This is smilin’ Chuy. Like most little dogs, he makes up for a lack of physical stature by means of a massive personality. I love this portrait! Let me tell you why. First off, you can’t look at Smilin’ Chuy without smiling back. I think I captured his happy nature with this portrait. Secondly, in terms of technique, I love the sense of depth I created by carefully placing dark areas next to lighter areas. …
The Year Is Nearly Over And I’m Just Getting Started
It’s almost 2023 and I’m still alive. Not that I was in any serious danger of dying in 2022, but at sixty years, one does start to count each stair step when coming down for one’s Lucky Charms®. Maybe it’s time to install a handrail. As a rule, I don’t much care for those “Year In Retrospect” stories that get written this time of year. I’m mostly a Looking Forward kind of fellow, except when …
Hobee
It’s been a while since I posted a portrait (or anything else). I’ve got quite the backlog of portraits to show. Let’s start with one of my favorites. This is Hobee. Not much to say about this happy fella, except that I really like the way the bright blue background sets off the orangey tone of his head. I added some electric orange tones on his cheeks that create a nice glowing effect, making the …
On Tractor Chains, Snowstorms, and a Thorny Question of Time
Time is different when you’re retired. It slows down. But you know what doesn’t slow down? Snowstorms.
Enjoy The Scenery, But Keep An Eye Out For Killer Chipmunks
Our trip to Glacier National Park, in which I struggle under the weight of two sleeping dogs and almost succumb to a killer chipmunk.
Thinking of Boris
My yearly tribute to Boris, our big black Mastador who passed in 2019, this time featuring a new graphite portrait of the big guy.