Catherine Temple - Artist

Snowy Owl Obsession, Part 2

2012-01-28T21:23:00.000-08:00

Anatone Flats Snowy Owl

I have an obsession.

A Snowy owl obsession.

Still!

Just when I thought I was cured by sighting one last month I took a drive back to the area where they were first located. I have been to this area numerous times lately and have always been skunked.....but not today. Today, the Creator of all things feathered smiled upon me and granted me not one more sighting, but two!

As I ventured out this morning I still held some vague hope that this would be the day to see another one, but had made up my mind to accept whatever came across my path and be satisfied. I drove to the same area and scanned the fields for this illusive bird and saw....horned larks, northern harriers, ravens, all moving rapidly by as the wind was howling across the flats. I spent some time watching a rough legged hawk hang motionless, head into the wind, a marvel of aerodynamics, but no snowy owls were visible.

I finally reached the designated cross roads where the owl had been seen and as I turned up the road my mind and eyes drifted off to the distant, snow covered Blue Mountains. Suddenly something large and white zoomed in front of my truck from right to left. Caught daydreaming, it took me a few seconds to register what it was. SNOWY OWL!!!

Photo by Catherine Temple

I slammed on the brakes and grabbed my camera and fired off a few shots as it drifted quickly across the field. I held my breath as I watched to see if it would land and when it did I wheeled my truck around and tried to maneuver for more photos. The owl and I played a game of tag for several minutes with me taking photos whenever I could. It led me in a wide circle and finally coming back to the start of our encounter, sailed over the field and out of sight. That's when I saw it....SNOWY OWL #2.

Photo by Catherine Temple

Sitting just up the road in the snow filled ditch was a second owl. It was tucked between some weeds and a rock and in the snow so it was nearly invisible. I crept the truck slowly forward and got out to take some photos again. It didn't stay long and rose into the wind and quickly zipped past me flying to a wood pile some two hundred yards into the middle of a field. Figuring my photo shoot was done I pulled the truck over to watch it for a few moments with my binos, but the show wasn't over yet. Like a feathered stealth fighter jet, owl #1 rocketed low across the field and attacked owl #2. I had seconds to see it coming and barely enough time to get the camera pointed on the action.


Snowy Showdown - photo by Catherine Temple

The showdown lasted only briefly and the reason for the attack is unknown, but it was spectacular to witness. I have posted more photos of the tussle on my Flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctemple/6778739205/in/photostream/.

After it was all over I decided it was time to leave these two white warriors to their hunting. The encounter was more than I had hoped for and for one more day has fed my obsession. But.....there's always tomorrow!

Sandhill Crane Sketches

2012-01-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have been having a great time lately, pursuing the many interesting birds that have been sighted near my home. So far this year I have already seen 45 different species, many of them within minutes of where I live. First there was the Snowy owl obsession, then there was a Gyr falcon (which I still haven't seen) and now there is a Sandhill crane visiting Swallows Park which is just a few blocks from me. While Sandhill cranes are not totally uncommon for Washington, they are rarely seen in Clarkston, so when this bird was first sighted you can bet I was on my way to the park with camera in hand to see it for myself.

So far this year this crane seems to be my good luck bird. I have been able to locate it most mornings when I go for my walk. It hangs out on a small island with a bunch of Canada geese and seems to come and go with them. I have been taking numerous photographs (thank God for digital!) and have begun making sketches of the various poses I've been able to capture with the intention of creating a painting at some point.

Sandhill Crane Watercolor Sketch

Whenever I see a new bird I try to do some research and learn more about it. Sandhill cranes are fascinating in many ways. I learned that they are an old species in that there are fossil records showing that they have not changed in millions of years. Their tertial feathers droop over their rump and form a sort of "bustle". The coolest thing about them is that they dance. They have an elaborate courtship display that includes bowing and leaping into the air. The bird at my park gave a bit of a demonstration one day to my surprise and delight. Though it wasn't displaying to a potential mate the "dance" was every bit as exciting to witness. It was being harassed by some gulls and began leaping into the air after them, fluffing out it's feathers and trying to make itself as threatening looking as possible. Interesting how many of the poses resembled those of their mating dance!

Many people are in love with this bird species and folks flock to Sandhill crane festivals around the country during times of migration to witness the spectacle of the cranes doing their mating dances. I'm hoping to find one near me this spring, but in the mean time I will enjoy the antics of the one in my park. If you'd like to see more of my Sandhill crane photos you can visit my Flickr site, www.flickr.com/photos/ctemple/.

Stella

2012-01-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

I recently had the opportunity to create this pet portrait for one of my repeat clients. It's not the usual pose for most portraits, but after reviewing photos and discussing the dogs personality we decided to go with this concept. This is one of Stella's favorite things to do...lay on her wall and look out over her domain. When Stella is gone this is what her owners will most remember about her, so while it doesn't show her loving face it does speak volumes about who she was and it will tug at their heart strings.

The portrait is a composite of several photos of the dog, the wall and the field in different seasons. One of the biggest challenges when working with several photos is trying to get the lighting right. Often times the photos are taken at different times of day or some on cloudy days and some in sunshine. The light may be coming from the left, right, straight on, overhead, etc. so it's important to blend them all so it doesn't appear the subject lives on a planet with more than one sun.

I painted Stella's portrait in acrylics on illustration board. The wall was one of the more enjoyable parts as I spattered paint with a toothbrush and applied some with a natural sponge to create the stone texture. Several warm and cool glazes or washes were applied over that to further bring out the texture though it's hard to see in the photo. Stella was also created in several layers and there are touches of lavender, blue and yellow in her coat to reflect her surroundings and give an otherwise plain black and white coat some punch.

Stella's portrait has been approved and is on it's way to Vermont to be given as a special birthday present. Pet portraits make unique and memorable gifts for all occasions. It is always a privilege to create something like this for my animal and pet loving clients. Perhaps you have a special occasion coming up and would like something out of the ordinary to give to that special someone. All it takes are some good photos and a little information and I can create that treasured gift for you. I'm always just an email away! You can contact me at ctemple99@gmail.com. I'll be waiting to hear from you!

Snowy Owl Obsession

2011-12-17T21:10:00.000-08:00


Photo courtesy of Keith Carlson

I currently have an obsession. It's a Snowy owl obsession. It started innocently enough when, about a month ago, reports starting filtering in from around the Northwest that a few birds had been seen. At first I didn't give it much thought other than that I thought it would be nice to see one someday, but I figured my chances were pretty slim. The obsession was starting to quietly take hold, though I didn't know it yet.

My interest was piqued when I started receiving information that the owls were being seen all across the northern states this winter. It seems we are in the midst of a Snowy owl invasion or "irruption" in birder terms. This happens sometimes when food sources change for a species and it moves out of it's normal range (in this case Canada and the Arctic) looking for something to eat. Sometimes it's a territory thing and there are too many birds in one area so they move. Whatever the reason, this year all across the country the northern states are sighting this rare, Arctic visitor in large numbers. Perhaps, I wondered, one might come as far as my area?

A few days later I checked my emails and a snowy owl HAD been sighted in my area within a short driving distance from my home! Suddenly my heart skipped a beat! I ran from my computer to find my husband and excitedly told him one had been seen near here. He was so calm and just said, "I suppose you'll have to go look for it." Well......yeah!!

The only problem was that I couldn't just run off looking like I normally do. I had other obligations.

The days ticked by before I had an opportunity to go looking and when I did I couldn't locate the bird. As other sightings came in I took every opportunity I could to follow up on the reports.....getting up before dawn to try to find one before going to work, driving miles around the countryside on my days off, but the birds were never there when I was. The illusive Snowy owl was only seen in my dreams swooping through like a phantom.


Snowy owl watercolor sketch

I became possessed by visions of large, white birds and I was beginning to think I would never see one before they moved back to their Arctic home.

Then one day last week my bird watching friend, Keith, took pity on me and called to tell me that another bird had been located and was regularly coming to the area around Mann Lake. If I met him there he'd help me find it. The morning we went out was cold and gray and light snow was falling. I tried not to get my hopes up just in case it didn't show, but shortly after I arrived at the designated spot another birder friend, Larry, showed up and told me my owl was about a half mile up the road. I raced over there like a crazy woman hoping the bird would not leave before I arrived. As I stepped out of the car I saw it. After almost two weeks of searching, the bird of my dreams was calmly perched on a small shed looking for it's breakfast. It was magnificent!


Catherine's Snowy Owl

We spent almost two hours admiring this bird from a fairly close distance. It was as beautiful as I hoped it would be and I couldn't have been more excited. I felt so privileged to be in it's presence, standing there with my friends on a snowy day. It couldn't have been more perfect!

Morning Sketches

2011-11-20T14:47:00.001-08:00

Sometimes life gets pretty crazy and starts to get in the way of our best intentions. It seems to be that way for me lately. Usually when that happens time for art starts to suffer, especially if I have no commissions or deadlines to keep me on task. I get lazy or tired or just feel uncreative. If I let it go for too long I get a little grumpy and need to give myself a jump start or try doing something different to get the creative juices flowing again. Enter Morning Sketches!

My usual morning routine includes some quiet time sitting with my cup of coffee and a journal where I let my thoughts run amok on the pages. I usually keep the lights quite low, just bright enough to write by and ease into my morning gently. To me it's a good way to start the day. Then as the morning light gets brighter I get myself up for my walks with my dog, Maggie. But lately, I've been waking up earlier than usual and when I'm done writing it's still fairly dark and I'm not excited about walking around outside when there's little light to see anything by. So last week during my writing time a new idea revealed itself. Why not use this extra time to squeeze in some sketching? I grabbed a sketchbook, pencil and a few photos and curled up on the couch again. In a short while I had made a few quick sketches and began to feel like a kid again. (As a child I would often wake up before anyone else and lay on my bed and draw until the rest of my family would get up.) I enjoyed this little exercise so much I'm considering making it a regular part of my morning routine. It's a good way to keep me in practice and happy until I can get back to my art on a more regular basis.

