Snow Beast

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!! Can you tell that I am a snow lover??? We recently have received several inches of the wonderful white stuff and I have been so busy that I've hardly had time to enjoy it. Today I decided to take Maggie out and play a bit. We went for our walk this morning and I decided to make a snow angel. Big mistake! Maggie assumed that because I was on her level that it must mean it was play time! Needless to say my snow angel is a little misshapen because I was rolling around trying to avoid having frozen dog drool in my face! When I finally got back to my feet I tripped and bashed my shin on a rock hidden under the snow and now there's a huge bruise decorating my left leg. But my spirits were not dampened and we trudged off to find our next challenge..... a small, snowy hill. I grabbed Maggie's collar, hollered "mush!" and assumed she'd help me climb the hill. Wrong! My glove made it up the hill with her, but I slipped, banged my right knee on yet another hidden rock and crawled on my hands and knees to the top of the hill where Maggie waited wagging her tail and looking at me as if to say, "What fun! Can we do it again?"

After that little adventure I decided to head home since I was running out of limbs to injure. Back in the safety of my yard I grabbed my camera and headed outside again with Maggie and tossed a ball out into the snow. Of course, the ball sank deep into the fluff and Maggie jumped in after it, her head buried in the snow and rump sticking up in the air. She snowplowed along and came up snorting and pounced on the ball again. Eventually, she got a hold of it and went tearing around the yard gleefully, then tossed it and the whole process started over. When she was done she had become a "snow beast" with fluffy white eyebrows, a pile on her nose and long, frozen "droolsicles" hanging from her jowls. Lovely!

Now we're back inside and thawing out. Maggie is curled up in her favorite Lazyboy and I'm thinking hot chocolate and a warm, fuzzy blanket sound good. My thoughts are starting to turn to the wonder and beauty of the season and the true meaning of Christmas. I love this time of year!

Merry Christmas!!!

Labradoodle by Catherine Temple

Introducing Hannah, a Labradoodle! I have always wondered just what a dog with this kind of breeding would look like and now I know! Actually, after I got this commission and started talking with her owner I found out that Labradoodles vary alot in what they look like. I was given several photos of Hannah with various different hair cuts and she looked like everything from a Poodle to a Sheepdog. The only Labrador part that I could see was her color. This pose shows her with an in between style.

I decided to take a little departure from my usual colored pencil works and paint Hannah with gouache. I felt that this opaque watercolor would best capture the soft fluffiness of her coat and the interesting shades of pale peach that I saw reflected in it. I also wanted to create a very loose, abstract background and this can best be done with a watermedia technique.

I must say that I really enjoyed painting in just a little looser style than what I normally use. The colored pencil is wonderful for control and detail and I often use it in tandem with a water medium to tighten up or bring out certain details especially in the eyes. I have been playing a little more with other painting mediums and have been studying some watercolor artists that paint more loosely and this commission gave me the perfect opportunity to put what I'm learning to the test. I am pleased with the results.

Well, it's time to be off to finish my Christmas cards or before I know it the holiday will be here and they'll have to be New Years cards! Thanks for your interest in my art!

Brittany by Catherine Temple

I can hardly believe that it's already the 1st of December, the holidays are upon us and the end of the year is only 30 days away! Wow, what a year! Time went by faster than I can ever remember it moving and, oh yeah, I'll be the big 50 in a few days. Now that's really something! I don't know if I'm excited or apprehensive......haven't decided yet. Actually, I've been too busy to even think about it which is probably a good thing. Don't want to be dwelling on unpleasant thoughts or things I cannot change!

Anyway, I have been working on Christmas commissions trying to get those done with time to spare so I have time to enjoy the holidays as well. I have also been teaching myself to sell on Ebay and have a few items listed. My seller name is 2dogartist and my listings are under " ACEOs - animals" which stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. These are miniature artworks done at trading card size which is 2.5" x 3.5" and they can be original paintings or reproductions. Currently, I am doing prints of my artwork as I'm not sure if painting that small wouldn't make me crazy. This is kind of an experiment for me to see if selling this way is a viable option. So far I've sold the first two I listed last week so that was exciting. This particular size seems to be good sellers on Ebay and they are very collectible. There are even websites devoted to just paintings of this size. It's a good way to get your art in front of people and very affordable for them as well.

