Dog portraits

I have been doing dog portraits for several years and thought I'd post one of them here. I paint the portraits from photos and they are available in various sizes.

I love the Golden Retriever for their temperament and loving ways. I am a true animal lover so am drawn to just about anything (except crunchy bugs).

It's going to be a busy weekend with the Monadnock Artists show in Keene, NH. It's a two day show but the weather is supposed to be beautiful and, believe me, we have earned a good weekend for an art show. It's been a very tough year weatherwise. No matter the result, it's nice to be able to connect with art lovers and get their feedback. I'll let you know how it goes.

#23 5x7 $65

Fearless Concentration

We've been lucky to have beautiful weather this week. Going out to paint today so, of course, it's overcast with rain expected. What a season this has been.

I've wanted to paint some animals for quite awhile. Decided to start with my favorite, the tiger. I was trying to get prey reflected in his eye but no matter how I approached it, I just couldn't get it right. More practice, I guess.

I start with very dark colors and work my way to light and then add the detail. I use a very old brush for the hairs and then paint more detailed hairs with a liner brush.

#22 5x7 $65

Labor of Love

It's been a long, hot week and I have not been able to crank up my creative juices. I thought I'd post one of my favorite paintings. I have done several versions of this subject, the original which was the actual flowers in my neighbors garden. I have changed the flowers in each painting and added a gate to this one. I just like the layout.

The painting is large but the size fit the subject matter and makes a strong statement. It captures my desire to create drama with shadows and light. Since fall is fast approaching, I wanted to linger on summer's bounty.

24x36 $795

Beaching

I know, late again. Too much happening this time of year with paintouts, art shows, and restocking galleries. I only have two more significant shows to do this year and then will get my gallery up and running for the fall season.
This painting is my idea of a relaxing day at the beach. I wanted to keep it simple and calming. I am working on much larger pieces (24x36) in this vein. The large ones are done on gallery wrap canvas, which means there is no frame but the canvas wraps to the back and I paint the sides as part of the scene.

I haven't had very many opportunities to go to the beach this summer. We've had so much rain and the few nice weekends I have been booked at a show or committed to something else.

I am in a new gallery called the White Mountain Artisans, which is located on the main street of North Conway, NH. This is a large tourist area and the gallery is exceptional. Check out their website (http://www.whitemountainartisansgallery.com/).

#21 5x7 $65

Cooling Off

OK, I know. I'm a day late again. Been busy this week and the days seem to fly by.

Anyone with a retriever can relate to this painting. I miss my golden, Cheyenne. She would stay in the water all day if I let her. She truly was an exceptional dog...loving, obedient and able to anticipate what I needed from her.

My current dog is a Shih Tzu named, Bailey. I originally bought him to keep Cheyenne company. Now I have the first small dog I have ever owned. Of course, he thinks he's fierce.

I was struggling with the water in the painting. I just couldn't seem to get the water the way I wanted it. I must have done about 15 layers of washes. Each painting is a journey and a learning experience. That's what keeps it a challenge.

Tomorrow I am participating in a show "Uncommon Art on the Common" in Goffstown, NH, which is the next town from where I live. The weather is supposed to be perfect, for a change.

#20 5x7 $65 sold

Carousel Horse

I'm playing catch up with the weekly blog. This painting is of an antique carousel horse that I saw at the famous Brimfield Antique Show. I took a photo of it as the cost was far beyond my budget. I added the pole. It brings back lots of memories for me as I was always one to get on the horses, no matter how old I got.

The weather has been hot and humid, with more rain. I'm to paint en plein air at Canterbury Shaker Village this Sunday. We paint during the day and sell the paintings in the afternoon (hopefully).

I will also be painting on August 8th in Goffstown Village, NH with the same "wet canvas" sale in the afternoon.

#19 5x7 $65

Lakeside

I missed last Thursday's blog so will post one today. It was a busy week as I had a 2-day art show in Newburyport, MA over the weekend.

This the the busy art show season. It will be interesting to see how successful they are with the current economy. I did well in Newburyport but not as well as previous seasons.

I have had requests for more 8x10 paintings, so I will add more as time goes on.

This painting shows an extremely peaceful lake where all you hear are birds and insects. It was tempting to jump in the canoe and just paddle away.

#18 8x10 $85