Thursday, April 30, 2009



Steffy is a little terrier mix that had the misfortune of having one bad eye that had to be removed. It is all healed and Steffy has found a wonderful new home where she can be totally devoted to her new master.
Other wonderful dogs are ready to be adopted at Southwest Michigan SPCA and most of them have two eyes, if that makes any difference.
This original 5x7 matted (8x10) watercolor is available for $60 plus $5 S&H to the first emailer to lojomjnc@charter.net.
I am also offering 5x7 giclees for $10 plus $5 S&H. 20% of all proceeds will be donated to the SPCA of Southwest Michigan.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Hot Dog


This is one of the dogs at Rolex this past weekend. He, or she, was part of a large group of shepherds, all quite handsome and well behaved. It was a hot day, but the breeze kept everyone feeling good. Maybe it is because we have a German Shepherd Dog but it did seem like there were a lot of shepherds in attendance. I love going to Rolex not only to see world class athletes from the horse and human world, but also for the array of dogs that people bring, from tiny Papillions to Great Danes. It's full of eye candy for animal lovers.
This original 5x7 matted (8x10) watercolor is available for $60 plus $5 S&H to the first emailer to lojomjnc@charter.net.
I am also offering 5x7 giclees for $10 plus $5 S&H. 20% of all proceeds will be donated to the SPCA of Southwest Michigan.
If this is your dog, No. 1, I hope you recognize it! and No. 2, I will send you a free print if you email at lojomjnc@charter.net and if you have a particular animal charity you would rather support I will gladly donate 20% to that instead.

Judith A. Johnson

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

German Short Haired Pointers by Dawn Secord


This painting was a very exciting piece to complete - and quite a project. Of the six dogs (five German short haired pointers and one Labrador retriever) three of the dogs were deceased. My client had very limited photos. Some of the photos were perfect and some were not.

The mountain range in the background is called the "Three Sisters" in Montana. The client wanted a cameo of her husband in the tree line hunting. The foreground reference was from a photo I had taken while driving cross country at a fort in Wyoming. Between her photos and mine I had two pheasants, six dogs, one husband and great landscape material.

The composition took some time to plan. Of course I didn't want a mid break in the surface either horizontally or vertically. Ideally I wanted some uniformity in the dogs head positions and certain dogs were to be primary in the painting while others were not.A larger image of the painting is on my website under the dog art gallery specifically the German short haired pointer page.

Have a great day!

Dawn Secord

Enjoying the Journey

Friday, April 24, 2009

Biscuit


This is an old Boxer dog I used to own who goes by the name of Biscuit, named because he is the same colour as a ginger biscuit, he is now around 9 years old and although going grey he is still full of life, I thought I would attempt to draw him in coloured pencils, which I have no idea how to use, so it was a case of just diving in and giving them a go! I used Derwent Artist pencils on Stonehenge paper, finished size approx 5.5 x 5.5 inches.

Hope in His Future - Carol Chretien

SOLD

New 8x10 Oil, almost completed and will be listed soon to assist Friends of Falmouth Animal Rescue. (a Massachusetts rescue)
"Tyson" was my model, and he is an 11 month old Am Staff aka pit bull youngster who is currently in foster care living with a family and other dogs and looking ahead to a new home.
He lives on Cape Cod so a nice beach scene just seemed like the best way to approach this piece.
Thanks for all the support of my art for rescue. It is such a blessing to help even in the small ways.

Jack Russell


Hi to everyone, this is my first posting and I'm still working my way around the site, many thanks to Sheona Hamilton-Grant for all her help, I mainly draw in Graphite but have recently started to try my hand with Coloured Pencils, but my first love is the simple pencil. I met this Jack Russell whilst visiting my sister on the island of Jersey in March of this year, he was enjoying a break from running around the beach at 100 miles an hour, he was full of life and I loved the way his right ear stood proud all the time whilst is left one flopped over, I asked if it was possible to photograph him and gave my blog address to the owners so they could see my attempt to capture him in graphite, my big mistake was not writting down his name, so if the owner happens to have a look please let me know his name. Drawing size is approx 5 x 4 inches, drawn on Bristol Board, using 2h 2b and hb clutch pencilsThanks Grahame

