White Dog

A sweet, older dog, loved by his mistress. 5" x 5" (2B pencil on watercolor paper)
by Linda Snider Ward

Linda's blog

Showtime!

Actually the title of this Yorkie oil painting is "Swish". Showtime refers to the fact that it is one of 30 paintings in my solo show held at the Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle, WA. The particulars are:

Karen McClelland
Figures & Friends
March 5th - March 28th 2010
Opening Reception Saturday March 6th, 5 - 7 pm

Fountainhead Gallery
625 W. McGraw St.
Seattle, WA 98119
206-285-4467
www.fountainhead.com

Swish is an original oil on canvas measuring 20" x 20" available with many other figurative, equine, and canine works through the Fountainhead Gallery. Stop by and say "hi" if you're in the neighborhood.

Karen McClelland
karenmcclelland.com

Anyone like Dobermans?

Here is the latest off the easel. It is an 16 x 20" oil on canvas and titled The Gatekeepers. The original reference photo came from the bi-weekly dog challenge on WetCanvas, (thank you to the contributor). I changed the background a little and added a second, standing alert Doberman. I must admit, that in addition to doing portrait style paintings of dogs, and of course I do take commissions, I find it additionally fun and challenging to put them in an environment. This one particularly suits the Dobermans, on guard and ready for anything at the front of their lovely home.

For more details be sure to visit my websites, for original paintings www.yvonnesovereignfineart.com and for info on commissions plus a huge selection of all breed prints www.yvonnesovereign.com

Yvonne Sovereign

Chloe - Pet Portrait by Catherine Temple

This is Chloe. She is a mixed breed dog ( lab, husky, and ???) with the absolute sweetest personality. I met her a few weeks back when her owners brought her over so we could talk about their portrait commission and Chloe spent the time waiting patiently and obediently in my kitchen while we talked. She was very well behaved and was wonderfully cooperative when we took a few pictures for the portrait. It was so nice to work with such a well trained dog! I wanted to get photos of her in different light because though she is a mostly black dog she had some beautiful brown hairs dispersed through out her coat and around her eyes. Her owners wanted to be sure that could be seen in the painting. I also wanted to have a good strong light from one side so that there would be more depth to her black coat.

Black dogs are always a challenge to paint and it's really important to have good reference material as so much detail can be lost in a bad photo. Good, natural lighting is important. No flash!! Her owners brought several photos taken in bright sunlight and we were able to take photos in soft, semi-cloudy afternoon light which gave us some nice shadows and detail. It also brought out the warmer tones in her coat. The result of good reference and being able to see the dog in person resulted in the portrait you see here. The background color, which I apologize for it not showing up well when I photographed the painting, was just a simple flat wash in a very light, warm tone to compliment the cool colors in her coat and bring out the warm tones. My clients were thrilled which always makes my day!

The portrait was painted with transparent watercolor for the background and gouache for the dog.
Thanks for your interest!

Catherine Temple
www.petportraitsbycatherine.com

Animal Grouping: 5 horses and two dogs!

This very large 30 x 40 pastel of 5 horses and two small dogs was worked from a variety of photographs-some of which I took and some that the owners had. It was challenging to come up with a viable solution to incorporate so many animals of such diverse proportions! Finally I hit upon the idea of putting the little dogs on a more even level with the horses by sitting them on top of the tack trunk! I'm happy to report that the owner was thrilled and  as a portrait artist, well, it doesn't get any better than that! I have since added the farm initials to the tack trunk :-)

Theresa

The Portraits

Mugz the Wonderdog - A New Painting of a Yellow Labrador Retriever by Nina Otulakowski

A perfect situation for an artist is when your client has complete faith in you and allows you the creative freedom to trust your own vision.... 

Mugz the Wonderdog, Acrylic on canvas, 48" x 48"

We had talked about what Mugz loved initially when his people first enquired about getting his portrait painted.  So working from a few photographs, I made sure that these elements were part of the painting. Give this labrador retriever a toy and water and he couldn't be happier. 

However I was a little nervous when Mugz's people came to pick up their portrait of Mugz. You see they had wanted to be surprised (and not see the painting midway) so while I was painting I had to remind myself:  have faith in yourself and your creativity and all will be well. This mantra paid off... as they stood in front of it for a few moments they were speechless. Then their smiles just grew and grew into huge grins. "It is Mugz and you have captured him completely!"

