TX..  She has also assisted in several suicide interventions with great success.  Bailey currently volunteers as a Reading Dog at our local Tye Preston Memorial Library.  TALK ABOUT A V.I.P. (Very Important Partner)!!

As you can probably conclude--all of this was made possible by the love and training of owner, Bridget.  She is a retired Special Education Teacher and Counselor, of 34 years.  She now volunteers in the schools, etc., with Bailey, to enhance positive awareness of the human animal involvement.

After I finished "A Loving Worker", I sent Bridget a preview of it.  Bridget replied with "Wow, your painting of Bailey brought tears to my eyes.  You captured that look that she gives me when we are working, that says, "I'm ready to work, where are my kiddos!".
P.S.  Bridget bought the painting!!  I was going to enter it in a show, but am much more happy it is hanging in the home of Bailey's loving owner.

  "A Loving Worker", Pastel, 10" x 8"

"Scruppy"

"Scruppy" is a commissioned pet portrait I have recently finished.  A customer that I had sold my ceramic molds, kilns, to, commissioned me to do him for a friend in Florida.  He was a challenge, as I did not have good referance photos.  They were too small and too far away.  Also, a couple of them were when he was younger, and some when he is now older.  Plus, the coloring of him was hard to determine.  Lesson learned!!  Do not accept a commission until you see the referance photos first, or are able to take your own.  However, I will tell you that I am stubborn enough, I took on the challenge.  To end the story, I had my customer send her friend a photo of the painting, to see if it looked anything like Scruppy.  She received word that it looked like a younger version.  So, "Scruppy" is now in the hands of his master.  It was a good experience!!

"Scruppy", Pastel, 8" x 6"