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

lucky pups




These two lucky pups were adopted the Saturday I was taking pictures. Both went to families with kids and it seemed like the perfect match. SPCA of Southwest MI has many other equally cute puppies just waiting for their new families. Take a look online or drop by.
This original 5x7 matted (8x10) watercolor is available for $60 plus $5 S&H to the first emailer to lojomjnc@charter.net.
I am also offering 5x7 giclees for $10 plus $5 S&H. 20% of all proceeds will be donated to the SPCA of Southwest Michigan.
If you were one of the families that adopted one of these great little dogs I have a special gift for you- email me at lojomjnc@charter.net.
Thanks for looking- show your friends and family, too.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Cala Drinking

I met this lovely Komondor while on a visit to an interesting local greenhouse operation last week. She paused to take a drink out of the big "watering bowl" which later in the season will be home to the water plants and likely some goldfish as well. I liked the way her head was placed in exactly the spot on the pool edge that had blue coloration on one side and yellow on the other. The decorative relief pattern is the clay tiles that are in real life on the outside of the raised pond, rather than the inside as I have them here, but that's the wonder of Photoshop. I don't have to let reality get in the way of a good visual statement. 

You can see another close crop detail shot of this nice girl on my home blog, April 20th posting  http://judywoodartphotography.blogpsot.com  

Pug Portrait by Dawn Secord


Pugsley is finished! Pugsley, the Pug, was so much fun to paint.

He is always sitting in the garden surrounded by flowers so Pug's owners wanted his portrait to include an atmosphere of him being outside with a few flowers. I didn't want the flowers to become a focal point so I had a hint of pink behind him with just a few flowers loosely implied in front of him.

The upper part of the composition is light to be in contrast with his dark mask. The lower part of the composition is dark to have a contrast with his light fawn coloring.
Thank you for taking a peek at my work.

I will be putting a larger image of this painting on my website at http://www.dawnsecord.com/pug.html. The painting may not be up for a few days - so please check back if the link doesn't work.

Have a great day!

Dawn Secord

Friday, April 17, 2009

Sunny Days Are Here Again - Carol Chretien

My latest canine piece...painted to assist the DARE rescue where Dachshunds get a second or third chance.
20% of the sale will go to the rescue when sold. I enjoyed painting the hope of Spring sunshine on Oscar my model ....the dark shadow helps emphasize the brilliant sun on his face.
Oscar has been a model in several of my doxie paintings...he is a lucky guy living the good life with his mom Pam on Cape Cod.
Carol Chretien

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Painting a Dog a Day, Sly Guy, by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Sly Guy," 8" square, commissioned border collie dog portrait, acrylic on canvasboard. If you would like to commission a pet portrait of your own, please email me!
 
I have been working with a new color system (those of you who are curious, check out Elin Pendleton's website for her ideas on color), and I see lots of improvement in my recent pieces. Working in a different fashion slows down my process tremendously (a BIG challenge when one's creating a painting a day), but it allows for more careful decision making and more conscious effort. I think those are part of the reason for the strength of this week's paintings.
 
Tomorrow I will start a series of paintings starring a dear little siamese kitty. They will put all I've learned to the test, as I plan on pushing my knowledge of light and shadow and purrs to an entirely new level.
 
Thanks as always for sharing my paintings with your friends and family.
Kimberly Kelly Santini
www.paintingadogaday.com 

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Pug portrait in process by Dawn Secord


This is Pugsley, a Pug and his portrait is in process. He is a therapy dog and just an awesome all around companion. He lives in Southern California and I had the delightful experience of meeting him when taking photos of him for his portrait.

He had recently had cataract surgery so most of the photos we took of him were in the shade to keep his eyes comfortable.

In the primary reference pose he is leaning towards the left. His expression in that particular photo was fabulous - we all agreed it was a wonderful photo to base his portrait upon. For the portrait I sketched him with his legs straight under him eliminating the leaning to the left which had made his left shoulder look a bit odd.