The Mystery of the Golden-Plover

2011-09-18T17:00:00.000-07:00


Golden-Plover sketch A few weeks ago, on August 20, 2011, I joined a group of birdwatchers at Mann Lake in Lewiston, Idaho. We were there to see any birds we could, but in particular we were looking for shorebirds that might be migrating through the area. We had had an unusually wet spring and the reservoir was still fairly full so not much shoreline was exposed. On the little mudflat that was there we found killdeer, lesser yellowlegs, a California gull and a variety of waterfowl. We had decided to move to another location when our guide for the day spotted an unusual looking bird landing on the beach below us. It was an impressive looking bird sporting striking black, white and gold plumage. I was curious as to what our new arrival might be and joined with the others cautiously making our way down for a closer look. The bird patiently waited for us all to assemble with spotting scopes, cameras and binoculars and posed for a few photographs before flying off. Our guide said it was a Golden-Plover though wasn't sure if it was of the Pacific or American species. We would have to consult our photos and field guides to determine that. At home later that day I sat down with my photos and field guides and determined (to my mind) that this was a male Pacific Golden-Plover. I then decided to report my sighting on eBird an online global birdwatchers database sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The website said that this was a rare bird for our area, which was exciting, but I didn't give it much more thought. Little did I know that somewhere in birdwatcher cyberspace I had set off alarms, bells and whistles because the next thing I know I'm receiving excited emails from folks who monitor this sort of thing. Did I get photos? Can I give a detailed description? Can I verify my sighting some way? Was I sure I saw what I think I saw? Suddenly, I was feeling very exposed and not so sure that reporting my sighting had been such a good idea. Apparently, Pacific Golden-Plovers are a rare visitor to our area. There has been only one other reported sighting and that quite some time ago. To confuse matters more Pacific and American golden-plovers have very similar plumage making identification difficult. Emails and photos were sent, experts were consulted. Then another bird was sighted. Was this the same bird or a different one? Male or female? And really, neither golden-plover species was very common here. What had appeared to be a straightforward i.d. suddenly had become a great mystery and puzzle to be solved. It has been almost a month now since I reported that crazy bird. The debate is still going on. Last I heard the consensus was it's a female American golden-plover, but I think we will never know for sure. While high powered spotting scopes, expensive cameras and binoculars are wonderful aides in helping us identify illusive birds they are no substitute for a bird in hand, but that is no longer legal like it was in Audubon's day. The best we can rely on is still not good enough so we are left wondering. In my mind the mystery is solved. I tend to go with first impressions and my impression was that I saw a male, Pacific golden-plover. Do I wish it were that because then I could say I've seen a rare bird? No, I don't think so because the American golden-plover is also uncommon here. I just believe what I believe.

"Maneuvers" - Nighthawks in Acrylic

2011-08-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

A year ago at this time I had an opportunity to experience a spectacular natural event. It was a warm summer evening and the sun was starting to settle on the western horizon. Clouds were starting to build and thunderstorms were predicted. The low angle of the sun was tinging those clouds with subtle shades of orange and pink. A swarm of flying insects was starting to rise and the scene was set.

At first there was just one or two, but soon others were joining in. What drew my attention was their call high over head - a nasal, kind of screechy "PEENT"! The nighthawks had arrived! Circling over the neighborhood was a large flock of migrating nighthawks. The insect banquet had brought them in and brought them close. I ran for my camera and for the next hour I tried to capture photos of their aerial ballet. Birds were wheeling, turning and careening through the sky from all directions. It was dizzying to watch and down right difficult to photograph. Nighthawks are fast and able to change directions dramatically. What I didn't know was just how maneuverable they were. It wasn't until I started to look at the images I had recorded that I realized they were capable of flying sideways and even rolling upside down in an effort to capture their tiny prey. Like a well choreographed dance they raced through the sky somehow managing to avoid trees, power lines and each other in their feeding frenzy.

I watched until the light faded and it got too dark to photograph them any more. My neck was stiff and my head swimming from trying to turn in circles fast enough to keep up with the wildly flying birds, but I had captured some interesting poses. My heart was pounding with excitement for what I had seen and I was immediately inspired to create a painting to record the feeling of that evening, the building thunderstorm, and the cartwheeling birds. I made a sketch that night and the title came quickly to my mind......
"Maneuvers".

It's obviously taken me some time to create the final painting. I was in the midst of some commissions at the time and couldn't get right to it. Then the sketch got put aside and shuffled around and eventually life got busy and I forgot about it until a few weeks ago when it was just one of those summer evenings and I heard that familiar sound. It was time for "Maneuvers" to come to life again!

"Maneuvers" is painted in acrylic and measures 14" x 18". It will be for sale and inquiries can come to me at ctemple99@gmail.com.

My Morning Walk

2011-06-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

Bullock's Oriole - male

This morning I went for a walk in one of my favorite habitat areas, Chief Timothy HMU. It is a long narrow strip of land that runs west of Clarkston, WA. between Highway 12 and the Snake River. It's not a large area, just under one acre, but has three access areas and each offers slightly different habitat. This morning I decided to walk the eastern end of the area. I haven't been to this area of the habitat for awhile usually avoiding it all together this time of year because it is often occupied by lots of ticks. However, I was bored with my other walking areas so I decided to be brave and give it a try. I'm so glad I did!! It was like walking in a whole new place! There were so many interesting birds flitting about like this beautiful Bullock's Oriole who was kind enough to pose so nicely for a photograph. I also saw eastern kingbirds, lesser goldfinch, caspian terns, American kestral, cedar waxwings and an illusive yellow breasted chat flew right across in front of me and peered at me from the middle of a willow thicket.

What most impressed me this morning was the diversity of plant life. I was amazed at all the many shapes, sizes and colors that I had not noticed there in past years.

Milkweed

I'm going to venture a guess as to the reasons for this. A few years ago a fire burned through the area. As devastating as fires can be some plants need this in order to release seeds or for seeds to germinate. Then we've had a much cooler, wetter spring than normal and I believe the combination of the two has contributed to the amount of growth I observed today.

Teasel

I thought the teasel was especially striking and almost other worldly looking. The flower head was just forming and was a lovely green color, almost delicate looking in spite of the formidable spikes that surround it. Right now all of it is still pliable. In a few more weeks this flower will turn a beautiful shade of lavender before eventually drying out completely in the fall and becoming very prickly to the touch.

All in all it was a wonderful walk and I came home inspired and amazed yet again at God's creativity! I hope wherever you are today you can get out and be amazed, too, at the unbelievable world we live in!

New Hope in Dirt

2011-04-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

I like this time of year. As the days start to get longer and the weather starts to warm I can't help myself and I must get out and play in the dirt. There's something about the smell of freshly turned warm earth, the feel of it sifting through my fingers, the hope of new beginnings that it brings. It's soothing to me. It rejuvenates my spirit. Digging around removing weeds, preparing the ground for new growth is like therapy. It reminds me that my life often needs the same things the earth does to be productive. I need to remove what's unnecessary and create fertile soil for new ideas to grow.

Sometimes when I'm digging around my mind works on things that are bothering me or problems I can't seem to find a solution to. Often times my mind just wanders and my focus shifts from the many distractions in my life to smaller things like the interesting shape of a flower just before it blooms, or the many segments of a fat earthworm and how it moves through the soil and knows how to get away from me without any eyes. Sometimes my heart hears the voice of my Creator telling me how special I am and how I might fit into his amazingly designed world.

Digging in the dirt, planting my garden is an act of faith. I put a seed in the ground. The sun warms it, the rain moistens it, the nutrients in the earth nourish it and I believe it will sprout and grow into something beautiful and wondrous without much help from me. Sometimes it's hard to have that faith when it's been some time and you still haven't seen a sprout, but eventually the miracle happens and one day....there it is!!

Digging in the dirt teaches me about life and faith. It reminds me how connected everything is. It reminds me of miracles and how things that we hope for happen in their own time. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the beauty around me. And even after a long hard day of digging, weeding and planting I am always filled with a sense of peace and that all is right with the world.

I hope wherever you are you can get out and enjoy a renewing of your spirit by connecting with something living and wondrous that the Creator has made especially for you. If you find it digging in the dirt so much the better, but you may just find it in the unique design of a flower that by some miracle we don't understand and with no help from you, came up all on it's own to reveal it's beauty to the world and offer us hope.

Pudelpointer Montage in Acrylic

2011-04-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

While pondering my next painting today I realized that I had neglected to post my last commissioned piece of another Pudelpointer. So here it is!

This painting represents what I call my "past to present" style of portrait which features the same animal from puppy to adult dog. In this case, three stages of Tukr's life are included as well as background from a favorite hunting spot and some of the chukar that he hunts. This was a fairly large and involved painting, 16" x 20" and is painted in acrylic.

My client owns Cedarwood Kennels in Boise, Id. and is the breeder of this wonderful dog and many great pudelpointers like him. If you are interested in this unique, versatile hunting breed I suggest you contact them and they will be happy to answer all your questions. Their website is www.cedarwoodgundogs.com.

I have been thinking of trying this style of painting called a "montage" on some of my wildlife and bird subjects. I would like the painting to tell a story or educate the viewer about that animal and by depicting different poses or perhaps including their nests or eggs it would give a more complete picture than just a single pose. I'm still toying with this idea, but when I'm ready to paint it you'll be the first to see it here.

If you have a beloved pet or a favorite animal or bird that you would like a portrait of I would be honored to create one for you or for someone special in your life. They make exceptional gifts! Just shoot me off an email and we can discuss getting started! You can contact me at ctemple99@gmail.com. To see other portraits I've done you can view my two websites....www.catherinetemple.com and www.petportraitsbycatherine.com. I hope to hear from you soon!

Bird Sketches

2011-04-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been rainy and dreary and my attitude seems to be matching the weather. Not feeling particularly inspired about what to paint next since finishing my commissions, I decided the best thing to do was just put a pencil on paper and sketch something. While I normally find the process of drawing and painting very engrossing, this time I also felt it to be very therapeutic and centering. As I sketched away my mood lifted and the things that seemed to be troubling me disappeared at least for a time. Sitting and doing this also allowed my mind to wander back to my childhood. Whenever I was worried or upset or just annoyed with my sisters I would seek out a quiet place in the fields around my house and hide in the tall grass or bushes and draw pictures of the wildlife I saw. It always made me feel better and I realized that I still do the same things now. Whenever I feel like I just can't cope with reality I run off to nature and try to find peace. Since the weather was so nasty I ran off to my studio and sketched, but the end result was almost as good!

