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 …
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, …
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, …
Kai
This Doberman Pinscher portrait really sold me on a new painting software. For 26 years I’ve used Corel Painter for my portraits. About 2 years ago I – foolishly – opted for a new subscription model for Painter. Automatic upgrades sounded good to me. Unfortunately, it’s two years later with not a single upgrade in Painter. I think I got screwed on the deal. I never thought I’d ditch Painter, but a few months back …
A Sweet Sixteen!
My busiest time of the year is November when I’m buried in pet portrait Christmas gift commissions. It’s something I’ve come to expect. I’ve been painting pet portraits for about ten years. Most of my work is through word of mouth, and repeat customers, and they all want portraits for Christmas. However, in the last year orders slowed. Concerned, I figured I should try something new. This past October and November, I purchased a booth …
The Eyes Have it
Let’s talk about dog eyes! I’ve been buried painting pet portrait Christmas gifts all of November with absolutely no time to blog. Tonight, I’m taking a moment to post a portrait from way back in May of this year, and I’ll have more to say about my busy November once I finalize my commissions. The thing I love most about painting pet portraits is when I can successfully convey the personality of the pet. It …
Scout
This is Scout, one of my first commissions. Painted with just enough detail to activate your brain!
Seamus Growls
“Keep moving, Pal.” This funny pet portrait commission is a memorial for a beloved family pet, Seamus. Apparently, Seamus was quite the character. He loved going for rides in the car and growling at people who passed by the vehicle – in a “keep moving – nothing to see here” kind of way. This hobby (or habit) so amused the family that they wanted to memorialize it in a second portrait. The final portrait was …