He is just as sweet as he looks!!

If you are interested in looking at my other pet portraits please go to my website at http://www.dawnsecord.com/ or follow my blog at http://www.artofthedog.blogspot.com/. If you are interested in commissioning me to paint a portrait of your animal there is commission information on my website.


Thank you for taking a peek at my work!

Dawn Secord

Monday, April 13, 2009

Dog-a-Day Painting #650 plus a Portie!

"Hah! (Arly)," 6" square, commissioned pet portrait, depicting a mixed breed dog in acrylic on canvasboard. (And  yes, Arly does have a funky blue-violet streak on his tongue.) My client's on vacation for another couple of days, but I suspect Arly will be headed to his new home shortly. Meanwhile, inquiries on how you can commission your own special dog (or cat) painting may always come to me.
 
And remember, return clients get 10% off newly booked portraits - so don't be shy, seize the moment and flaunt your collection!
I spent a good amount of time this morning going through my references trying to find a Portuguese Water Dog class I photographed years ago at some dog show. I couldn't find any shots I hadn't already painted (see above Dog-a-Day painting "Bumblebee," from last July, which is available for purchase through Etsy). Alas I am stuck with Porties on my mind (I wonder why?). That creative itch is lingering.
 
So, if any Dog a Day readers have PWD photos they can share with me, I'll squeeze in a Dog-a-Day presidential nod this week  in honor of Bo-Bama. Photos may come to me.
 
And here's a treat - a great write up on the Best Friends network about my Theresa Dog-a-Day paintings from last summer. Theresa will be starring in this week's Dog Town episode (check your local listings for air date and times). I have a few Theresa paintings for sale in my Etsy store. I'll also be listing a special one - a large gallery stretched canvas - on ebay later this week.
 
Thanks for following my paintings. 
See you tomorrow!
Kim Santini
www.paintingadogaday.com

Friday, April 10, 2009

Brittany Autumn



I know I'm juggling seasons here, but this image has been in my mind for a long time. I even did a miniature of this a while ago, but I kept wanting to enjoy more of the details of it, so here is BRITTANY AUTUMN, an 8 x 10 inch watercolour painting of a Brittany Spaniel I saw a couple of years ago at an Agility Trial. This fellow was done for the day, and was just enjoying himself, larking about in the bushes that lined the practice field. I caught him in the moment when he had his attention fixed on something, and an instant later, he leaped out of the bushes and ran off to follow his owner.BRITTANY AUTUMN is available on my website.


Heather Anderson

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Puppy love

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of meeting and doing a photo shoot with Ammo, a young Dogue de Bordeaux puppy. I had never seen this breed before in real life, so I will be especially interested in following his evolution from young pup to the serious and larger than life adult he will eventually become.

I've always been fairly fixated on the Molossus  style dog, of which the Mastiffs (as in this young French version of the Mastiff type) are today's modern representatives, so getting up close and personal with this charming young fellow was a special pleasure. I'm sure more shots of Ammo will be making their appearance on this blog and on my website

Judy Wood  judywood@sasktel.net


Friday, April 3, 2009

Something In The Air

It's that time of year again - the geese are coming in every morning and evening, filling the air with joyous "Goose Music" There is even more magic to it when you see them just at sunset, some flying past while others come in to rest for the night, and all of them reflected in the pools and lakes that have sprung up in the fields.I chose Acrylic for "Something In the Air" because I wanted to play with the reflections of the evening sky in the watermeadows. I decided that an interested English Setter would be just right for this 14 x 18 painting. He has already seen the landing geese and now has his attention on the flocks overhead.