I started off sketching from some photos that I had taken of birds, but then I decided to check in on a live web cam that I have been watching that's on an eagles nest in Iowa. It was a great opportunity to sketch something alive and moving and something that I ordinarily would not have much chance of seeing unless I found a nest and climbed a tree. Two of the three eggs in the nest have hatched so there are baby eaglets to sketch as well. Most of the time one of the adult eagles is sitting on the nest and there's not much activity, but even still the bird moves it's head around continually so you have to be quick to finish a pose. Then when it's feeding time everyone in the nest is moving, but sketching like that is excellent practice. It teaches great hand-eye coordination and you really have to pay attention to what you're seeing to get it right.

If anyone is interested in viewing the link to the site is http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles#utm_campaigne=synclickback&source=http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/decorah_eagle_xcel.html&medium=3064708.

I have done some checking and have found there are other live web cams out there to view so perhaps I will spend a little more time getting an intimate look at nature from the comfort of my studio. This, of course, will never be as good as getting out into nature itself and I try to do that daily and encourage others to do the same. While computers are great for a lot of things they are not a substitute for fresh air and sunshine and physically connecting with our environment. We need more of that. Go do some therapy!!!!

Springtime Golfinch

2011-04-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

Spring is definitely in the air in the valley where I live! Today was mostly sunny and about 70 degrees, but tomorrow we will go back to April showers. That's the way it is with spring. That's also why we sometimes need bright yellow birds to remind us of sunny days ahead when life starts to rain on our parade.

American goldfinch frequent my yard all year round, but during the fall and winter they are in disguise. During that time of year they molt into a drab olive and brown color. Then when spring starts to roll around again they change back into the familiar bright yellow of the males and a lovely, subtle gray green for the females. Right now the ones in my yard are somewhere in between and are kind of scruffy looking, but soon they will look just like the ones in this painting.

I created this little acrylic painting for a very special sister of mine. These are some of her favorite birds and they remind me a lot of her. They are kind of clownish at times hanging from sock feeders and flowers while foraging for seeds. She's kind of clownish, too, though I've never seen her hanging upside down anywhere lately. But she does have a quirky sense of humor and can make me laugh hysterically about the silliest things when we have one of our off the wall conversations. She can definitely brighten up a day just like these beautiful birds!

This painting already has a home, but I have created an ACEO that is available through my Etsy shop.....www.ctempleart.etsy.com. You can purchase this and many others there that would make a nice springtime gift for yourself or a friend.

Happy Spring!

Another Red Fox

2011-03-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

I seem to be stuck on foxes these days! By coincidence, karma, good luck or just a unique blessing from God, I have had an opportunity to see and photograph my very own "foxy" friend.

The last two mornings while on my walk in a habitat area near my home I have been treated with a glimpse of this red fox. Yesterday, I saw it ever so briefly as it crossed the road and disappeared into some rocks. This morning it seemed to be playing a game of hide and seek with me. I was actually surprised to see it there again, but this time it stopped long enough to get a good look at it through my binos AND snap two photos before it trotted off. A few moments later I saw it again sitting on a rocky outcropping back lit by the morning sun looking like it was just waiting for me to see it posed that way. Beautiful! As soon as I spotted it, off it trotted again beckoning me to follow. Of course, I did, but it had slipped into some rocks again and I lost it.

Siting this fox was a first for me. I have seen them in captivity, studied them through taxidermy mounts, and most recently through the photos of my friend and client, Nancy Sattler. I have never had the opportunity to see one in the wild. This was exciting and even more so because I have just finished these two red fox paintings. And because this one appeared to be as curious about me as I was about him/her.

I hope I get a chance to see this one again. The images that it presented me with this morning certainly give me ideas for yet another fox painting. It made my morning to see it there in the early sunrise. Perhaps it will make your day as well. Enjoy!

Winter Red - Fox in Acrylic

2011-03-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Finally! It seems like it's been forever since I've posted though I guess it's only been a few weeks. I have been waiting because my camera has been in for repairs and I couldn't photograph any of my artwork or anything else for that matter! I felt like I lost an appendage while I was without it. That camera goes almost everywhere with me so I can record not only the art I create, but the reference material to create it. And while I could have gone into debt to buy the camera of my dreams to replace it, I chose instead to fix this one first then save for the next one. Probably a much wiser choice in the long run.

I learned a few things while I was waiting for my trusty camera to return. One was patience....which I didn't learn very well (it's an ongoing process!). The other very valuable thing I learned was the art of observing and sketching from nature. Now, you would think that, as an artist, I already knew these things and had them down. Well, I thought so, too, but then my camera croaked and I suddenly discovered I had actually gotten a little lazy and was relying on technology way too much. Being without this item forced me to go back to basics, take my sketch book out with me and try to record what I saw by drawing it on location. WOW! What a concept!

This turned out to be a very valuable, if not challenging lesson. And it also was very freeing. I felt like a kid again, wandering around the fields where I grew up, sitting and really looking at an object, studying it and with my little sketch book recording what I saw.

It's definitely a challenge when you're trying to sketch an illusive screech owl hiding in a nest box while looking through binoculars (without your glasses because you can't see through the binos with them) then trying to put the glasses back on so you can see through your bifocals to draw, while kneeling down to balance your sketch book and fighting off a wet dog who thinks it's time to play because you're on her level! Not stuff I had to deal with while recording the owl with my camera, BUT a lot more fun and makes a good story! Amazingly, I was able to do two VERY quick sketches and recorded the moment with more feeling than the camera ever could capture because the pencil strokes were more "expressive" than a digital image. They were MY pencil strokes made with excitement!

So what does all this have to do with this latest painting? Nothing really, it just shows that no matter how good you think you are or how far you've come there's always room for improvement and that it's good to be reminded of the things that are important. Simple, basic things that make us slow down and look at the world a little closer and help us to connect on a more personal level. Humbling.

Hope you enjoy this little guy. I had great fun creating all the texture in his fur and capturing that intense look in his eyes. The painting is 8" x 10" done in acrylic and will be for sale. Inquiries can come to me at ctemple99@gmail.com

Red fox in Acrylic

2011-02-22T15:33:00.001-08:00

I'm a little behind on my posting and already thinking I'm not going to accomplish my goal of two new paintings a month, but there seems to have been a lot going on lately, though just what it's been that's taken so much time I'm not quite sure. Ever have that happen? You just get so caught up in the small stuff.....

I have been working on this fox painting on and off for the last few weeks and finally got him finished. This painting was a commissioned piece for a past client. She provided me with lots of photos of this fox that she has named Charlie.

Charlie is a wild fox that has become accustomed to humans. She met him one spring when she discovered the den on her cabin property. He was the bravest and most curious of the kits so she was able to get quite close and has been documenting his growth since that time. Charlie will come when you whistle for him and she leaves eggs out for him to find. Recently he has shown up with another fox that they believe is a female so perhaps they will raise a family there this spring.

This painting features Charlie in a classic fox pose. Their coats in winter are lush and thick and that gorgeous tail makes an excellent foot warmer. I loved painting the detail of that red fur flecked with little bits of fallen snow.

This is just the first of many paintings I plan to do of this fox. My client has provided me with several photos of him from kit to adult and has given me permission to use them in future paintings. I have two ideas in mind already and will just need to keep that darned small stuff from getting in the way of my progress!!!!

Downy Woodpecker in Watercolor

2011-01-28T16:56:00.001-08:00

My second painting for the month of January is a little downy woodpecker painted in watercolor and gouache. This one would be a male which you can tell by the small spot of red on the back of his head. In doing my research I discovered that the reason they are called "downy" woodpeckers comes from the fact that they have a small tuft of feathers at the base of their bill. Hairy woodpeckers look very similar except they are larger with a longer bill. They also have a tuft of feathers at the base of their bill, but they get to be "hairy" instead of just "downy". Kind of makes you wonder how they come up with some of these names, doesn't it?

Anyway, I saw several of these little woodpeckers flitting around from tree to tree and they were calling. I actually heard them first and since it was an unfamiliar sound I listened closely to locate the bird making the noise. I was surprised that it was coming from the downy as I have never heard them make any noise before except the familiar "tap-tap-tap" as they work along a tree looking for insects. I was also surprised by the fact that I saw three of them working on tree trunks near each other. I've normally only seen one at a time and these seemed to be following each other around. I recall reading that downy woodpeckers may mate for life and locate their mates by tapping on the trees as early as January so perhaps that's what I was witnessing and maybe it's an indicator that spring isn't too far off!

I created this painting for a special lady in my life.... my mother in law. She has been a great supporter of my art and also shares my love of nature, gardening and birds. My husband shared with me that she always liked seeing the little woodpeckers come to their feeders when they were kids and because her birthday is coming up this was a no-brainer.

Though the original is gone, if you love downy woodpeckers an art card/ACEO is available through my Etsy store at ctempleart.etsy.com. Take a look and see what else is new!

Barn Owl in Acrylic

2011-01-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, my husband and I took an early morning walk to a nearby habitat area. I wanted to show him something I had discovered there which I believed to be owl pellets (those are the undigested parts like fur and bones that the owls regurgitate.) I was hoping to discover the bird that had left these behind . While I was pondering the type of owl it might be, there was a commotion above us and something shot out of the tops of the evergreens and careened into a nearby tree. Landing off balance with wings askew and a bewildered look about him was this barn owl.

Now a barn owl was not one of the choices that came to mind when I was thinking owls. I expected a screech owl, great horned owl or perhaps a saw whet owl, but not this one. I was quite surprised to see him. And I'm pretty sure we disturbed his slumber so I'm betting he was just as surprised to see us, too.

