It seems counter-intuitive to test for a respiratory illness via the outpipe, but it makes sense from a certain point of view.
Bella and Maggie, a Christmas Commission
Another Christmas commission pet portrait; this time of two lovely Labrador Retrievers, Bella and Maggie
Life Is Better With Hobbies
While attempting to survive the demise of Western Civilization, there’s no reason not to keep busy.
Our New Pledge of Allegiance
As I busy myself trying to finalize a big poster, here’s a special note from The Ministry of Truth.
Brooks and Roscoe
A Christmas commission. Using separate photos as reference images can sometimes be a challenge.
Warning: Bonehead Move in Progress
After 35+ years in the industry, you’d think I’d be smart enough to avoid doing something this stupid. You’d be wrong.
Cole, a Curly Pet Portrait
This is Cole, a particularly curly – and happy – fellow. This regular commission came to me in late October, just before the Christmas rush, so I’m including it in my Christmas commissions list anyway because once I finished it, the orders came pouring in. The client only supplied one photo, not normally a good thing. But in this case it was a clear, well-lit photo that I was able to work with. In order …
Characteristics of an Initiation Ritual
It may sound esoteric and overly intellectual, but pay attention, because we’re living through it right now.Comments are open! Please add yours below. About the Authortopdog TwitterTopdog is Steve Merryman, an artist, writer, and dog lover. An accomplished traditional artist, Steve also accepts commissions for digital hand-painted pet portraits. In his spare time he enjoys the quiet of the forest, hikes with his dogs, reading actual books, and continuing his Don Quixote-like quest for the …
Pet Portrait of Bella, a Yellow Lab
Here’s a screen-capture of a recent pet portrait commission of Bella, a lovely yellow lab. The actual portrait took about six hours, but I’ve compressed it all down to a nifty three and a half minutes. I composed a special musical background for this piece using Apple’s Logic music creation software. I’m a musical imbecile, but the program has tons of loops to play with. The customer for this portrait found me via WilderWealthyWise, a …
Oregon Health Authorities: “Covid19 Is Serious!”
Comments are open! Please add yours below. About the Authortopdog TwitterTopdog is Steve Merryman, an artist, writer, and dog lover. An accomplished traditional artist, Steve also accepts commissions for digital hand-painted pet portraits. In his spare time he enjoys the quiet of the forest, hikes with his dogs, reading actual books, and continuing his Don Quixote-like quest for the perfect cheeseburger. Almost Dailies: The Siren Call of WatercolorsJuly 16, 2026I Love Happy Dog PortraitsJuly 2, …