This painting was done in time for Christmas so from time to time I get emails saying that they "are sitting in front of Mugz and are so happy" or "Mugz greets me whenever I walk into the room". This means so much to me as Mugz had recently passed away in his 16th year, and to be able to keep his spirit alive in a painting is what drives me to paint.

To view more of my paintings, to have a portrait painted of your pet, or to give a gift certificate commemorating a pet, please feel free to contact me at http:www.thecanvasdog.com

Mugz at the Beach in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Goodbye Mugz! We miss you...

Taxi. New drawing of canine pup by Sheona Hamilton-Grant

Taxi

Graphite on Paper. 28x21 cm
SOLD
Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved.

Taxi is little and full of fun and bounce. She settles down once and a while and when she does these are the wee eyes that peek up at you full of innocence and sincerity.

This portrait was done in December and a delivered over mince pies and Xmas cheer.

If you would like to discover more of my pencil drawings: my webiste www.sheonahamiltongrant.com has both an canine and equine selection on display.

6" x 6" Square

A busy weekend with our grandson Logan. Mum and Dad picked him up at noon for a birthday party he was going to and I sat down quietly to paint. Just working with two blues, Pthalo Blue and Blue Radiant, two reds, Alizerin Crimson and Red Radiant and of course white I worked this painting. At first you would have seen both sides of the head but I thought it was a little boring and I opted to put that side into darkness with just one side of the face really showing.

I may eventually send this to a show but right now if it's what you would love you can purchase it right now.

Oil on stretched canvas, paintied on all sides so ready to hang.
$150.00 at http://sheilawedegis.blogspot.com
Thanks, Sheila Wedegis
www.labradorretrieverart.com
http://savingalabaday.blogspot.com

Oil Painting - Irish Setter Puppy

I've been having a lot of fun playing with my oil paints. Between commissioned pastel paintings I decided to take a break and do something outside of my regular activities.

It was Drew's birthday so I decided to do an oil painting of him. I have not painted a dog in oil since 1992 - 18 years - so it was kinda fun and kinda scary to see what would happen.

Here are the results. Painting in pastel has really allowed me to develop some skills that flowed over to my oil painting. It was interesting to see how many things were "changeable" with a wet medium. With pastel - there are only so many changes that can be made so it is important that each stroke be accurate. I absolutely love painting with a palette knife so all the reeds are done with the knife and not a brush.

Hope you like the painting - and Happy Birthday Drew!!

If you are interested in commissioning me to paint your pet - please go to my website for more information or click here!

Dawn Secord

website: http://www.dawnsecord.com/

blog: http://www.artofthedog.blogspot.com/

Cockapoo Model

Louie is a little 8 lb cockapoo rescue dog who was also my model along with his pal, the Rottweiler DaVinci (see earlier post) for my upcoming Burning Oak Studios DVD about painting the Family Dog in Acrylics for Fun and Profit!

The image to the left is me hustling through the demo at the production studio and below is my demo of Louie painted in acrylics.

A few blurbs of what I did will be on the Jerrysartarama.com site soon under "free art lessons". DaVinci and Louie were my painting models as well as  models for how to photograph your dog for the best results!  A fun time was had by all!

Theresa
the Portraits
the Career

Fudge Ripple!

I am a relatively new Canine Art Guild member and this is my first post to Art with a Bark.
This 12"x12" watercolor is one of many of my recent paintings depicting Labrador Retrievers and water and it is one of two of my watercolors to be accepted into this year's Art Show at the Dog Show.
A friend from a Labrador Retriever forum I participate in generously gave me permission to use her photo of her chocolate lab having fun swimming in the lake for reference for this painting. I was immediately drawn to the photo because the swirling water and colors presented a challenge for me.
When working with watercolors and depicting water, I am always pushing myself to let go and be as free and spontaneous as possible. Control without control. I am very pleased with the results. Enjoy.
Thank you for taking a look. You can see more of my work by visiting my website at www.granitedog.com

Molly A Poole

"Soon!!"

This painting is oil on canvas painted on all sides. I took a photo of my two of three Labs waiting so patiently for "Dad" to come home. I loved the light and shadow and needed to capture it in oils. The stretched canvas is 5 x 5 x 1.5" and make's a lovely 3D piece when hung. Contact me if you would be interested in having this size for your home and pet. Thanks, Sheila Wedegis

sophie@palm-spirit.com
http://sheilawedegis.blogspot.com
www.labradorretreieverart.com

Animals in Art Exhibition

I just received notification that one of my paintings was accepted into the 23rd International Exhibition on Animals in Art - Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine Library. The piece accepted is "Golden Dreams".