Eventually, he composed himself and looked around to figure out what had happened, but he either decided we weren't a threat or was too dazed to fly off because he sat there while I snapped numerous photos.

When I returned home and viewed the photos, I was struck by the subtle beauty of this bird. Dressed in shades of brown, black and white he was nearly camouflaged in the tree where he landed. I was drawn to those soft shades and thought it would make a striking picture of him in the bare tree against a winter background.

This painting is the first for 2011. It was done in acrylic in a more contemporary format measuring 10" x 10" and will be listed for sale in a few weeks. Inquiries may come to me at ctemple99@gmail.com.

Cooper's Hawk Study in pencil and acrylic

2010-12-31T16:07:00.001-08:00

In keeping with my recent postings about the birds that I have been observing lately, I thought it might be appropriate to post a recent study drawing that I did featuring a Cooper's hawk. These poses were taken from the photos I took of the bird that has been visiting my yard and making a meal of some of the smaller birds at my feeders. While this might seem a bit gruesome it has really given me a great opportunity to see this hawk much closer than I normally would be able to and I have observed some hunting behavior that is very interesting. I have observed both this bird and a sharp shinned hawk do more than just swoop in for the kill. I have seen them both actively pursue the smaller birds that are trying to hide in the shrubs by diving in after them or even shaking branches and vines with their talons to scare the little birds out. It's quite the drama to watch. I'm not sure who I'm hoping will come out the winner...the little, terrified birds or the determined hawk. Hey, they both gotta eat!!

This piece was done in pencil with light acrylic washes. I decided to do just a study sketch for now because I wanted to capture the different attitudes and poses that I've seen this bird in and to focus on the intense look they have with their glaring reddish colored eyes. Without meaning to make this bird out to be the bad guy, that red eye makes them look quite ferocious. The heavy eyebrow above that eye makes them look like they are one mean bird! I think they are just awesome!! The study serves to remind me of their powerful beauty.

I just realized that this is my last painting for 2010. In a few hours it will be a brand new year with new goals and new challenges. Is anyone making new years resolutions? I'm going to go out on a limb here and publicly posting one of mine. Maybe it will give me more incentive to reach it.

In 2011 my main goal is to paint 20 - 25 new paintings with birds or wildlife as the main subject. That would be roughly two paintings a month depending on the size. Reaching this goal will then put me in a better position to reach a few other goals...one being to participate in a large wildlife art show/sale and the other to start searching for gallery representation. Both of these goals require a good body of work to show and sell.

Well, now you know what I'll be doing for the next 12 months. What about you?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Sharp shinned hawk

2010-12-19T16:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have to admit it. I have been bitten by the birding bug badly lately. (say that fast three times!) For some reason I just can't get enough bird watching in. A lot of my free time has been spent perusing bird watcher blogs, websites and chats about bird sitings in my area. When I locate something interesting off I go with camera, binos, sketch pad and bird id books to find my current prey. I'm afraid I could be becoming obsessed! But what fun!!

Today I didn't even have to leave the house to find something interesting. First thing this morning this sharp shinned hawk came in looking for it's breakfast. Like the cooper's hawk which it resembles it was intently watching the rose bush and the tomato vines for signs of movement from hiding birds. It was very determined to get a meal and as I watched it first dove into the rose bush to snatch whomever it could. When it came up empty it flew to the tomato vines. I was in awe when I saw it fly down, grab the vines in it's talons and beat and shake the vines with it's wings until the terrified sparrows popped out. Then the chase was on! I saw all this, but missed the actual capture of it's prey. Both sparrow and hawk had flown out of my line of sight and I had assumed it had missed it's meal, but when I went out later I found the telltale pile of feathers that told the rest of the story. I was actually bummed about missing that part, gruesome as that may seem. I get to watch the song birds feeding all the time at my feeders or in my yard in the summer, but rarely do I get to see the birds of prey doing the same thing. Seems a bit unfair.

I guess now I have to start making some time to turn all these observations and photos into art. I have been doing some sketches with ideas, but seem content lately to just leave it at that. The time will come though when the story needs to be told in paint. Of course, when that happens, you'll see it here.

Cloud Phantoms - Tundra Swans

2010-11-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

It is amazing what the sound of hundreds of migrating Tundra swans can do to my soul...or the sound of just one. Early Wednesday morning I caught the sound of one small flock migrating high overhead, their white forms floating against a steely gray sky. My heart jumped, pulse quickened, excitement rose! They were back! What had started out as a cold, rainy, dark day suddenly seemed full of wonder and promise!

Ever since I first heard the sound and witnessed the sight of them flying overhead several years ago, I have been enchanted by "cloud phantoms" with melodious barking voices. They seem magical and other worldly to me. They always seem to migrate through on days that are dark and overcast or during the night when their calls sound eerie in the darkness and their forms float by spirit-like overhead.

I found them later in the day resting at Mann Lake, a small reservoir, near my home. There were several crazed bird watchers like me in attendance with spotting scopes, binoculars and cameras with powerful telephoto lenses, all of us excitedly chatting about the nearly 1000 swans that had graced us with their presence during the night. I took at least 100 photos to record the event and for reference in future paintings. Eventually, I had to tear myself away and head home.

I had hoped to see the swans one more time, but when I visited the reservoir this morning all, but four, were gone. What a great blessing it was to see them though! I am mulling around some ideas for paintings now, but I'm not sure I will ever be able to capture how I feel when I see them flying. That may be something held in my heart, a gift from God just for me. I will try, of course, but until you stand shivering under a steely gray sky, listening for their cries, straining your eyes to see them float down from the heavens, you will never truly understand their magic.

Cooper's Hawk for Breakfast

2010-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

I love watching birds! I have been a bird watcher from the time I was a little girl sitting contentedly on my grandparents porch peering into a bush and watching in utter fascination a pair of song sparrows feeding their young. I spent hours out their studying them closely, making drawings and notes of everything they did. ( Oh, how I wish I still had that first notebook!) I have never outgrown that fascination and as an adult I make an effort to attract as many birds to my yard as I can by growing plants they love to eat and use for cover, putting out feeders and providing water. I have been pretty successful in attracting hummingbirds, doves, gold finches, lesser gold finches, and many others that migrate through. I always have birds in my yard of some kind looking for a free and easy meal. My politically incorrect husband lovingly calls them my "welfare" birds.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to leave for work, I took one last glance out the patio door at all my feathered friends madly feasting away. I picked up my keys and looked again only this time I saw only one bird...a very LARGE bird...one with very sharp talons, a hooked beak and a fearsome gaze! A Cooper's hawk had just swooped into my yard hoping to get breakfast, too. Only he was not interested in seeds. He was hoping for a nice fat sparrow!

I ran for my camera and as I watched this awesome bird of prey eying all the places the smaller birds had hidden, I realized he had a place in my yard, too. Some people get quite upset when a hawk swoops in and makes a meal out of one of their song birds, but I love to see the predator birds. By providing a food source for the smaller birds I am also providing a food source for the birds that prey on them, giving me an opportunity to study those birds up close and from the comfort of my own home.

In a short while the Cooper's flew off, but not until he had hopped down from his perch and peered closely into the tomato plant where the little birds often hide. I thought his behavior was interesting especially since I had just read an article in Bird Watcher's Digest the evening before describing similar behavior. I found it even more interesting that I had read the article, and had just that morning given thought to whether I would see any Coopers in my yard this fall and, amazingly, there he was! It was a great article and if you're interested in birds I'd recommend getting a copy for yourself.

Birds of prey are not bad birds, it's just how they were created and if you take the time to study one you'll find they are well equipped to be what they are. Exceptional eyesight and swift maneuverability make them superb hunters. Strong feet, sharp talons and hooked beaks are the utensils they use to eat with, specialized to what they eat, just like hummingbirds have long bills and tongues because they sip nectar. Try to remember that if the thought of birds of prey bothers you any. They are a part of nature just like the pretty birds. In some ways I like them better because of the awesome power they seem to exude.

McKenzie and Finley - Yellow Lab Portrait

2010-11-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

Late this summer I had the privilege of meeting a very nice couple from Kansas who were visiting a past client and friend. They had seen a portrait I had done some years back of their dog, Hannah, and were impressed enough to want to take some time out from their holiday to meet me. The couple was wonderful and the lady got quite excited looking at my portfolio and envisioning their pets in a portrait. I gave them all the information about photos I would need, prices, etc. and they said they would get back to me when they returned home. A few months later I got an email from the husband who wanted to secretly get a portrait done of their two yellow labs, Mackenzie and Finley, for his wife's birthday. ( I love all this secret stuff!) After exchanging several emails to decide on the poses we came up with this portrait.

This painting was done in acrylic, but I also added a little bit of gouache for the finest details as I find it flows better off the brush and is very opaque. Any place that I wanted to add a brighter highlight or to accent individual hairs like the whiskers I painted with gouache. The nice thing about using water media is that they are interchangeable and can easily be used together. It was also great fun to paint the shadows in their coats as I could use colors like soft blues and lavenders.

I have a few weeks to wait now until my clients wife opens her birthday present, but I have been told a phone call telling me how well she liked it won't be necessary. I should be able to hear her screaming excitedly all the way from Kansas!!

Sunrise Sentinel - Great Blue Heron

2010-10-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

It has certainly been awhile since I last posted. I had great intentions of creating several new paintings, but life intervened when my father unexpectedly passed away the first part of September and I flew off to Illinois to be with my family and to say good-bye. It has been an interesting journey these last several weeks and I have gone through a whole range of emotions as people do when they lose someone close to them and struggle to get on with life knowing that there is now someone missing out of it that they will never see again.

It has been hard for me to get back to painting, but commissions were waiting and I knew it's what he would want me to do. He enjoyed hearing about my artwork and had kept a file of the email images I sent him of my most recent works, especially the wildlife art. He was an avid outdoorsman and my interest in art, nature and birds are my legacy from him. So I picked up my paints again and this was the image I chose to paint.

