It's summer and the temps are approaching 100°(F) here on SIGMA Mountain. I'd say that fact is enough reason to post a painting of puppies playing in the snow.

Our friend Alyssa brought Jasper to visit one February day back in 2013. With snow still on the ground, the pups decided a battle for supremacy was an appropriate way to make use of the snow.

Jasper is clearly the dominant fighter. Beorn doesn't have any moves to speak of, but he likes rolling in the snow whether or not Jasper is on top.

Now fully grown, Beorn is still that way. If dogs are playing, he'll try to join in, but can't quite figure out what's going on. Also, at 125 lbs., I think his size intimidates the other dogs; everything tends to stop when he approaches.

This portrait started as a demo piece while sitting at my booth in the North Idaho Pet Expo back in 2019. I and my Wacom monitor were in the booth, and a mirrored monitor was set up along the aisle so people could stop and watch me paint. My setup attracted quite a crowd each time I started on a portrait.

Once people see how I work, they understand that I'm not just letting the computer "paint" the portrait.

This is the moment we realized Beorn was a lover, not a fighter.