Here’s the story of Otter, a last minute portrait order in 2023 and how he’s really not sad, just sleepy.
Mr. Mo Is A Happy Little Dog
A happy little dog portrait painted for Christmas 2024.
Double Trouble with Millie and Bear
The customer wanted a portrait of both her dogs together. No problem. She provided several photos of each dog. Again, no problem; I can sketch both dogs together as my starting point. I painted Millie as a small terrier and Bear as a medium-size dog and sent a proof. Almost immediately I received a panicked reply saying that both dogs are the same size! She was afraid the portrait was set in concrete at that …
September notes
Some notes of the day. Do I believe evil exists? Sure. Am I a hypocrite because I believe evil exists but don’t believe in God? Not hardly. I believe evil exists because there is plenty of evidence. I also believe good exists for the same reason. The key is in the definition of terms. I don’t believe evil or good possess supernatural qualities, which makes the existence of God (or the Devil) unnecessary. Therefore, I …
Lucy and Blue
Lucy and Blue is a combo portrait of two dogs on separate photos. I painted this portrait during the 2024 Christmas season. I created sixteen paintings in the marathon month of November (see my previous post). Using different photo references is tricky for a lot of reasons. I usually request several photo options of each pet. This helps me in the process of creating an awesome portrait. If the photos I’m given are clear enough, …
Zeus: King of the Dogs
It’s nearly two months since we bid farewell to Hudson. We buried him down the hill from our house, next to Beorn, Boris, Reggie and Larry, our previous dogs. His memory will live within me forever. I’ve since cancelled my subscription to Porcupine Monthly. I will miss the centerfolds. Life goes on. A week ago we learned of a dog at a local rescue facility in need of a new home. Rescue Experiences I didn’t …
Southwest Landscapes
I paint more than dogs. Here are some of my recent digital landscapes inspired by trips to the southwest.
Hudson’s Farewell Month
My dog, Hudson, an Old-English Mastiff of 115 pounds, and not even six years old, has bone cancer. We’ll be saying goodbye in a matter or weeks, or even days. We love our dogs. They’re family. This sad news hit me hard, inhibiting my ill-informed, occasionally coherent scribblings here. You can read all about bone cancer on the VetMD site. It’s a real bitch of a disease, akin to brutal punishment or torture. For Hudson, …
The Bloomsday Campaign That Never Was
I may have told this Bloomsday story before, but I’m old and I think I’ve earned the right to repeat myself. As a graphic designer, I created advertising for Bloomsday, a local 12k race known around the world (not an exaggeration). For twenty-five years I provided advertising and marketing materials for the annual race, held in Spokane on the first Sunday in May. At this writing, the 49th running of Bloomsday is in a couple …
Everyone Is Going Places
It’s morning. I’m laying in bed. I look at the clock radio and note the hour. It is that groggy time between “Just another ten minutes,” and “Get your butt out of bed, Cupcake!” I turn on the radio to get weather and propaganda updates (because Right-Think is always the Best-Think!). The station is in the middle of an advertisement, of course. This one is for–I kid you not–a divorce support service. Their tagline: “Let …