I saw this great blue heron one cold, November morning as I walked along the river near my home. The sun was just coming up and he stood facing it as the first rays warmed him. The early morning light illuminated his feathers and he seemed to glow. I knew immediately that this would be a painting some day and the name came just as quickly..."Sunrise Sentinel". I've been waiting to paint it for quite some time and for some reason it seemed appropriate to do now.

I'd like to think this painting has something to do with my father, but I'm not sure if there's special meaning here or not. Certainly, my father loved the water and loved birds of all kinds. And I know he spent a fair number of mornings watching the sunrise over the lake he lived on in Kentucky. I'm sure he would have loved this painting, though the herons often gave him fits when they came in to his koi ponds looking for an easy meal.

Perhaps this painting is more about me than him at this time. I seemed drawn to it for it's peaceful, contemplative quality. The heron seems to be paused at a moment in time, quietly watching. And that's how I've felt lately..."paused". I have spent many hours reflecting on past memories and pondering what the future may hold and how this event, the passing of my dad, affects my life from here on. I suppose, at times like this, it is natural and normal to reflect on the briefness of ones' life and what you would like to do with the time you are given. It certainly has affected me this way. I'm sure that will translate to my art in some way, but I'm not sure what that will look like just yet. I guess you'll know when I know as I'm sure I'll share it here.

Perhaps we should all be like this heron today...pause for a moment and reflect on our blessings, our loved ones, our life and remember how brief our time together is. I leave you with blessings and peace.

Rufous and Trumpet Vine - Acrylic painting

2010-08-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

"Rufous and Trumpet Vine" is now officially finished! After collecting more reference material of the trumpet vine I chose another small clump of flowers and added it into the lower right hand corner. I painted it slightly softer and less distinct than the larger clump to help it recede a bit into the background giving the composition a little more depth. I also tweaked the background color slightly adding a little more blue and brightening it up a bit behind the hummingbird to make him stand out just a little more.

The painting is 8" x 10" painted on an Ampersand gesso panel in acrylic. It is available for sale in my Etsy store...www.ctempleart.etsy.com. Just click on the link and it will take you right to him. You will also find other nature inspired paintings there sure to please any bird watcher or nature lover. Dog lovers will find something there, too.

I'm not sure what my next painting will be...bird, beast or dog. My thoughts right now are tuned in to getting a portfolio together to submit to the Western Art Association for their Ellensburg show next May of which I'd love to be a part of. But I am sifting through current reference and my walks every day always bring additional inspiration.

As always, thanks for looking and be blessed today by the natural treasures this earth holds!

Work in Progress - Hummingbird and Trumpet Vine

2010-08-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I started a new acrylic painting of a rufous hummingbird perched in a trumpet vine. I really liked the combination of oranges and greens in the flowers and the bird and the way the dappled sunlight illuminated everything and made it glow. I chose to keep the background very vague so that as I add detail it should create a lot of depth to the painting. With the background finished I transferred my drawing and got started.
In this next stage I have just blocked in the basic colors and shapes. It's very rough, but it gives me an idea of how things will really look and I will make adjustments as I paint.

Now things are really starting to take shape! I have completed the flowers and leaves building them up gradually. The leaves in the lower right corner were bothering me so at this point I have painted them out. One of the nice things about acrylic is that you can make lots of changes and adjustments as you go because they dry so quickly. In a matter of minutes I could paint new leaves back in if I wanted, but for now I'm leaving them out until I decide what I want to do with that corner. In my reference sketch it looked okay, but somehow it didn't when I started to paint it.

The male Rufous hummingbird is now pretty much complete. I can see there will be a few adjustments on him, but not too many. I love the way the sun catches the metallic iridescence on his gorget and that's what drew me to paint him as he zipped around my yard guarding the feeders. Now the painting is in what I call my "sit and look" stage. I have completed the main components, but I'm still not happy with that lower right corner. It seems to need something....perhaps more flowers or leaves going in a different direction. I will be going through my trumpet vine reference again for additional inspiration and if need be will head out to take more reference photos. What I'm thinking at this point is that it may need one more small clump of flowers. Three spots of orange may make it more balanced.

Guess it's time to head back to the studio and see what other ideas I can come up with. Check back soon and see what happens!

Rocky Bluff Chipmunk in Watercolor

2010-08-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

From photos and sketches to finished painting, here again is the little chipmunk from my camping trip. I had so many poses to choose from, but I particularly liked this one of her in the sunlight on an old stump. This painting is done in watercolor and gouache, but I may attempt another in acrylic in a few days. I just got a DVD on some new acrylic painting techniques and since she is so fresh in my mind and just so darn cute I may practice the techniques with another painting.

"Rocky Bluff Chipmunk" is for sale to the first person asking nice and can be found in my Etsy shop by clicking HERE.
Enjoy!

Chipmunk in Camp

2010-08-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took a much needed break and headed to the mountains of Idaho to Rocky Bluff Campground. We had great plans to ride the ATV, pan for gold and just relax. The weather was beautiful and so much cooler than home. And the wildlife was abundant! I didn't have to even leave our campsite to find lots of subject matter for future paintings!

After a wonderful camp breakfast of eggs, sausage and my husband's dutch oven biscuits, we settled back to just enjoy the scenery and breathe in the fresh mountain air. We were in no hurry to clean up and apparently the aroma of fresh biscuits was more than this little chipmunk could stand because she bravely came right up on the table and went straight for them! Now, my husband doesn't share his biscuits with just anyone and I'm surprised he tolerated this critter, but he even went so far as to give her a piece so I could get some great photos. (Thanks sweetie, you're the greatest!!) Apparently, she thought he was a really nice guy and came back a little while later to help him read the maps and figure out the best places to go gold panning and 4-wheeling....

I took at least 20 photos of her and was even able to do a sketch of her contentedly munching away. It was nice to just sit and draw for no better reason than the fun of it and the fact that I had such a willing model. Of course, models have to be paid and she LOVED the biscuits!!

Latest Happenings...

2010-07-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hey! A lot has been happening here lately and I feel like I've been running full speed for the last few weeks. So much for the lazy, "dog days" of summer! As you can see by the photo one of the new developments is a new hairdo. I'm now sporting a short, sporty hairstyle. Definitely cooler this time of year and really pretty easy care!

Most of the news though and what I'm really excited about is my new website www.catherinetemple.com featuring not only my pet portrait and dog art, but also my wildlife art. I have also created a Facebook fan page, Catherine Temple - Canine and Wildlife Art so if you're a Facebook junkie pop over there and become a fan. These are both great ways to get to know me and my art better and a way for me to connect with you!

Now that I have these up and running(which has been no small feat for someone like me who only a few years ago was more apt to shoot the computer as design a website!), I hope I can get back to some painting. While I am very pleased with these accomplishments they have really stretched me and my comfort zone. I have really started missing my paints and hope to put as much time and energy into creating pet portrait or wildlife art in the coming weeks as I have into designing a new website and fan page. And I'm sure you all would love to see some new work, too!

I think now I need to take a well deserved break, perhaps sit in the backyard, sip some iced tea and watch the hummingbirds play in the sprinklers. Ah, summer!!

Snidely - The Pudelpointer

2010-07-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a little break from painting this week, but I had the privilege of meeting this puppy this morning and felt I couldn't let a face like this go by without sharing. This is Snidely and he is a very handsome Pudelpointer. He is the newest addition to the household of my friends Dale and Linda and I was completely smitten with him. Dale brought him over for me to see and , of course, I just HAD to take pictures, not only because he has such an adorable face, but because I will eventually be painting him and because you just don't get to see a Pudelpointer every day!

So, just what is a "Pudelpointer" anyway? Is it some type of "designer" dog that someone thought would make a cute name if they bred them? Actually, a pudelponter is an official breed though not with the AKC. They are strictly a hunting breed that originates in Germany from breedings of German hunting poodles(pudels) and English pointers. They are bred to be versatile hunters on land and water and also great family dogs. I was vaguely familiar with the name of the breed, but had no in depth knowledge of them. However, after meeting Snidely I think I will be doing a little more research on them! Shhh! Don't tell Maggie, but I might just consider this breed for my next hunting dog!

Ruddy Duck Drake in Acrylic

2010-06-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday,I posted a pair of Ruddy ducks, but I felt I needed to do another one this time showcasing the drake in his breeding plumage. They are really quite striking in their shades of red and, yes, their bills are really that blue. In the winter this bird is roughly the same color as the hen and only turns this color in the spring and summer. I noticed on my walk today that the drake was still here sleeping in the quiet back waters, though I did not see the hen. Perhaps she is nesting nearby. If that be the case I hope I am present when the ducklings hatch and they bravely swim out into the world. That would be such an awesome treat to see!!

This little guy is also for sale at my Etsy store. This is another miniature painting, 4" x 5" and is in acrylic also. The price for this one is $45.00. The two paintings would make a wonderful gift for a bird lover or waterfowl hunter. Maybe a great Fathers day surprise?

I See You - Ruddy Ducks in Acrylic

2010-06-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a quiet pool amidst the reflections of the overhanging foliage is a resting pair of Ruddy Ducks. The male sports his reddish-orange breeding plumage, while the female is dressed in soft grays and browns to disguise her from predators when she's nesting. Though they appear totally at peace look closely....you are being watched! Your presence has not gone unnoticed!

I saw this pair last week resting in a backwater slough along the river where I walk. They were there for at least three days and let me approach fairly close so I took lots of photographs. I was quite taken with the males beautiful red feathers and also very intrigued by the patterns of the foliage reflections in the water. I decided to try and combine the two into one painting.

Ruddy ducks are one of our smallest ducks weighing in at a little over 1 lb. and are sometimes called "stiff tails". The females are unique in that they lay the largest eggs relative to their body size and one clutch of eggs can outweigh the hen! A clutch can be from 6 to 10 eggs. Yikes!

This painting is a mere 5" x 5" square and is painted in acrylic on a hardboard panel. It is available for purchase through my Etsy store for $55.00. Just click on the link and it's yours!

New Collage - Bluebird

2010-06-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

I found some time this week to create a few more collages. I've had some ideas that I wanted to try and this was one of my efforts that turned out well enough to post. The others...well let's just pretend they don't exist!!

