Happy Customers and Kittens....

Yesterday I delivered the Border Collie portrait to it's new home and it was thrilling to see the reaction to it first hand. Most of my paintings go to their new homes via U.S. Priority Mail so it was wonderful to see first hand what the initial reaction to the painting would be. She was thrilled to say the least..there was even some delighted jumping up and down! and oh the smiles :) It felt really, really good. And it is one of the most enjoyable aspects of doing portraits of pets. II love my job! realized that I inadvertently did not post the correct version of the painting in my last post. So sorry about that! I need to check things a bit more thoroughly when I blog. So here is the completed portrait. No really! This time I double checked! :)

I do have a few spots open for portraits for holiday gift giving so in an effort to avoid the holiday rush (that I always seem to get in December) I am offering a special on portraits if you reserve your spot BEFORE November 20. Drop me an email and I will fire you back the details in a flier.
Now about the kitten. I have received quite a few emails from you guys telling to keep the kitty. Come on ...you were supposed help convince me to give the kitty up for adoption so that I could foster another. So I guess you guys win. Geri stays and he is now my official studio cat.
;l

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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On Foster Kittens and Dog Portraits

So I agreed to foster a kitten for my wonderful friend Lisa who has Purrfect Companions cat rescue here in NY. Did I say foster? Well, Geri (mistake #1..he is named) came to my house 2 weeks ago as a very frightened, feral, hissing and spitting little 6 or 7 week old kitten. Now he is a total lovebug who loves to cuddle and I am supposed to be giving him up soon. Yeah right! His ad runs this week. I do NOT need another animal! Tell me the kitty has to go...the kitty has to go... repeat.....

Geri

On another note.. My BC portrait is finished and is heading off to it's new home tomorrow. I apologize for the glare and snapped this with my iphone! I get such satisfaction with completing these commissions. Onto the next one! Don't forget to book your portrait spot soon if you are planning on giving a holiday portrait this year! Send me an email for more info! deborah@deborahosullivan.com

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Rocky (Bulldog)," 6" x 8", commissioned Bulldog portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (thank you!). Inquiries may always come to me.

I don't get to paint these dogs nearly enough, and they are wonderfully fun to work with. Their folds are each a loaded brushstroke, and when white like Rocky, the pinkness of their skin glows from underneath.

Rocky's painting is going to be a holiday gift. Have you started your list yet? A Dog a Day painting (you can shop them at my Etsy storefront) is a great gift, as is a Dog a Day gift certificate. I've also had a client release her November portrait spots, so I can fit in a couple commissions if you let me know asap.

Oh - and if you send cards out, take a peek at my Imagekind shop and consider ordering your holiday cards with a grinning face like Rocky's on them. (Let me knowif you want a particular painting added to Imagekind and I'll get it up asap.)

Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family.

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

PS Want a great gift this holiday season? Then order either one of the Painting a Dog a Day books - they are gorgeous summaries of the Dog a Day paintings. Painting a Dog a Day - the First Year covers 2006-2007, and That's 14 in Dog Years covers 2008. Information on how to order each book is on the Painting a Dog a Day blog and thestudio website.

Jack Russel terrier in the Woods

A pastel of a Jack Russel terrier created for a client from their photo. Darby passed away peacefully as an energetic 17 year old this summer. The clients were delighted with the portrait of their special boy!

M Theresa Brown

Halloween - SUSPICION

Halloween - SUSPICION
It's here . . . can you feel it? . . .that "something" in the air that tells you Halloween is nearly upon us? Do you sometimes feel like there is someone - or something, walking just behind you? And when you turn around, there is no one there. The air is nearly silent now, except for the cawing of a few crows and the moan of bare tree branches rubbing against one another in the wind. Leaves skitter down the street, scratching their passage on the pavement. And you know, you just know, that little spooks and ghosts and goblins are waiting to march to your door to demand (politely of course) treats on the big night.The little Sheltie in the watercolour is very suspicious of the glowing Jack O' Lantern, and the pumpkin in turn, is very wary of the Sheltie. Which one will be the first to shout "BOO!"
"SUSPICION is 5 x 7 (image) watercolour, painted especially for this Halloween.