I also have placed some of my art in a local frame shop/gallery for the past few weeks. It's been quite some time since I've had my art hanging somewhere. For those readers that are local to me the shop is Art and Frame by D & J at the old Kling's store in downtown Lewiston, Id. My art will be hanging through Dec. 13th and I will be at the store from 1pm to 4pm on that day demonstrating my painting. Again, this is just another way to get my art and my name in front of people.

This painting I have posted today is a commission I did for Christmas last year. The dogs name is Maira and she is a Brittany. This is a hunt, point and retrieve breed. She is very much loved by her owner who shared a special story with me about their bond. When she was a puppy she was attacked and badly mauled by a coyote. It almost completely severed her front leg. Instead of amputating the leg the vet told him that he would try to save it, but that it would take a lot of physical therapy for it to ever function properly. The therapy consisted of the owner fashioning a harness for her which he then attached to a fishing pole ( a large, heavy sturgeon rod to be exact). He then placed her in the river every day and let her swim. This allowed her to work the leg without putting too much weight on it and kept her from floating away. I can just picture the strange looks this man must have got with his dog attached to a fishing pole, but the therapy worked and except for the leg bending a little funny when she points she has full use of it today. Situations like this create strong bonds between people and their pets. That's one of the reasons I love what I do so much. I get to hear stories like this all the time. I get to laugh with folks and I cry with them a lot as well when they share with me stories of special pets long gone. It's a special privilege to be included in these precious, private stories.

This painting was done in colored pencil and is representative of the subject matter and direction that I'd like to take my art in as we move towards next year. I have recently purchased a large format printer so that as I complete these pieces I will be able to offer larger quality prints for sale to the general public. Though it may not be their dog in the picture often times they are enthusiasts of the breed and collectors of sporting breed art.

Well, thanks for looking today. Enjoy this most blessed season and don't forget the reason for it, the birth of our savior Jesus!

Sweetie and Friends

This is my latest portrait commission done for a Christmas gift. The main dog is Sweetie, a Sheltie and her friends are Pee Wee, the Chihuahua on the left and Maizy, a Chihuahua/Dachshund mix on the right. I chose to do this piece in gouache and colored pencil on a very smooth, hot pressed paper. I chose this combination to try and get the detail of the hair and coat patterns and I also wanted a soft, washy background. The smooth paper lends itself very nicely to detail work. I feel like I achieved the look that I was after and my client was very pleased.

Now that this piece is finished I am looking ahead to what is next. I have been pondering and praying over what direction to go in with my artwork. For the past two years I have focused on painting pet portraits and have really enjoyed that and have made some wonderful friends through this process. However, for the past few months I have been feeling like there is something more. I would very much like to branch out into sporting dog art and wildlife art. I would also like to learn to paint in acrylics.

Taking a step in a new direction is both exciting and scary. It's that fear of the unknown and that fear of failure. Sometimes we have to have faith and consider the "what ifs" in a positive way. I am at that place right now. In the days ahead I hope to start down this new path with confidence and not with fear, with anticipation and not with dread. I hope that the work that comes out of this time will be inspiring, both to me and to others. I'm not entirely sure where it will lead, but I think I'm ready to place my foot on the path.

Autumns Glory - God's Palette

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love all the seasons for different reasons, but fall is special. The world transforms itself into a fantastic display of vibrant color for just a few short weeks and then it changes again, put to sleep by the hand of the Creator only to burst forth anew in the spring.

This time of year fills my senses to overflowing. Many times I find myself with tears in my eyes as I try to take in the sheer beauty of it all. I find myself wishing that I had God's palette and paintbrushes and that I could capture just a fraction of the beauty that I see and pass that on to a world that often only sees darkness. If they could only see God's splendor and beauty in the colors of fall leaves, in the honking of wild geese, in the crisp stillness of an autumn sunrise maybe it would bring a peace and healing to their lives. It always does for me.

As I write this I am reminded of a scripture verse, Phil. 4:8. "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things just, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." Today I choose to think about lovely things like the colors of fall and pray that God will continue to paint my life with the colors from His palette.

Louisiana State Duck Stamp entry

As promised, here is the work in progress for the Louisiana State Duck Stamp Contest. The painting itself should reach the hands of the judges today and the final judging will take place on Oct. 22nd. As soon as I know anything I will post it here.

For the past few years Louisiana has featured a retriever breed on their duck stamp and their theme was "Retrievers Save Game." This year the breed was the Chesapeake Bay Retriever which is the breed of dog I own. Since I am also an avid duck hunter and have been toying with the idea of entering a duck stamp contest, this was almost a "no brainer " for me to enter. I did say "almost".

