"My Toy"

"My Toy", Pastel on velour, 16"x12"(20"x16" framed)

I had been wanting to paint this ever since I took the photo back in 2009.  This is Fancy, my loving border collie of 15-1/2 years.  We had to say goodbye to her in Nov., 2017.  Now, it is my tribute to her.  She loved her frisbee.  She would play catch until she wore us out!

I finished the painting just in time to enter it in the current special show at New Braunfels Art League Gallery, "All Creatures Great or Small".  I am also happy to share that I have received a 2nd. Place award in the Drawing Media category!!  It is a beautiful show of animals and creatures God has given us, so if you are in the area, I highly recommend you check it out.  It runs from Aug. 30th. until Sept. 29th..

Here are some "work in progress" pics.

Enjoy, and thank you for reading this.

On light grey velour paper.  Starting to block in darks.

Starting on background.

Framed.

Expand Your Horizons, Part 4

Another "Expanding My Horizons" I did was entering an annual show that I have not participated in before.  It is the "2016 Reflections of Texas & Beyond Art Show", sponsored by the Luling Oil Museum in Luling, Texas.  This year it was dedicated to Ms. Carol Voigt.  A wonderful show and a great reception.  The reception was this past Sunday and the show will be running until Sept. 23, 2016.

I am honored to report that I received the Carol Voigt Memorial Award for "Better Than Diamonds"!!  It does pay(literally) to "Expand Your Horizons"!!  Talk about motivation to paint more!!

"Better Than Diamonds", Pastel

Expand Your Horizons, part 2

Besides entering shows, outside of my comfort zone, I wanted to expand the places where I can display my art, for a longer length of time a show runs for.  I have quiet frequently heard from other artists that people cannot see your work nor have the opportunity to purchase it--if it is stored at your home.  It finally sunk in.

The Canyon Lake Art Guild has a Community Display Coordinator that has found us some great places for our members to show their work.  Some take a commission(retail stores) and some do not(usually the non-profit organizations--like libraries).  My first one was at the Tye Preston Memorial Library, in Sattler, Texas.  I will be hanging there, again, from Oct. thru Dec., 2016.  I have sold one painting and received a commission to do, from hanging there, plus a print sold that is hanging in their reception area.

A new venue for me is the Canyon Animal Hospital in Canyon City, Texas.  A great spot for my animal portraits.  I have both originals and framed prints available, and have had to replace my business cards several times, which tells me the viewers are interested.

"Better Than Diamonds", the painting

"Better Than Diamonds", Pastel, 14" x 11"

Fancy and I.

I posted the reference photo for this painting back on Oct. 24, 2014, along with its story.  Hard to believe it has been that long.  It has also been pinned on the wall of my studio, and every time I looked at it, I kept saying I had to paint it.  Well, I finally did, and am very pleased!  I am also happy with the frame I selected--really accents the light colors in the painting.

Hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I have.  Glad you can't wear a painting out just by looking at it :)

"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"

"Ready to Work"

"Ready to Work", Pastel (on pastel mat), 12" x 16"

This is another painting I've been wanting to do, every time I came across it.  It is a typical stance of a border collie, and shows what concentration they can have when they are getting ready to work.  They can keep that position for a looong time!!  However, I have to tell you--Fancy is not ready to work.  She is waiting to catch her frisbee.  Having two senior citizens for masters and no goats, her work is herding us and playing with her frisbee, outside, and catching her handball indoors.