This is a 6" x 6" x 5/8" collage on stretched canvas. It is mostly an acrylic painting with a few items collaged on to it. I was trying to create something a little more contemporary and decorative( the background mostly) while still including my signature realism and detail(the bird). I think this one turned out pretty well. I enjoyed this one a little more I think because of the simplicity of the design and that there are fewer elements glued to it. I have discovered that acrylic matte medium( the adhesive I was using) coats fingers very well and does NOT come off easily. Using vinyl gloves designed to fit my husbands hands only compounded the problem so less gluing makes me much happier! I also completed another collage at the same time that included lots of gluing, but I will post that at another time when I can think of nice things to say about it!!

This piece is available through my Etsy store for $35.00 and might be just the thing to cheer up someones day!

Three Schnauzers

2010-06-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the surprise painting I last spoke about! I really wanted to post it sooner, but was afraid it would ruin the surprise. This painting was for my friend, Dana, and her husband and I had to do a lot of sneaking around to get photos. He was not confident that he could get the poses I needed and we were working with a couple of deadlines. First, there was the deadline of the anniversary. Then there was the more pressing deadline of not knowing how long one of the dogs was going to live. You see, the dog in the middle, P.C., is quite old and was really starting to have problems. And as those who have pets know it's so hard to decide when it's time to let them go. But P.C. hung in there, living a good life and even having a little adventure a few weeks back. He tolerated us through all the picture taking ( actually slept through most of it!), but was very alert when the treats came out so I was able to get a few good shots with his head up and eyes open.

I really enjoyed creating this painting not just because it was for some great friends, but because I had gotten to know all three Schnauzers over the years. Each one was so different from the other and the two younger ones, Jasmine, the black one, and Mia, the one on the right, loved it when my husband and I visited. They especially love my husband and we joke that it's because of the mustache. He has a great, thick one and we think the dogs look at him as one of them!! P.C. was a pretty old gentleman already by the first time I met him so he was just content to greet you at the door, give you a good sniff and then find a good spot for a nap.

When creating a painting for someone I try to get to know the dogs as best as I can through my clients photos and their memories. If the dogs are alive sometimes I get to meet them and that helps me to capture their personalities better. Knowing all three of these dogs helped to some degree to get it right, but some of what I do just happens as I paint. Some of it is intuitive, some of it is just knowing my materials and how dogs are put together. Often times I feel that I have a lot of help from an unseen source because I'm able to capture a look or snippet of personality that I can't possibly know about. Some people call this their "muse". I know that God has gifted me with this ability and I believe he's the one guiding my hand as I paint. He helps me to add that special "something" that really touches the ones receiving the painting.

Dana called me last night to tell me how pleased she was with her surprise painting. It was especially meaningful as P.C. passed away just the week before. She told me how much she loved the arrangement of the dogs, the colors in the background, how I had captured each dog perfectly. She loved everything about it and if she had commissioned it herself would have wanted it to look just as I made it. Of course, I'm always happy to hear that I've done a good job, but I also know that it's not all me. I'm just grateful for the gifts I've been blessed with and always appreciative of that unseen help!

So now it's on to some other projects! This was my last commission and I have already started on some other small works that will be for sale. Hopefully, in the next few weeks I will be posting those. Thanks for joining me here today and hope that you enjoyed the Schnauzers!

Maxine and Rudy

2010-05-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

Wow! I can't believe where a month just went! Seems like I just got back from my workshop and was all excited to get started on some new paintings. Since I came back I haven't had any time to practice what I learned, at least not on new wildlife paintings, but I did use some of the techniques I learned on this latest commission.

This is a gouache painting for some special clients of mine of their past dog, Maxine, and their present dog, Rudy. That's one of the nice things about painting a portrait....we can create things that don't exist together in the same piece. Anyway, there is a lot of pattern in the coats of these two dogs. One of the techniques I learned was to create little windows out of paper, one for your reference photo and one for your painting. These little windows are used to isolate areas that you're working on that might have a lot of detail making it easier to see. When there is lots of texture or pattern in something it is sometimes hard for your eyes to focus on that area without getting lost. The windows help you to focus on a small area at a time so it's not so overwhelming. I used this technique extensively on this painting.

I presented this to my clients last week and they were overwhelmed. There were lots of tears and hugs as it brought back memories of Maxine ( the black dog) who was very, very special to them. I must admit that I get a little teary eyed, too, when my clients do because I can so easily remember the feelings of loss over a pet and it blesses me to know that I have done my job well when people get that emotional. Thanks to Jim and Nancy for the opportunity to create this special painting for you!

I am currently working on another commission that is a special anniversary surprise for some friends of mine so at this time I can't divulge the details as they might read about it here. I guess everyone will just have to wait until it's finished and presented to find out what it is! Good reason for you all to check back soon! Hopefully, after this one is finished I will finally get some time to start on these new paintings. I have been collecting reference material and sketching out ideas like crazy! So...time to get back to work and get this painting done!!

Terry Isaac Workshop photos

2010-04-20T13:50:00.001-07:00

Hey, everyone! I'm baacckk! I just returned from my workshop in Vancouver, WA. with Terry Isaac. It was awesome, awesome, awesome!! Not only is Terry a wonderful artist, but he is an awesome teacher as well. It was three whole days of intensive learning and painting and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! We covered painting techniques in acrylic, spent a little time gathering photo reference around the workshop site and talked about marketing. And we worked hard on completing a painting in the time we had. It was inspiring, exhilarating and exhausting, too! If you ever have an opportunity to study with Terry I would highly recommend it! This is a photo of me and Terry with our paintings.

Here we are all hard at work while Terry offers advice. We had a class of nine people of varying ages and experience and all wonderful artists in their own right. I learned so much from the other students and it always amazes me how a group of people can all paint the same image and all create such different paintings. It was very inspirational! Thanks to Bev at Arts Desire for hosting the workshop!

And here is my painting! It's actually still in progress. I had time to block in the basic areas and do a little refining, but still need to come back and tighten it up quite a bit. The foreground grasses need finishing as well as details on the elk, but even at this stage it doesn't look too bad. You have the general idea anyway!

Well, now that I'm back I have a lot of information to try and digest and start applying to my own work without having Terry there to offer pointers. I'm really inspired and anxious to try my hand at this medium on my own and see where it leads me. Like my friend Judy says..."Art is a journey with twists and turns and something new to learn around every corner!" And if nothing else, it's always an interesting journey!!

Great Blue Heron Study in Gouache

2010-04-13T15:05:00.001-07:00

Early one morning I went out for my usual walk with Maggie along the river. The sun was just breaking over the hill tops and the morning was clear and still. As I rounded a corner there stood a Great Blue Heron on a rocky outcropping. The early morning sun was illuminating his feathers causing a bright contrast between sunlight and shadow. He seemed to be glowing. He stood there perfectly balanced on one leg, a lone sentinel. The moment seemed magical and an idea for a painting and the title ( which will be a secret until the painting is done!) came to me all at once. Lucky for me I had remembered to bring my camera this time so the moment was recorded for future reference.

This little painting is a study painting for a larger one I'd like to paint soon. It's been painted fairly loose for me and was meant to be so. I was mostly trying to capture an impression, a feeling, a moment in time. It will, hopefully, help me to work out problems on the larger painting. However, I am pleased with how this small one turned out and probably won't change too much in the final, larger painting. I know already that the larger one will be painted tighter overall and I will be adding some additional details like small twigs and branches to frame the heron, but I like the feeling I'm getting from this already. This small one will be for sale in a few weeks after I finish the larger piece. This painting is just 2.5" x 3.5" (ACEO/ATC size) and is another done in gouache.

Well, I leave tomorrow morning for a painting workshop with Terry Isaac at a place called Arts Desire in Vancouver, WA. Terry is an internationally known wildlife artist who paints in acrylic. I have been interested in his work for a number of years and have been waiting for an opportunity to go to a workshop with him for about as long. I'm hoping that this will improve my ability to paint with acrylic and help me to start integrating more backgrounds and environment in all my paintings as this seems to be a weak area for me. Terry likes to paint "magical moments" in nature and I'm interested in capturing those as well. I see so many special moments when I'm out on my walks and I'd love to be able to do a better job of painting those so that others, who might not have an opportunity to ever see such wonderful things, might be able to enjoy them. That's my hope and desire anyway.

Guess I'd better go finish packing. I'll be gone for six days....two days of travel and four days of non-stop painting and learning! Can't hardly wait!! I expect to be overflowing with enthusiasm and ideas when I get back and will share as soon as I can. See you then!!

Mixed Media Collage by Catherine Temple

2010-03-30T15:34:00.001-07:00

I felt like I needed a little creative challenge ( as if doing ANY art piece isn't challenge enough!) and decided to try my hand at a mixed media art piece. I've been pondering these for awhile and thought "looks easy enough" and set about finding things to glue to a canvas. This was actually a lot of fun for me since I'm a collector of all sorts of odd bits and pieces of things. I love feathers and interesting moss, rocks, sea shells, leaves, interesting seed pods. I've been known to make my husband do some pretty crazy stuff to acquire the object of my desire and then pack it home for me. A set of deer antlers comes to mind.... never mind that they were still attached to a deer we'd found that had died over the winter.... but I'm wandering now. So, where was I? Oh yes. I collected some things and proceeded to get started.

Like everything else one has never tried before there is always a learning curve and I am somewhat of a perfectionist and expect to be an expert my first time out. Now everyone, stop snickering....I know some of you are the same way. Just how hard can these things be??? Turns out the "finding things" was the easiest part, followed by the actual gluing down of everything. The parts in between were, well, definitely challenging! I really didn't have a clue as to what I was doing and should have chosen a theme before I started. My work space was covered with lots of stuff I really didn't need, all the "pretties" and unusual stuff, some wonderful papers I bought, my tools, glue, scissors. You name it, I probably had it! Eventually, I started to sort through it all and an idea started to form....sort of.

