Daisy

6 x 6" original oil

commission

This dog's name is Daisy. Daisy is a lab-beagle mix. Her mom contacted me about a month ago about doing a commission of her late dog who passed away early in life. It is a gift for Daisy's dad. I think about my own dog and how much I love her, and I just want to hug these people because I know their hearts hurt. I worked from a photograph of Daisy standing in a front doorway. The light was overcast and her body was in a deep shadow, but I tried to invent some light where I could and figure out the shapes. It was very hard, but I feel like this painting captures Daisy's essence and that makes it good enough. Merry Christmas little Daisy; all dogs go to heaven!

Hot Dog

 6x6" original oil

sold

On this cold and snowy day it was nice to paint a picture I took in the heat of the summer. Buttercup is nuts: she loves to bask on the back patio when it's 95 degrees in July.  I actually have to put sunscreen on her belly. Silly dog.

Christmas is coming! Contact me or any of my galleries if there is a painting you have in mind for that special someone.

detail

Scritch Scratch

6x6" original oil

sold

I have had a wonderfully lazy December after a huge push in October to be ready for November's shows. However, I don't really know what to do with myself if I'm not painting, so here is another doggie. This painting is headed for Gallery MAR. I have wanted to do this painting for at least a year but never got a good photo until now. She scritch-scratches inside the house all the time, but not so much outside when I'm photographing her on the back patio and I like the outside sunlight for my paintings. I love the face she makes too. So funny. When I look at this painting I can hear the jingling of her collar tag. I'm glad I don't have to scratch my neck with my back feet.

detail

Watermelon II

18 x 24" original oil

sold

I began this painting the first week of November. I worked on it in the background while I was finishing a commission and three little dog paintings for Gallery MAR due for a late November delivery. I got a phone call one day from somebody who missed one of my art shows but wanted to come to my studio to see what I was painting at that moment, so I invited them over, they saw this painting in progress, and bought it on the spot. It's now finished, drying, and will be delivered soon. I feel blessed. 

The story behind this painting is this: I had been painting a lot with yellows and was feeling a bit like I was in a rut, so I looked through my reference photos on the computer and came across this one, gasped, was immediately intimidated by the crazy colors and shapes, but loved the light. I'm going to paint it again, but I haven't decided how big or when. I love this image so much that I can't use it just once.  

I enjoyed have Nathan and Suzie over to watch me paint while I worked on the upper-right corner of this painting. I hope Nathan gets the urge to pull out the oils and paint!  

detail

detail 2

Olé

 

6 x 6" original oil

sold

This month I needed to paint three dogs to send to my Park City gallery and this is the third. I'm sad they're done. I am having so much fun and I can't wait to send them more. Each dog painting has such personality. 

Thank you to my niece, Liz, who sent me photographs of her bulldog, Cletus, who appears in this painting. What a guy. His stand-off  pose along with his breed name just screamed "Olé" at me, and the red background was then an obvious. I hear Cletus is quite the sweetheart and will even snuggle little kids.

look at all of those color changes and brush strokes that make up fur