There were 204 artists from three Countries who submitted 477 entries. Of those, juror and judge Katherine Rutledge selected 75 pieces for the exhibition. It is exciting for my art to be included. Thank you Ms. Rutledge!

Dawn Secord

website: http://www.dawnsecord.com/

blog: http://www.artofthedog.blogspot.com/

Gallery SoHo Exhibit - Dawn Secord, Artist

The opening exhibit for the Gallery SoHo was on Saturday night. It was a fun event. My husband and I took my parents to the opening as a treat and then afterwards we all went out to dinner and celebrated Valentine's Day early.

In this exhibit I entered mostly still life pieces. The paintings are all done in pastel on various surfaces. On of the pieces, "Influences of Fuchsia", was done on pastel paper with a base color of each subjects complimentary color. If you look closely you can see the complimentary colors peeking out. A piece, one of my favorites, "One Hot Pepper", is done on lightly sanded La Carte paper.

There are a few puppy paintings in the mix, "I See You", (Boxer pup) which is included in a recently published book of pastel artists "Best Of America Pastel Volume II" and "Give me a Hug" featuring a Basset Hound puppy.

Thanks for taking a peek!

Dawn Secord

website: http://www.dawnsecord.com/

blog: http://www.artofthedog.blogspot.com/

Border Collie Watercolor painting by Charlotte Yealey

I photographed this border collie at a herding competition. This dog just could not wait to heard the sheep. The original painting is available at the Art & Soul Gallery in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania.
This image is available on quality products in my Zazzle store. Click here.

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

My Ball!," 8" s 10", commissioned double Boston Terrier portrait, done in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me.

Who can't relate to the rivalry in this painting? The adrenaline rush of prancing across the yard with the bounty? This painting seemed especially apropos in these first few days of the Winter Olympics - not quite the grace of figure skating, but just as much zest.

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

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop

ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: atImagekind

COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me

READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's website: The First Year (2006-2007) andThat's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.

My Work Featured in Flea Market Style Magazine

 

Just thought I'd share some exciting news! My work has been mentioned in the current issue of Flea Market Style Magazine on  newsstands now! I was commissioned to do a portrait of Matthew Mead's Yorkie, "Oscar," this summer, he is one of the editors of the magazine. It is quite a thrill to finally have my work published...well, it's actually the second time. I had a Thanksgiving drawing published on the cover of our local Novi News when I was in Kindergarten...but I'm not sure if that really counts? :) If you are interested in having a pet portrait done, feel free to contact me or check out my blog & website!
www.studiolara.com
www.paintingapupaday.blogspot.com

Finished Commission

This oil is 18" x 24" on stretched canvas. How to get three Labs on was a challenge. The Yellow Lab kept "taking" all the room and I joking asked the client was he the Alpha Lab and for sure, he was. It's funny what comes out when you work. I do feel the spirit of dogs when I work and that's what you will get in my portrait paintings. The spirit of your friend.

Contact me at sophie@palm-spirit.com To see other work go to my blog. http://sheilawedegis.blogspot.com or www.labradorretrieverart.com For prints and cards: www.etsy.com/sophie316

Warmly, Sheila Wedegis

Afghan Hound in Oil - Yvonne Sovereign

An Ancient Dignity, 12 x 16" oil on canvas by artist Yvonne Sovereign. I took photos of this beautiful dog at a dog show in December. I painted a watercolor version with a different pose for the Suncoast Afghan Hound Club, but saved this pose for an oil. This painting is available, contact the me at canineart@windstream.net

DaVincii, Rottweiler and Model!

This is my quick 35 minute acrylic painting of DaVinci that I created recently while filming production of the DVD "Painting the Family Dog in Acrylics for Fun and Profit" . Burning Oak Studios out of Raleigh NC does all the production work. I brought DaVinci and Louie (Cockapoo) into the studio to demonstrate how to also photograph a dog to get the best light. I had not painted in acrylics for a long time but loved the effect...even better, I loved the rough draft enough to call it completed :-)
Working under filming and lights and needing to keep talking the whole time adds a new dimension to painting! I can't seem to get a second image up of the actual studio setup..oh well!