I had pondered my design for weeks and had originally come up with a whole different concept. It was much more complicated with lots of background including an elaborate early morning sunrise, flying ducks, the dog and, in the foreground, the mornings successful retrieves. I really liked the sketch and started the painting with colored pencils. After four failed attempts to pull the concept out of my head and put it on paper, I nearly gave up. It was brought to my attention that maybe what I was trying to paint was someone else's style and not an "original Cathy". I must admit that I thought these well meaning friends and my husband just didn't "get it". They just didn't understand the importance of this piece or the judges expectations, etc.,etc. But....they were right! I went back to the drawing board and completely reworked the concept. Everything simplified and changed except for the dog, which features my beloved Jake. That part could not change. It also features a pair of American Widgeon .This first photo shows that final concept.

This next photo shows the work in progress. I had even changed what medium I was working in. This is done in gouache (an opaque watercolor) on hot pressed watercolor paper which is a very smooth surface and lends itself well to very detailed work. I almost trashed this piece as well because the sky was actually started with colored pencil again and was just not working. At this point I was so frustrated I really didn't care. I grabbed my paint and just started slopping it on. Much to my amazement things started to come together! Now, I was encouraged enough to continue and as I did, I liked where it was going. ( Up until this point I was really wondering if an artist was what I was really supposed to be. What made me think I could do this?)

Here is the finished painting that I sent to the contest. This is much more along the lines of what I normally do. Though I love to look at paintings with lots going on in them I don't paint that way....at least not at this time. I've always been much more interested in capturing the spirit and personality of my subject and the rest is incidental. It tells part of the story, but it isn't the story. It's not the focus. So getting carried away with all this other stuff was taking away from the whole idea of the piece.....the retriever.

Now that it's done and sent off I'm glad that I took my friends and husbands' advice and painted from the heart.( Thank you all for setting me straight!) I'm satisfied with the way it turned out and I don't feel like I'll embarrass myself with this piece. I am excited that I reached one of my goals this year to enter a duck stamp contest. I'd like to dream about being the winner or at least placing in the top five, but if I don't I'm still pleased. My prayer is just that it arrives safely, makes it through the judging and gets returned to me without damage.

Well, that's about all for today. I wanted to slip this in because I promised that I would. We're in the midst of the deer hunting season here and at the very start of the duck hunting and as I said...I'm an avid hunter, so I'm off with my husband to the "woodsy woods" as a friend calls it, to look for those elusive creatures!

Ready to Go - Black Lab Puppy

She's got her teddy and she's ready to go! She's looking for someone to love her and give her a forever home.
I posted this piece a few weeks back, but I'm posting it again because it is a part of the Canine Art Guild's new online show titled "Helping Paws". This show is dedicated to all of the many rescue organizations out there who are helping unwanted animals find love, comfort, medical attention and forever homes. Many of the artists participating are donating all or a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their pictures in this show to an animal shelter or rescue organization of their choice. I have selected the Lewis Clark Animal Shelter to be the recipient of my donation. I am donating 25% of the sale of this canine portrait.

This portrait is an 8 x 10 done in graphite pencil and is for sale for $250.00. Anyone interested may contact me by email.
kindredspirits@clearwire.net

The model for this portrait already has a wonderful home, but so many animals do not. They cannot help themselves and rely on us to take care of them. God made us stewards over all the earth and all the animals both wild and domestic. It is up to us to do what we can. While I cannot personally care for every animal, I can support organizations that are trying to. Won't someone join me in helping? Give this little portrait a forever home and in turn help to give a real animal a chance. And while you're considering my painting take a moment and visit the Canine Art Guild website and view all the wonderful paintings from an international collection of artists. Vote for your favorite. That helps us know we're doing a good job!

Thanks for looking!
Catherine
www.petportraitsbycatherine.com

Happy - English Setter Portrait

I can't believe that two weeks have passed by so quickly! What ever happened to August? In my world, it seems, that month never existed! Whoa! Slow down world you're making me dizzy!

I guess I must be working too hard that I'm not even noticing the passing of the days, but sometimes that's how creating art is. I can get so wrapped up in the idea, the creative process, the actual act of painting that hours can go by and I scarcely notice. I often find myself having to set alarms and timers lately to remind me of appointments or other things that I must stop and do. Sometimes, I'll be working away on one painting and something I've done will spark an idea for the next one, so I stop, make a note to myself ( hope I don't lose it!) and continue on.