Heather Anderson
www.heather-anderson-animals-in-art.com

Mercy Me! - Beagle Art by Carol Chretien

A new oil 8x10 on canvas that is listed to assist Beagles of New England States (BONES) rescue.
"Percy" was the model for the oil with 20% offered to assist the rescue when sold.
Percy is a tri-colored classic beagle boy who is living with his foster family and their family beagle who is teaching him the finer points of family life.
He is up for adoption and applications can be had through www.bonesbeagles.org he is just too adorable ....if you have your heart set on a little beagle baby or older beagle visit their site!
The painting to help BONES rescue will be found here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110372163712&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123
Thanks for helping homeless animals with original art!
Carol Chretien

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Dog Portrait Artist in today's news!

Featured in the Toronto Star Article, "Good Boy, Now Sit for a Portrait" - April 2, 2009

I met with a great reporter, Francine Kopun, a few weeks ago to be interviewed for a feature article that she was writing about dog portrait paintings.

Although I knew that it would be in print within a week, I opened my email today and received congratulations from friends who were kind enough to tell me that they had already bought me few copies, as the Toronto Star is one of the most read newspapers in Ontario.

Kopun writes not only about contemporary dog paintings and dog portraitists, but also includes a bit of history of dogs in art.

This portrait of Winston, an English Bulldog, was featured in the article. It is painted in acrylic on stretched canvas 12 x 16 and available as a limited edition print from www.thecanvasdog.com

Here is an excerpt from the article:

An artist since she was old enough to hold a spoon and draw pictures in her oatmeal, Nina Otulakowski began her career after deciding to paint her own Australian shepherd. Since then, animal portraiture has become the focus of her artistic life.

Before she paints, Otulakowski likes to spend an hour or two in the company of the dog and its owner to find out whether her subject likes treading water or curling up on a cushion.

"What does the dog like to do? Does the dog have other dog friends? What does the dog mean to the owner?" These are some of the questions she likes to answer.

If you would like to have a custom painting of your dog feel free to contact the artist, Nina Otulakowski.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Irish Setter Puppy by Dawn Secord


This is the fourth and final puppy painting for my upcoming exhibit at the Pinnell Gallery.

The painting's model is an Irish Setter puppy who runs our home and is in charge of all the toy inventory. Monet was about four months old when I took this photo of her on our patio. It was late afternoon and the sun was shining on her at an angle. The shadows cast by the setting sun on this feisty puppy were amazing. It has been two years since I took that photo. I knew it would be a perfect painting some day and that day has come.

Monet's slogan for life is "Wanna Play". She is always up - always happy and always stealing toys. Actually, I "toyed" with the idea of naming the painting "Mine".

Have a great day!

Dawn Secord


My latest painting, Miniature Schnauzer by Terry Albert


In a previous post, I shared my sketch for this painting. I happy to report it is finished and ready to deliver to my client. 
The painting of many changes
This work, a commission, has gone through several transitions as I worked. It's been fun to see if I can make necessary changes without totally ruining the painting! I am fussier than I used to be, and "good enough" doesn't work so well for me any more. As my art progresses over the years, my ability has improved with practice, and my standards grow ever higher. 

The biggest challenge in this picture was the unusual pose of the schnauzer, Buttons. This is not a traditional head study, and it would be very easy to to make him look totally out of whack. 

Every painting has to sit for a day or two before I consider it finished. I go back in with fresh eyes and see problems I had totally missed before. The real test of time is to go back several months later and decide if I'm still happy with it. 

This painting was completely finished and I went back in and changed some major things. I took out a lot of the pansies in the background. My eye was drawn to the background instead of the main subject, the dog. I also thought they looked amateurish, like cut-out paper dolls. I can do better than that!

I added garden gloves under the shovel, which in the initial underpainting was floating instead of being propped up on something. Didn't work. I didn't want anyone spending a lot of time looking at the gloves, so I added tall grass in the foreground, a device I use a lot because I like the sense of depth it gives the painting. Like you are in the scene. The "grass" also echoes the society garlic in the background. 

I also added some drama to the pansies around Buttons -- looking through my reference photos I found some wonderful burgundy and yellow pansies, so I changed some of the yellow ones to that color combo, and like it much better. 

To see a larger version of the finished piece, please visit my web site at http://www.terryalbert.com/petportraits.html. Thank you for reading!

Terry Albert