Theresa

ZOE, A Greyhound by Valarie Wolf

This is a portrait of Zoe, a lovely brindle greyhound done in the realistic style on a small 6" x 8" panel. The brindle stripes were a challenge---the reference photo had to be taped at 1" intervals to make sure I was getting the stripes in the right places. The muted dark green background really shows off her coat color.

Thanks for looking!

Valarie Wolf
http://www.valariewolf.com/

Basset Hound Acrylic Painting by Charlotte Yealey

I painted this basset hound after seeing the bond between owner and dog at a dog show. The original was sold but prints can be purchased at my following sites.

www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/charlotte-yealey.html
www.zazzle.com/charlotteswebart
www.cafepress.com/charlottesart

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Black Lab (Bandit)," 4" x 6", commissioned Labrador Retriever portrait, acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me.

Bandit joined his family shortly after they had lost another dog. His mom says "Bandit's eyes reflect his soul and I truly believe he is a gift from God that we were meant to have in our lives." He joined a chocolate and yellow lab, making the multi-cultural family complete. Bandit had a health scare several years ago, followed by a long recovery, which brought the family closer.

Bandit's story makes my job that much harder - how do I paint a dog who anchors everyone together? Well, I started with honest eyes, and built it out from there.

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

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop

ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind

COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me

READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's website: The First Year (2006-2007) and That's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.

Love Me, Love Me Not - Carol Chretien

This painting is in celebration of Valentine's Day but Dalmatian style...just for fun, inspired by a Dal named Dash who has wonderfully expressive brown eyes.
This painting recently sold and 20% of the sale will help Dalmatian rescue.
Thanks for looking! Happy Valentine's Day to all.
Carol Chretien

Sweet Pals

In my painting of Labrador Retrievers, I also paint pieces for sale with part of the proceeds going to the Lab Rescues that I work with. This is one I did today. Is this a look of love from the older Lab or tolerence. ..Since I have three Labs that allow me to share their space..oh yes..it is their space..thew look is probably a bit of both.

To see this piece and more of my work please go to my blog at http://sheilawedegis.blogspot.com

Information about commission work can be found on my web site: www.labradorretreiverart.com

Thanks, Sheila

Whippet & Vizsla Portraits in Oil by Lara Harris

What fun it was to paint these two portraits! They are actually my very first Whippet and Vizsla! I really want to make it my goal this year to add several new dog breeds into my repertoire, although I still will be painting my much loved Westies, Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, etc. Each portrait is 8"x10", oil on stretched canvas with the edges painted black. If you are interested in having a portrait painted of your precious pup, feel free to email me or visit my website & blog!

http://www.studiolara.com http://www.paintingapupaday.blogspot.com

Hammish

Hammish

Meet Hammish he is my latest acrylic commission. 14" x 18" on 1" thick gallery wrapped canvas. I just loved his 2 different coloured eyes and gentle expression. Thanks Amy for commissioning me to immortalise Hammish for you.


If you would like to commission a portrait of your own drop me an email: catherin@animalarthouse.com  for an obligation free quote.
Catherin

http://www.animalarthouse.com/

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Finnigan," 11" x 14", mixed media on bristol board, not for sale. Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me. When I'm not doing pet portraits, chances are I'm doing something I call "creative journalling." Creative journals are today's equivalent of a diary, a combination of journalling, drawing, and painting - a means of collecting ideas that are both textually and visually based. I keep several journals which are places I can safely commit my ideas, without fear of reprimand or criticisms. Creative journalling is especially keyed towards younger souls - those who don't yet have a total grasp of vocabulary or representational skills to completely express their ideas in one direction or the other (text vs visual). They are also a perfect match for those interested in expressing ideas exclusive of pure verbage. Creative journalling is the best platform to explore thoughts and direction in that there are absolutely no limitations whatsoever. I am especially blessed in that I have multiple opportunities to work with students, exposing them with means to embrace their own voices and share ideas through journalling. (I'll be leading a Creative Journalling class at Little Monsters in the next two weeks - call them for information - 248-814-8697). This week I am the visiting artist at an elementary school, working with 4th graders on identifying the visual elements in story telling. Specifically we will be creating collaged pet portraits like my Finnigan's (above), working at sharing our own stories through the use of visual and textual cues. The workshop will culminate in a professional level exhibition encompassing the artwork created during our time together, complete with an opening party and press reviews. And should the weather cooperate, all will begin tomorrow with a presentation outlining key details in building a portrait: positive vs negative space, patterning, cropping, color, text, material use, layers and edgework. Want me to come to your school for a similar workshop? Send me an email! Thanks, as always, for looking at - and sharing - my artwork with your friends and family. Kim ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com www.paintingadogaday.com PS Looking for Iris II? Stay tuned - I'll share it asap!! SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's website: The First Year (2006-2007) and That's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.