I wonder if God had this problem when He was creating? Do you suppose He had to set alarms to remind him of an appointment? Can you just imagine him having to stop to deal with heavenly problems? NOT! I can barely imagine the speed of ideas, the pure joy in the whole process! Just look at the diversity all around us! I am humbled beyond words and to think He gave me just a minuscule taste of His ability with the talent He blessed me with!

Well, enough of my obscure musings...here is the latest painting. This dog's name is Happy and I think she looks it in the painting. She is an English Setter who loves to hunt chukar with her owner. They are a stylish pointing breed with beautiful feathering on their tails that looks like a flag when they are on point. She is painted with Prismacolor pencils on Stonehenge paper and was done as a commission.

Thanks for looking and hope your day is blessed by the ultimate Artist!

Happy Chessie

Happy Birthday, Maggie!!
Yesterday was my special girls 7th birthday. As you can see she got a nice new bone to chew and she was very happy. We usually celebrate with a Twinkie as the birthday cake, but had to make due with a shortcake, coolwhip and some raspberries. Not that Maggie cares...she eats just about anything. No food issues here! We wrapped the bone in paper and she excitedly tore it to shreds then proceeded to carry the bone everywhere. Surprisingly, she didn't chew on it at all last night or even today. I'm not quite sure what that is all about and she's not letting me in on the secret!

It's hard to believe she is seven years old already. She's starting to show just a little gray around the muzzle and she's developed that very distinctive Chesapeake smell that comes from the oil in their coat. I've had her swimming alot lately to get her ready for the duck hunting season so I'm sure that's encouraging the oil glands to produce extra. My SUV smells like wet chessie every day. To those of us who love this breed it's a delightful smell!!

Work at the studio is moving along. I'm trying to get as many current commissions done as I can in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. Usually, by October I am fully booked for Christmas. I am also trying to create a design for a state duck stamp that is due in October so I need some time cleared to work on that. I just finished a portrait of a boxer and am working on a much loved mixed breed dog that recently passed away. He was a permanent resident at one of the local vet clinics and spent his days curled up under the feet of the receptionist. We're doing a portrait of him there in his favorite place.

Time to move away from the computer and go grab a pencil. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day outside and the garden is calling my name, too. Some days, as much as I love what I'm doing, I just want to run off and play. Looks like that's not going to be today! Sigh!!

Enumclaw Dog Show

This past weekend my husband and I traveled to Enumclaw, Wa. for the Olympic Kennel Clubs dog show. I had a booth there featuring some of my canine art and was hoping to attract some new clients who might be interested in having a portrait done as well as sell some of my prints and note cards of previous work. On the way over we decided to take the scenic route and drove through the Mt. Rainier National Park. This was indeed a very scenic area as the photo shows. I didn't really realize it, but that's one big chunk of rock!! The whole area is awe inspiring and I did have the opportunity to play tourist and at least snap some great pictures which may or may not become paintings some day. If I'd have had more time I would have loved to do some hiking and explore a little more, but my main objective was to be at that dog show so I'll have to plan another time for fun.
The show was busy and exciting and the weather was unbelievably hot for that area. Most of the show is held outdoors and that's where the vendors were, too. We tried to keep as cool as possible with awnings, fans and lots of water and they had set up a place with misters and fans for the people and a wading pool for the dogs to splash in. I was thinking the pool was looking pretty good and wondered if the dogs would mind if I joined them! I took along something to work on and completed this black lab puppy while I was there. Under normal conditions this would have been a quick and easy drawing to complete, but because it was so hot my hands were even sweating so I had to take breaks and dry off.
The show itself was over three days and on the last day about 4 a. m. some thunderstorms started to develop and move through. The lightning was spectacular and it struck a transformer and put out the power in our motel. Ever try to shower in the dark? Fortunately, we had flashlights and got packed and headed over to check my booth and determine if it was safe to stay. I'm not exactly excited about being out in thunderstorms and the sky was looking pretty threatening. My husband told me I had five minutes to make up my mind to stay or pull up stakes and go. I hate making quick decisions, but a gut feeling said to cut and run. Within minutes the wind picked up and as we ran to start packing our booth up things all around us started flying around.
Now, I need to back up just a bit and tell you that last year some local folks told us that the name Enumclaw meant "big evil wind" so we were well prepared just in case and my husband who is a stickler for things being strong and secure had anchored down our tent and then anchored it again with stakes and straps so that in the event the "big evil wind" made an appearance my artwork would be safe. And indeed it was. However, we were in danger of being hit by flying canopies, signs, and product out of other vendor booths that had not been secured. We worked quickly and efficiently and managed to get everything loaded and got safely on the road to home.
Sometimes God picks unusual times to speak to me and as we were pulling away He reminded me that life is often like the "big evil wind". If we are not prepared for the storms that come, if we are not anchored down, when the storms come we will be swept away. It amazed me that so many vendors and even the dog show sponsors had not considered staking down their canopies or covering their product and when the storm started moving through it was destroying everything that was not anchored down or protected. I also considered how many people go through life just this way, including myself at times, and how important it is for us to have our feet firmly planted on the rock of God's word. I'm always appreciative when God takes the time to remind me of what is really important.
Well, thanks for listening to my ramblings this day. If anyone is interested in this pencil drawing of a black lab puppy, please contact me.
Blessings,
Catherine
kindredspirits@clearwire.net
www.petportraitsbycatherine.com