After a long while of staring at it all and wondering what ever possessed me to do this, I started cutting and tearing paper and trying to place it all in some semblance of order, some "logical" progression of items. I know that collage probably has some thought process to it, but I think that some of the fun of it is supposed to be the "unordered" look, you know, kind of free form. So finally, I just said "what the heck," laid it all out nicely on my table and then had to figure out how to glue it all down without disrupting my very nice design because, of course, the first pieces to get glued down are now on the bottom of the design! And, heaven forbid, you don't want to sneeze!!! ACHOO! Papers, feathers, design going everywhere! (I'm thinking open windows, fans, any air movement is a really bad thing at this point!) Sigh!

Finally, after longer hours than it should have taken, my design was complete. I have to say that I have a new found interest in this art form and a healthy respect and admiration for the artists who are able to do it and do it well. Will I try it again? Oh, probably, because there are aspects of it that are just a whole lot of fun. Going on a treasure hunt for the items, all that cutting and gluing and painting sure makes you feel like a kid again! And I think most of us need a good dose of that!

Well, I'm off to go think up some other challenge for myself...NOT! I think instead I'll go play in the dirt, pull some weeds, plant something. Oh, hey, look at that snail shell! Now what can I do with that......

"In His Arms" Golden Retriever watercolor by Catherine Temple

2010-03-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

This one is hot off the easel today! He's been on and off my easel for many weeks now...actually months, now that I think about it! I originally started him in acrylic, but had chosen a very slick surface to paint on. (What was I thinking????) The paint kept sliding all over and I couldn't get the effect I wanted so I set it aside....for a long time! When I finally got around to painting him again I trashed the original painting and started over. This piece is exactly what I was after all along!

You may recognize this golden retriever puppy from previous paintings I've posted here. Copper has been the subject of at least three. This, in my humble opinion, is the best I've done of him. He made quite an impression on me and if you recall from previous posts he had a very bad accident and almost didn't survive. I believe that God gave him a miracle and has a special purpose in mind for Copper.

I entitled this "In His Arms" for a couple of reasons. First, I believe God held this little guy in His arms the night he was injured and healed him. (Yes, I believe God heals animals, too!) Second, I'm reminded that God holds us all and this painting makes me think of that and smile. Think about it...wouldn't you just love to be held in big, strong, protective arms? How would it make you feel, especially when you're having a tough day?

This painting is going to be a part of an upcoming show at the Valley Art Center called "Going to the Dogs" and will be on display from April 5 - May 1, 2010. It will be for sale there if you are interested in giving him a forever home. The Valley Art Center is located in Clarkston, Wa. and the opening reception will be Friday, April 5th starting at 5 p.m. if you'd like to stop by and say hello.

Well, I'm off to create something else or maybe now would be a good time to sit back, enjoy a nice cup of coffee and something chocolate to celebrate finishing this painting. I hope you're all having a great day and if not then just join Copper and think about being held by a God who loves you! Enjoy!!

Baby Robin - ACEO

2010-03-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

I know it's early March and some parts of the country are still in the grips of winter, but here in the Northwest we are experiencing a very early spring. In the valley where I live birds are returning from their wintering grounds and are changing into their breeding plumage. It won't be long before they choose a mate, build nests and raise their young. In anticipation of the coming spring I chose to paint this baby robin freshly fledged from his nest, but still dependent on his parents to feed him.

This painting was done from a photo I took last summer of this fledgling. He was hiding in a raspberry bush that I was watering and I almost didn't see him. In fact, Maggie was snuffling under the bush looking for fallen berries and SHE didn't see him either. I held my breath as she snuffled right under the vine he was sitting on and it rested on her head until I called her away so the little bird would be safe.

I chose to do this painting in a very small format. It is an ACEO which stands for Art Cards, Editions and Originals or may also be considered an ATC - Artist Trading Card. The standard size for both must be trading card size which is 2 1/2" x 3 1/2". The painting is done in gouache on 300lb. watercolor paper and is for sale. The price is just $25.00 and would make a lovely little gift for a bird or nature lover or anyone who is just thinking of spring! He is currently available through my Etsy store. Just click on the link and he's yours!

Chloe-mixed breed in gouache

2010-02-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

This is Chloe. She is a mixed breed dog ( lab, husky, and ???) with the absolute sweetest personality. I met her a few weeks back when her owners brought her over so we could talk about their portrait commission and Chloe spent the time waiting patiently and obediently in my kitchen while we talked. She was very well behaved and was wonderfully cooperative when we took a few pictures for the portrait. It was so nice to work with such a well trained dog! I wanted to get photos of her in different light because though she is a mostly black dog she had some beautiful brown hairs dispersed through out her coat and around her eyes. Her owners wanted to be sure that could be seen in the painting. I also wanted to have a good strong light from one side so that there would be more depth to her black coat.

Black dogs are always a challenge to paint and it's really important to have good reference material as so much detail can be lost in a bad photo. Good, natural lighting is important. No flash!! Her owners brought several photos taken in bright sunlight and we were able to take photos in soft, semi-cloudy afternoon light which gave us some nice shadows and detail. It also brought out the warmer tones in her coat. The result of good reference and being able to see the dog in person resulted in the portrait you see here. The background color, which I apologize for it not showing up well when I photographed the painting, was just a simple flat wash in a very light, warm tone to compliment the cool colors in her coat and bring out the warm tones. My clients were thrilled which always makes my day!

Now that this commission is done I'm celebrating by taking some time to paint a few birds for fun. I have another peregrine falcon sketched out and will be putting some paint to that in a few days. Hopefully, my idea will come together and you'll get to see it here!

Maggie in a Duck Blind

2010-02-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

"Okay, so we're in the duck blind.... now where are the ducks, Mom? I've been watchin' real close and all I've seen are a few tweety birds. Can I fetch some of those??? Oh please, oh please, oh puleezze????"

Our duck hunting season ended this weekend and poor Maggie spent another season without retrieving any ducks. This is the typical look I get from her when no birds are flying and she's bored. It's also the look I get when some have just flown in and I've entirely missed my shots and they were the only birds we saw that day. It's like "Geesh! Where did you learn to shoot and why am I out here sittin' on the cold ground with you!" But the day isn't entirely lost as long as I share my lunch with her. That usually makes up for it.

I have always enjoyed sitting in a duck blind even when there are no ducks anywhere around. It's just nice sometimes to blend in with your surroundings and go unnoticed by all the wildlife around you. There have been many times while sitting there quietly that small birds have flown in and darn near collided with me or perched very close to my head and never knew I was there unless I moved. It's a great way to observe nature! As you can see I blend in pretty well in my camo and all tucked into the grass.

So another hunting season comes to a close, but for me it's never completely done. I may not be hunting with my shotgun, but I will be using all the same skills to "hunt" with my camera. The camo gear, the blinds, the sitting quietly and observing, all come into play as I collect reference photos for my paintings. If you're out and about just be careful where you step. I may be sitting there quietly watching you!!!

Black Chinned Hummingbird

2010-01-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

Many of us are still in the grips of winter, though here in the valley where I live we are experiencing some very nice, springlike days. The sun was shining and I think it got close to fifty degrees today which made me start to think about the season ahead. So for my posting today I thought I'd share this wonderful little black chinned hummingbird all dressed up in his spring attire.

I photographed this little fellow in my lilac bush last spring while he was taking a rest from defending the sugar water feeder. He really had his work cut out for him as I had more hummingbirds than usual last year and they all wanted an extra sip of energy as they were making their way to their breeding grounds. I amused myself by standing tucked up against the lilac bush right next to the feeder and could feel their tiny wings zipping past my head as they dove in for a quick drink. It was great fun!! My husband thought I was a lunatic until they zipped in for a closer look at him in his red shirt. He never tried standing in the bush (I really can't imagine my 6'2" husband hiding in a lilac bush...hee! hee!), but he did take more interest in them after that.

This painting is a miniature just 4" x 6" and is painted in gouache. If you have an interest in bringing a little spring to your house a few months early you can contact me at kindredspirits@clearwire.net and I'll have him zip right over. (This item is SOLD)
I have also created ACEO art cards, and note cards with his image on them. They are currently available through my Etsy store along with other images of my work.
Thanks for looking and wherever you are today..... Think Spring!!!!

Labradoodle #2 in Gouache

2010-01-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

I just finished my first commission of the new year. This is a Labradoodle named Bailey. He's a fun loving fellow who lives in the Pacific Northwest and enjoys duck hunting, boating and spending lots of time at the beach with his favorite humans.

This painting is done in gouache and it's quickly becoming my medium of choice. I love the way it flows off the brush and it's opacity. Because it is such an opaque medium you can paint light over dark and dark over light. This really helps me when I have complex fur like the curly coat on Bailey. I can keep working back and forth over an area to achieve the texture, values and colors I need to bring his coat to life.

You may be noticing that I have more background in this painting. Usually most of my portraits have a very minimal background because I like to focus more on the animal. The folks who commissioned this wanted this scene because it's special to them, but I have also decided to start challenging myself to paint more landscapes and this portrait gave me a great opportunity to try that.

Hope you enjoyed seeing Bailey. Perhaps you'd like a pet portrait of your own or for someone special. They make awesome gifts! Just give me a holler and I'll be happy to paint something special up for you!

Whitetail Fawn (gouache)

2010-01-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!
I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays as much as I enjoyed mine! I ate way too much food, laughed with friends and family and have just spent some time relaxing and reflecting on this season.

Of course, like everyone else, I am starting to make plans for 2010. One of my goals for this year is to start painting more wildlife. It has long been a dream of mine to be a wildlife artist. Wild and domestic creatures have always been a part of my life. I grew up surrounded by them and my first drawings were of animals... first my pets, then the wild birds and other critters that visited our property. Over the years I had gotten away from painting wild creatures and started concentrating on domestic ones, especially dogs. I have enjoyed that tremendously and will continue to paint them and offer my pet portraits. But now I'm feeling a strong urge to return to my first love and add that to what I'm already doing.

So....here is my first one for the New Year. I thought it appropriate to start with this newborn fawn as he represents new beginnings. This is a miniature painting, just 4" x 6" and done in gouache. I am particularly happy with the way this one turned out. The grass was quite a challenge to do as I struggled to get the depth it needed, but I think in the end it came together well.

