I don’t know what year it is on the Chinese calendar (let’s ask Chinese hostage John Cena), but for me it’s definitely the Year of the Porcupine. In what is rapidly becoming a fortnightly event, Hudson on Tuesday came home with porcupine quills in his face and mouth. There is a dispute on the count, with The Missus saying it’s the seventh time, and me saying it’s the sixth. What is indisputable is that the …
Porcupine Removal Part 2
Last week I conducted a porcupine removal operation because not two days after his encounter last week, Hudson did it again. The first time he came away with 49 quills. This time the count was a bit less, only 40 quills. We knew by the size of the quills that it was a baby porcupine, or at least not fully grown. The vet said these small quills are harder to remove. Easy for her to …
Porcupine Quill Removal: Mastiff Edition
Last night we conducted a Porcupine Quill Removal on Hudson. This is how the battle went…
English Springer Spaniel Portrait of Gracie
Portrait of Gracie, an English Springer Spaniel. This was a 2020 Christmas commission.
Was Larry the Best Dog Ever?
While he was with us, we had no doubt that Larry was the best dog ever. Time (and several newer dogs) have tempered that sentiment somewhat. It’s not that Larry has gone down in status, he’s simply got more competition. Larry was our first dog. We were married in the fall of 1992. In the spring of 1993 The Missus brought Larry home. At the time I was just starting my home-based design studio and …
Bella and Maggie, a Christmas Commission
Another Christmas commission pet portrait; this time of two lovely Labrador Retrievers, Bella and Maggie
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 …
Pet Portrait Commission: Sydney
For this pet portrait commission of Sydney, a charming Black Lab, I used two photos as reference. In one he was dressed for St. Patrick’s day, looking into the camera wearing a green feathery luau thingy around his neck and a goofy headdress with two green Irish top-hats on springs (I’m not judging, we’ve all been there). As charming as it was, the customer requested that the St. Paddy’s gear not be included in the …
Mastiff Puppy Portrait
Here’s a quick portrait of Hudson. This is from when he was 7 months old (five months ago). Hudson’s color and unique folds in his coat have been giving me fits ever since I started trying to paint him. With this portrait, I think I’m starting to figure out how to handle that distinctive face of his. More practice will help me nail down how to create fold patterns, and better tackle his subtle coloring. …
Grizz Pet Portrait on Stretched Canvas
This portrait of Grizz is my latest pet portrait which, like most of my orders, was output on stretched canvas. The photo reference I used was excellent, a well lit, colorful photo. This allowed me to concentrate on making a painting that not only accurately represented Grizz, but also conveyed an artistic “punch” of stylistic brushwork and strong, vibrant colors. Love Your Pet ForeverMy PetArtWorks page describes the portrait ordering process. Listed prices are all-inclusive …