Newest Painting - Dachshund

Just off the easel this past week is this little dachshund that I've simply titled "Doxie and Ivy." I have a dog show coming up this weekend in Enumclaw, Wa. and I decided I needed a few new pieces so I created this. It is done in colored pencil and I decided to try a few different techniques with creating a dark background. After applying several layers of color I dipped a brush in some turpentine and used it to dissolve and blend the colors. Then I added some other color over that to even it all out. I usually don't get too carried away with backgrounds in my portraits as I really just like to focus on the animal, but every once in awhile it's good to stretch and try something new. Keeps me from getting bored!
This piece is for sale. It's an 8 x 10 painting, matted and framed for $300.00. If you are interested in giving it a good home you can email me at kindredspirits@clearwire.net.
Thanks for looking! I'm off to organize and pack for the show!

Downtown Deer

Wonders never cease! This morning I got up and as I was making my coffee I looked out my window to see this nice mule deer buck jump the fence in my neighbors yard and walk down the sidewalk! I thought I was dreaming! I live in a downtown area although not far from a park and the river and bike paths along it. In 11 years of living here I have never seen a deer in town though they are sometimes in the park. For me it's always a treat to see wildlife and nature and even though I live in town I try to attract birds, etc. And even though I live in town my heart is always in the wild somewhere. I grew up in a rural area and that is always where I want to be...somewhere out and away where nature wanders through your yard all the time.
I guess I was missing this aspect of my life alot this weekend as my husband, Brian, and I took a trip to the mountains in Idaho to a place that we spent alot of time at quite a few years ago now. We drove around remembering hikes, hunting and time we'd spent together there. We located a small stream that we'd found some pretty rocks in once and tried panning for gold, though all we really found were alot more pretty rocks and lots of small garnets. It was a wonderful, relaxing time, but as I drove out of the area and headed back to town my heart started longing for the quiet and solitude that I found there. I truly miss that and lately seem to desire it more and more. I guess God knew that and sent this deer this morning to remind me He always knows the desires of my heart. I may not be able to live in the wilds right now, but God reminded me that His wild creation is all around us.... all we have to do is be willing to open our eyes and our hearts to it.
A while back I had a dream where people told me I was to make God visible to a world that can't see Him. Perhaps this is one way, by sharing little surprises like this. Thank you for this day, Lord, and thank you for this reminder!

Fortune - Chocolate Lab

Here is my latest painting hot off this easel. This is a commissioned portrait ( thank you!) of a wonderful Chocolate Lab named Fortune. Fortune's painting has been a year in the making, not because it took that long to paint, but because Fortune has been very busy getting training and earning her Junior Hunter title. It took us quite awhile to catch up to her and get the photos we felt would truly capture her spirit. Fortune is a happy girl and always smiled broadly for the camera with her tongue sticking out which is not the pose we wanted. After many photo sessions with me, her owner and some good friends we were finally able to capture the serious intensity we were looking for. This is exactly the pose I like to see and try to use when I am painting the gun dog breeds. I feel this expresses the desire they have for the hunt, what they were bred for. Of course, I always try to paint whatever the client wants as it is their dog and they always know them the best. Perhaps I will paint Fortune again, but this time capture her fun loving side which is also a very big part of every Lab I've ever met.

Boomer - Bouvier des Flandres

Here is the finished painting of Boomer. I really enjoyed doing this piece as Boomer is such a great dog belonging to some wonderful people who have really encouraged me in my business in the past year. It's always such a privilege to be trusted with capturing the personality of someones special friend. (Thanks!)
Blessings and thanks for looking!