Border Collie WIP 2 by Deborah O'Sullivan

Second update on the Border Collie WIP (Work In Progress). Not too much more last night but I did a bit on the eye (still more to do) and background. I am quite satified with this so far and got a nod of delighted approval from his owner when she had a look at the portrait's progress.
I am trying some Golden Open Paints on this and I am not sure I like them. They stay...well..open too long for my liking.  I use M Graham acrylics and they have a fairly long open time which is just enough for the way I work. This painting measures 11 x 14 and is on gallery wrapped canvas.

Drop me an email if you are interested in reserving a spot for a holiday portrait.

  Gift Certificates available in all price ranges!

deborah@deborahosullivan.com

Deborah O'Sullivan Art
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Borzoi by Dawn Secord

This is Niklas. He lives in beautiful San Diego over looking the ocean.

When my husband and I went down to photograph him he was rollicking in his back yard. He'd sit and look out over the ocean. His owners said that is one of his favorite past times.
We took numerous photos of Niklas looking out at the ocean and some more conventional photos for a second painting which will be a head study.

Niklas is a spectacular dog. He is gentle and sweet yet full of life. It is always heart stopping to watch a Borzoi gleefully bound around their homes.

Watch for another portrait of Niklas in the near future! To see more Borzoi paintings on my website please click here!

Dawn Secord
http://www.dawnsecord.com/
http://www.artofthedog.blogspot.com/

Painted Dog- Real Dog

As I write this blog entry, I am being besieged by JRT kisses. Little Nell just woke up from her nap on the cushy pillows on our bed, and NOW she feels it is time for play. I ,on the other hand, am still working,still need to clean up my messy palette of dried casein and try to find my desk under books and paper piled high. I clean the studio occasionally and in between times, the piles get high and things get lost. It is time to clean.....or else! And Nell wants to play

The above casein is a small 5 x 7" titled"Big Shadow"... and little Italian Greyhound, smaller than it's shadow! I am putting this work up on my website in the Small Work Collection. This was finished today, while Nell napped.

Cozy spot for a Jack Russell Terrier-ist!

Kathi Peters
Cob Cottage Studio
www.kathipeters.com

Holiday Portrait Time!

Last night it was back to the acrylics to work on holiday portraits. I can't post a few of them til after the holidays because they are surprises. Can't ruin the surprise..now can we? Today's image is on it's way to be completed. I am thrilled to be doing a portrait of this Border Collie becauser he comes from the same rescue , Glen Highland Farm, as my beloved Tess. He is in a classic BC pose...waiting for his frisbee to be thrown. This is close to be finished. The eyes are not finished just blocked in at this point. I neglected to take photos earlier but I managed to whip out the iphone and get this. I apologize for the all of that glare! I am coming into the home stretch with this starting to add the fun details and will post the final image. Portraits make such wonderful, treasured gifts. Just a couple of spots left for this year or you can purchase a gift certificate. Contact me if you would like to schedule a portrait or purchase a gift certificate.

painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Golden," 4" x 5", dog portrait of a mixed breed terrier, acrylic on canvasboard. This dear little face can join your Dog a Day painting collection for $184 - just ask nicely! Inquiries may always come to me.

Thank you to Dog a Day reader Cindy Earnshaw for sharing photos of Pokey, this Boston Terrier mix. I continue to look for black and white muses as I further my exploration of extreme values and pattern - if you know of someone who fits the description, you are more than welcome to send (non flash) photos my way. They just might end up gracing the Dog a Day website!

Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family.

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

PS Want a great gift this holiday season? Then order either one of the Painting a Dog a Day books - they are gorgeous summaries of the Dog a Day project. Painting a Dog a Day - the First Year covers 2006-2007, and That's 14 in Dog Years covers 2008. Information on how to order each book is on the Painting a Dog a Day blog and thestudio website.