Sunday, June 29, 2008

Curiosity (Vizsla and Butterfly) - WIP

Started this today purely for fun. Had an idea in my head and had to get it on paper. After I sketched it out, I realized that it reminded me of a painting my dad did roughly 45 years ago -- purely a coincidence, I think.
I did this on a leftover piece of Art Spectrum Colorfix, and I forgot how textured and grainy it is. As I work on finishing this piece, I will rub some of the color into the paper in certain areas, to reduce the spots of paper showing through, which I think is a little distracting.


Friday, June 27, 2008

German Shorthaired Pointer - 11" x 14" Pastel - SOLD

This commission was harder than I thought! The challenge was to paint a GSP with a solid brown head and ticked body -- And while I needed to add highlights to give the head dimension, I needed to do that without making the head look "ticked" (spotted). Also painted a different style of background than my usual. The client loved it.

Monday, June 23, 2008

"Boy", a German Shepherd - 12" x 16" Pastel - SOLD

I was given this photo of a beloved German Shepherd to paint. According to his owner, Boy was big and strong, but deceptively gentle. Folks would be frightened by his looks, and he in turn was terrified of lightening.
This project presented a challenge. This was the only picture of Boy that I had as reference, and because of the indoor lighting and flash, it was less than ideal. Still, you could see his features and coloring pretty well, so I did my best--and upon seeing it, the owner remarked, "that looks just like Boy!".


Sunday, June 22, 2008

"Boy", a German Shepherd (In Memory)

Here's the photo that I am working from:


Monday, June 16, 2008

Lana the Viszla - 13" x 16" Pastel Pet Portrait - SOLD

Worked to finish this today. Happy Father's Day, Dan!


Sunday, June 15, 2008

Lana the Viszla - WIP

Viszla's...I never really knew this breed, but it turns out that they are the national hunting dog of Hungary. This viszla, Lana, is an incredibly energetic, smart, lovable and loyal dog. All that, and good looks,too! I got a good start on this painting today, hope to finish tomorrow.


Thursday, June 12, 2008

Distant Shore - WIP - 18" x 24"

I'm not sure whether this painting is a lost cause. I muted the distant shore and cooled down the colors to show distance/atmosphere, but I don't like it as much as I did before. I added a foreground, and am still playing with the shapes of the grasses that I added, but I still like it better without. I'm confused about what my focal point is --if it is the distant shore in the background, does that mean that the higher contrast and stronger colors from yesterday work better? At this point, the values and colors in all the areas are all too much the same, and I'm not sure where to go with this. I don't have any reference to use for the foreground, so I'm just winging it, without much success. I'll put it away for now, and when I have more time will try to resolve it.


Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Distant Shore - WIP - 12" x 24"

I'm not sure where I'm going wwith this; I started on a beach scene that was 18" x 24" and included a figure in the foreground. I really didn't like the figure or the foreground, so I decided to crop it as a panoramic view of the distant shore. I am still trying to work out some of the compositional issues, but perhaps I can make it work.


Monday, June 09, 2008

Holly the Beagle - WIP

This little beagle is a sweet girl and a bundle of energy. She was so constantly in motion, it's a wonder I was able to take her photo. Today, I did the initial block-in and started to work out the painting; I'm looking forward to finishing it tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Lemon Reflections - 18" x 24" Pastel

Enjoyed the intense colors of today's still-life. The reflections were really fun to paint. Not sure how to crop it.




Monday, June 02, 2008

Sophie (Tribute to a Sweet Cat)



I had a cat named Sophie, and unexpectedly, she died.

Sophie was a courageous and independent cat. She would boldly stare down the dog she once found fearful; she would venture outside despite her once timid nature; she would demand your attention when she wanted it, and ignore you fiercely when she didn’t.

She could be really affectionate when she was in the right mood-- she'd rub up against you to be petted. Once she had enough of your hand, she’d saunter off to partake of other comforts…a warm patch of sun, the soft seat of her favorite chair, a windowsill with a nice view and a gentle breeze.

Ten years ago, she came into our lives along with mama cat Mooshie, and they have been together all these years. I imagine Mooshie will miss her the most(do cats miss each other?), but I will miss her too.

Who else will appear out of thin air when I munch on a late night Dorito, demanding I give her a taste? Walk across my desk and nuzzle me for attention when I am deep in thought? Jump up and walk across my pastels mid-painting, and then track colorful pussycat pawprints across my sofa?

Sophie effortlessly became part of our lives. She was a beautiful, soft and constant presence, and then died quietly and suddenly. She didn’t demand much, gave us love, and was one of life’s treasures that you take for granted until they are gone. We will certainly miss her.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

The Dancers - 18" x 24" Pastel

I am posting some older and larger paintings as I work on a few commissions. This was a still life of a beautiful statue that my teacher (Rae Smith) set up; I did it all in NuPastels, using a kind of scribbly technique. It came out kind of cool, and I have always loved this painting.

NOTE:  PhotoBucket has held my best images for ransom ... this is a screen grab  that now needs editing.