Bouvier - Work in Progress

On my easel this week is a Bouvier des Flandres that I am doing for a commission. (Thank you!) His name is Boomer and he belongs to some wonderful people that are vendors at many of the dog shows I attend. When I first saw Boomer he was busy greeting customers at the booth across the way from me. His greeting usually surprised a great many people unless you knew he was there. He stayed hidden behind the table in their booth until someone would come up, then this very large, hairy head would come out from under the tablecloth to say hello. I knew that eventually I would have to paint him!
This piece is being done in colored pencil on Stonehenge paper.

Colored Pencil Painting /Boston Terrier Pups

I recently participated in the Canine Art Guilds Pot Luck show and this was one of my entries. While I didn't win any awards (this time!) it was a wonderful experience and I felt honored to have been shown with all the awesome artists that entered.
I did this piece on a colored paper, Canson pastel paper and used Prismacolor colored pencils. The texture of the paper is a little rougher than I usually use, but I like the effect. This piece is for sale, framed and matted for $250.00. Please send inquiries to kindredspirits@clearwire.net.
Thanks for taking the time to look!
Catherine

Happiness is........

Happiness is...... a wet dog on a warm summer day!!!This is my dog Maggie this morning on our walk by the river. This is pretty much her routine every morning no matter what the time of year...even January! Oh, to get this much joy out of just splashing in the water!
Being this is summer and getting hotter (close to 100 degrees today where I live) we should take extra care of our pets. I know we hear it all the time,but please don't leave your pets in cars this time of year. Just do a little experiment....go sit in your car, in the sun, in a parking lot somewhere about noonish and see how long you can stand it before you start overheating. It doesn't take very long at all, just a few minutes actually. So be extra aware and be kind to your pets. Leave them home in the air conditioning, sleeping peacefully on your couch!!
Most of my time this week has been spent doing prep work for some upcoming commissions I have and for an entry in the Michigan duck stamp contest. I have been gathering reference material, doing sketches, etc. and hope to start working on the actual paintings next week. I also hope to get a few paintings posted that will be for sale.
Since this is a holiday weekend we should stop to consider just what happiness is and count all of our blessings, especially that we live in a country with so much freedom! Happy 4th of July and please, God, bless this country!!

Puppy Love

I think I'm in love! I had the opportunity the other day to photograph this Golden Retriever puppy and I was smitten!! His name is Copper and he was the sweetest puppy! I'm a sucker for any puppy, but most especially the hunting breeds and this little guy stole my heart! He has the kind of personality that you just know he's going to grow up to be an extra special dog. A few days after I shot the pictures I heard that he was involved in an accident on an ATV and that they thought he wouldn't make it. My heart was breaking for his new family. I prayed extra hard that night for the family to not give up on him too soon and for God to please heal him quickly. By the next morning Copper was up and jumping around though still a little wobbly and he is expected to make a full recovery! Eventually, I will use Copper in some upcoming paintings I have planned featuring the hunting breeds, but for now I'm just happy he's alive and well!

Maggie

Good Morning! I thought I'd try and get another post in before my day got too busy. This is my current dog, Maggie, also a Chessie, in her favorite chair. I did this drawing because I liked the way the light was coming in on her and the folds of the fabric. Also, the look on her face kind of says, " This is MY chair so don't EVEN try to make me move!" She and my husband share this old recliner, but lately she ends up with it more than he does. It's not unusual for him to end up on the floor in front of the chair with Maggie licking his ears! She's such a spoiled dog, but I love her and don't know what I'd do without her. She is my constant companion. We hunt together, take long walks together and she helps me in the garden, usually picking her own veggies as we go. Her personality is totally different from Jake.... much more needy, much more loving, and totally self-centered. Can you tell?

Welcome to My Blog!

Hello world and welcome to my blog! Here you will find thoughts on my life, samples of my art and things that inspire me. I will try to be faithful to write often and keep you posted on what I'm working on.
This picture that I've posted is one I did recently of my dog Jake. He was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever that has been gone now for almost four years and I miss him terribly. He was one of those once in a life time dogs that came into my life and absolutely captured my heart. I could tell so many stories, but then we'd be here forever! I credit him with getting my pet portrait business rolling because he had a face and a personality that needed it's story told so I did my first painting of him several years ago. Someone saw it and wanted a painting of their dog and the rest is starting to be history. This painting tells a little bit about his life, but there is so much more.
Blessings until next time!