"Mother and Son Reunion" Pastel Painting by Charlotte Yealey

I was at an agility event and photographed these Rodesian Ridgebacks greeting each other. This is pastel on Wallis paper and this painting is available. Contact me at:

charlotteswebart@comcast.net
www.charlotteswebart.com
www.charlotte-yealey.blogspot.com

New member!

Hi fellow dog lovers, my name is Jess and I have recently been accepted to join the CAG! I'm very excited and looking forward to talk with and learn from everyone. To start I have an associate's degree in fine art and I am currently working on my bachelor's in illustration. On the side I have a small business doing fine art pet portraits. My main subject is animals with 90% being dogs. My favorite mediums are scratchboard [which I use primarily for my pet portraits], acrylic, and I have recently discovered a renewed love for pastels. Here are a couple of examples of my work:

An illustration from Call of the Wild done in acrylics

A wolf done in pastel pencils

A commission of a Boxer scratchboard with a watercolor wash.

And a commission of a Airedale Terrier done on scratchboard with a watercolor wash.

Feel free to check out my website and I have a blog! Thanks :)

And a question, can anyone suggest any art contests specifically for dogs/animals? I know there is art show at the dog show but are there others such as online contests and such. Thanks!

Elin Pendleton finishes the "Dog Walker" acrylic

Compare this image with my last posting, and you'll see some VERY important changes, but those changes might not even be noticeable at first glance. That's the beauty of the artist's eye--the subtleties that we are aware of because of our training, years of comparing and contrasting what we want versus what is already on that flat surface. The changes just HAD to be done. I still think this one should have gotten into the Art Show at the Dog Show, but when they are "show" people, perhaps they ahve a different outlook on dogs in general. My paintings of the shelter cast offs didn't receive merit there, however YOUR response to that series made my day. So art shows are one good venue for exposure, but ought not be the end-all-be-all for measuring one's artistic competence.

I'm going to share with you the source material for the second painting (the acrylic) that's in the new DVD coming out "Misty Light and Overcast Days" in the Colorful Painting Series. Since this one has acrylic paint on it, too, I have had to drop the "Oil" out of the title! It is a composite (roughly assembled in Photoshop) of a 100% wolf that belongs to an acquaintance. Three images of the same wolf makes for an interesting composition, and you can bet I'll be adding to and changing it for good "painterly" execution. It's going to be on a 16 x 20 linen canvas.

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

'Stella'

This adorable Cavalier is owned by my a friend of mine. I got to meet her in person this past weekend and she is such a friendly little pup!










I had a great time using lavenders, blues, delicate yellows and oranges in this painting. An added plus was the looser brushwork which helps me get into the spirit of painting without being locked into fixating on every detail! The muted green background really sets off the puppy's red color nicely. Oil on canvas on panel 6"x 6".

New Work from the Canvas Dog Studio in Toronto

Mugz the Wonder Dog

Ink Drawing of a Mugz, Yellow Labrador Retriever

This is a tribute to Mugz the Wonder Dog, who died a few months ago, just shy of his 16 years.

This hardy labrador retreiver emigrated all the way from South Africa when he was just a wee thing. Some say that he would be ancient, almost unheard of however I think his strength and vitality is testament to his hardy South African line.

Mugz had four passions. His people, squeaky toys, tennis balls... and water!

I met Mugz a few years ago. Mugz was always full of vim and vigour, a gentle soul always happy to meet you, yet he became a dog with jaws of steel with any ball or squeaky toy.

Although Mugz had arthritis, typical of a dog of his age, it rarely slowed him down. He could almost outrun you at the beach, to claim any toy in sight as his own. Onlookers would shout "Watch out, here comes Mugz!"

Mugz, we all love you and dearly miss you.


To see the CanvasDog gallery of pet portraits AND to find out more about getting a custom portrait of your dog, visit our website  http://www.thecanvasdog.com .


.

The Beautiful Ones - Carol Chretien

Keepsake Fine Art

This painting was gifted to a fellow Art Helping Animals artist as my Secret Santa gift to her this past Christmas. Melinda Dalke is one of my favorite artists and these two beauties are her own beloved dogs.
I was more excited waiting for her reaction and surprise when she received it than probably than any gift I was giving this year. It made her cry.
We love our pets so much and creating moments in time, as fine art, that become keepsakes is a very emotional and powerful thing for the artist and for the recipient.

When I am painting someone's beloved animal I am very tuned into what it will mean to them. The artwork will by far outlast the life of the pet.
I am keenly aware as with my own family pet members. My walls have portraits of my Dal and cats. One of our cats (Dinah) has since passed and the moment of capturing her in sunlight in the folds of comforter on our bed one morning is an oil portrait that means the world to me today.

Our pets are everything to our lives...fine art capturing their spirit is priceless...it is one of the dearest gifts you can give yourself.
All my art also gives a gift to a rescue whenever a piece is sold or commissioned. It really is a gift that keeps on giving.
thanks for looking! Carol Chretien

Irish Setter Puppy by Dawn Secord

This is Nike and she is an Irish Setter puppy. I met her on the East Coast and she had recently been flown in from Australia.

The amazing thing about Nike was how calm and relaxed she was. She was in a new Country, with a new family, and at a dog show with an incredible amount of activity going on around her. She just sat there willing to pose and was an angel.

I hope I get to see Nike again as an adult to see how she has matured. She will most certainly grow into quite a beauty!

If you are interested in commissioning a portrait of your pet please contact me. There is more information on my web site at http://www.dawnsecord.com/! Dog art reproductions and greeting cards are also available on this site.

Thank you for taking a peek at my work.

Dawn Secord

website: www.dawnsecord.com

blog: www.artofthedog.blogspot.com

Passion and Canine Art

Below "First Play Date" by Vanda Lavar

I think most of us here would agree that we passionately love our dogs (also other animals and nature.)


We also love the art which represents these beings of our muse. And, our collectors and clientele all second these opinions. I believe that there is always a sacredness to a portrait, whether it be animal or human.


Or to quote Marc Chagall:
"I strive to give others a sense of sacredness, because an art event is not just a formal fact but also a moment where you put a mark on your dedication."
All of our beloved pets are the reflection of the life force itself.
Happy Painting,
Vanda Lavar

Painting a Dog a Day by Kimberly Kelly Santini

"Simon," 6" x 8," acrylic on canvasboard, commissioned pet portrait of a rescued Beagle, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries (including booking your own pet portrait, from miniature size [4" x 4"] to larger than life) may always come to me.

I feel like many of my clients are family. Simon's is no exception - and our paths crossed simply because they moved into the home of a past Dog a Day collector and received one of my mailings.

Years and many paintings later, we are still working together, our latest endeavor a portrait of their newest family member, Simon. A posthumous portrait of Simon's brother Shadow will follow later this week.

A larger version of Simon is also in the works for my summer solo show. "Happily Ever After" will focus on the second chances rescued animals get - and give. It is serendipitous to include Simon in this collection, the latest little guy in this family's history of rescues and sponsored dogs.

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

Kim

ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com

www.paintingadogaday.com

SHOP ORIGINALS & LIMITED EDITION GICLEES: at my Etsy shop

ORDER CUSTOMIZED NOTECARDS & REPRODUCTIONS: at Imagekind

COMMISSION A PET PORTRAIT: contact me

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE: contact me

READING MATERIAL: Preview and order each of the Dog a Day books at the publisher's website: The First Year (2006-2007) and That's 14 in Dog Years (2008). If you would like your copy personalized, order them through me.

Going the Art Show at the Dog Show...

"Complicity"

Graphite on paper, 37x26 cm

copyright Sheona Hamilton-Grant

Please forgive me should this sound off key: not the world's best trumpeter...

Two of my three entries have been accepted to this year's Art Show at the Dog Show.
It's tremendous news which has brought one beaming smile to a winter trodden morale.

"Tall Grace"

Graphite on paper, 39x22 cm

copyright Sheona Hamilton-Grant

Complicity and Tall Grace will be packing their bags (or rather packed into a crate) and flying off to the other side of the water, to Kansas.
Yipee!