Thanks for looking and wishing everyone the very best in 2010!!

Snow Bird ( in gouache)

2009-12-15T09:24:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!!!
I finally have the image complete for my Christmas cards and here it is! I considered many ideas....geese on a frozen pond, a wintry landscape, a pheasant strutting in the snow, but I kept coming back to this bright, red Northern Cardinal all puffed up to stay warm on a cold, gray winters day.

I know that this is an often seen image on a holiday card, but I had lots of reasons for choosing it. The extremely cold weather in our valley, the gray skies and softly falling snow that followed it, the way the birds at my feeders all puffed themselves up to stay warm all contributed to this image. But I think mostly I chose it because we don't have cardinals here and I miss seeing their bold colors accenting the subtle shades of winter. I grew up seeing them in Illinois, loved to watch them at my feeders and listen to their beautiful calls. I guess I may have chosen him because he reminds me of my childhood home and lots of folks think about that this time of year. I hope this little bird brings as much cheer to you as he does to me!

Christmas is just a short time away now. Hopefully, you all are getting your shopping done and starting to enjoy the holiday festivities. Don't forget to take time to remember why we have this season in the first place. It's not about Santa, reindeer and gifts. It 's about the birth of a Savior, the hope of nations, Jesus Christ. And considering the condition of our world these days we need this hope more than ever.

Many, many blessings to everyone this Christmas season and prayers for a better New Year!

Christmas Goldens in Pencil

2009-12-01T14:30:00.001-08:00

"Not a creature was stirring.....". I just completed this Christmas card for a client and thought I would share. This originally started out as a normal pet portrait order and my client wanted it in time to have holiday cards made. However, when she sent me her photos most of them were of her two Goldens sleeping! At first, I thought ...."how am I ever going to make this work in time for her to get cards made?" (She had only contacted me the week of Thanksgiving and we didn't have time to get more photos.) Then the light bulb went off and this idea came. Since she wants to use them as her Christmas card why not make them sleeping under the tree? And this is the result!

I have to say I'm pretty delighted with the final drawing. It was a good challenge for me to think beyond the "normal" portrait and take what at first looked like something I couldn't work with and make it into something special and unique. Now, where are all those photos of Maggie sleeping........? Hmmm! More ideas are starting to roll around in my head!

Well, I'm off to work on some other commissions and maybe I'd better think about a design for my OWN Christmas card!

Peregrine Falcon - Two ways

2009-11-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

Well! Time certainly does fly by when one isn't paying attention! I'm not really sure where two months just went to, but it was just September a few days ago.....right? Amazing how life just seems to continue on without us!

In the past few months I have taken some time to play with some new ideas, new subject matter and different paint. I haven't had a particular agenda other than to let myself really "play" without feeling pressured to create a finished painting or one that is even marketable. It has been both a frustrating and a freeing process, but I'm glad to be doing it. We will never grow if we don't try new things. Even if they don't work out....and I had quite a few that didn't work out....what I learned was worth the effort. I plan to continue down this path for awhile so even if I'm not posting here be assured that I'm still painting. I am just in an experimental mode right now and not every experiment is worth revealing. Some of them are just very personal. And some of them are, well, shall we just say.....butt ugly!!

This post, however, is to show a few of the experiments that didn't turn out too bad. Now, you may think that these look a lot like my other work and you'd be right except my other work has been mostly dogs. I decided to start my experiments with studies of birds. I'm kind of a closet bird watcher anyway, so this just seemed a natural step.

These two paintings are peregrine falcons that belong to a falconer friend of mine. Peregrines are amazing hunters to watch and can reach speeds of well over 100 miles per hour when they start in to their stoop on their prey. They hunt by circling high into the air. When they spot their prey they fold their wings and become a teardrop shape hurtling through the sky. In the last seconds they unfold their wings and hit their prey with closed feet, knocking the bird unconscious. After that, it's lunch!

I found the whole falconry process quite fascinating and have ideas for several paintings, but decided to start with simple head studies first and work my way out from there. I started with the pencil study just trying to figure out how to draw feathers. I decided not to confuse myself with color just yet as feathers are not fur! Feathers lay a lot like shingles, but they are not evenly arranged. Then if you add patterns like spots or bars to the mix, well, you've got quite a challenge!!

After I was satisfied with the pencil study I started with the color. This one is done in acrylic. Wow! This much detail takes a lot of work! Both of these studies are only 5" x 7" and I'm glad I didn't try any larger for my first attempt. I was, however, pretty pleased with how they both turned out, though I really think I'm more partial to the black and white version than the color.

So these are representing some of the new directions I'm looking at heading in. Both of these are available for purchase. Inquiries can come to me at kindredspirits@clearwire.net.

I am fascinated by all the living creatures around us. It amazes me just how well adapted each creature is to it's environment. God's creativity astounds me!!! And I would really like to draw attention to Him by showcasing some of the awesome creatures he's created through my art. That's my hope anyway! Hope you enjoy these!

An Artist's Play Day

2009-09-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

I have been told that artists are "different", that we don't think the same as "normal" people, nor ,apparently, do we see things the same or even behave the same. I'm not really here to discuss other artists. I'm here to let you in on a little part of my world if you care to peek. You can judge for yourself if I see things differently!

Today I allowed myself some "play" time. It wasn't for very long, but it did allow me an opportunity to recharge a bit. I allowed myself some time to take my camera out in to nature and just let my "artist child" play. This, I am discovering, is a great way to foster creativity, to fill the well so to speak. I just allowed myself time to listen, watch, discover, explore and just tried to remember what it was like for me as a child when my greatest joy was to go out into my yard and pretend I was a naturalist observing and recording all the nature around me.

This is some of the natural world that caught my "artist childs" eye today.....
A viceroy butterfly was sunning itself in some thick vegetation near the water.
I found the back sides of these wild sunflowers to be quite beautiful with the sunlight shining through their petals. ( is this what is meant by artists seeing things differently??)This little chickadee had been feeding in the sunflowers, but retreated to the safety of the trees when Maggie barreled through the patch of flowers in hot pursuit of who knows what!I found this beautiful blue craw fish claw lying in the sand. I'm not sure what causes the blue color as craw fish are usually a burnt orange.

I was lucky enough to catch this osprey out looking for breakfast and got a few quick shots before it plunged into the river and came up with a nice fat fish. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to the rivers edge for all the brush so I didn't get any great shots of the catch. Oh well, maybe next time!

Growing right next to each other in a shady patch along the river were some vibrant blue elderberries and their color complement, these orange rose hips.

I enjoyed my little play date today and whether you are an artist or not I would encourage you to take some time, even if just for an hour, to go outside and remember what it was like to be a child again. Let your imagination run wild! Let the sun warm your face, let wet sand squish through your toes. Take some time to get close to the earth and see what wonders you can discover there. I guarantee you will feel much better for it!

Thanks for taking this little journey with me today! Enjoy yourself and be blessed!!

Dark Chocolate - Chocolate lab in Gouache

2009-08-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

Wow!I didn't realize that so much time has slipped by! August has been a wonderfully busy month filled with canning garden produce, painting, vacation and family visits from folks out of town. The pace has not slowed down now for several weeks and I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures and a little relaxation!

Here is one of the commissions I had the honor to paint this month. This is another of my "Past to Present" paintings featuring Rico, the Chocolate Lab, as a puppy and young adult. He really is a gorgeous boy and has a rich, dark chocolate color, hence the name of this painting. Rico may be a sporting breed, but his owner doesn't hunt. However, they love to play in the rivers near their home so we put some of the local scenery in the painting.

Well, I'm off to prepare for out of town guests. Hope everyone's summer has been wonderful! See you soon!

Weekend in the Mountains

2009-07-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we packed up our camping gear and headed out to Red River, Idaho to reacquaint ourselves with camping in the wilderness. We were doing this in preparation for an upcoming ATV ride we have planned in August. Since we haven't been camping in..... oh, at least 10 years, we thought it would be a good idea to do a test run before we actually rode off into the real wilderness and encountered problems we didn't prepare for. It was a good thing we did this as we had a few minor difugalties along the way. A few good things to remember for next time....

When you get out of your vehicle to admire the scenery don't stand on an anthill!

Make sure the camp stoves and lanterns are in working order before leaving.

Pack lots of mosquito repellent!

We did find time to do some relaxing things like pan for gold, ride the four wheeler trails and watch the abundant wildlife. And the night sky was absolutely spectacular!! I had forgotten how many stars you can see when you get far enough away from civilizations lights.

I took two cameras with to capture the flora and fauna and was rewarded with some great shots of the wildlife. I also took with my sketch book hoping to find a quiet moment to sit and sketch, something I haven't done in many, many years. At least, not field sketching. The voracious mosquitoes didn't allow for much of that though. Even though I had on repellent they were bound and determined to bite me on any exposed spot they could find! Mostly they tried for my eyes and ears....very annoying when you're trying to sketch! I did find this baby robin clinging to a small shrub in some tall grass. His parents were busy collecting food for him all day.I was able to get several photos of him and managed to get a sketch done as he was sitting very quietly and hardly moved. I watched him all day until it got dark. In the morning he was gone and my hope was that he found the strength and courage to fly to a safer spot.
I was also able to get a photo of this frog that sat in a little pool where my husband was panning for gold. He seemed perfectly content to share his space with Brian and allowed me several pictures. It wasn't until I tried to catch him that he dove and swam away. I think I've identified him as a Columbian Spotted Frog.

I'm planning on trying to do some more field sketching this week just around the area where I live. If mosquitoes don't carry me off or ants aren't attacking me I'll try to get some of the sketches posted!

Four Chessies in Pencil - Final Portrait

2009-07-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is.....the finished portrait! I am very pleased with the way this turned out. I decided to leave the background unfinished so the focus is all on the dogs. I thought it might get too busy with four dogs and all the coat patterns and opted for the simplest solution. This will look awesome with a gunmetal gray mat and black frame that compliments the graphite color. It will have a very classic look. I have emailed an image to my client and will be anxious to get her reaction, but thought I'd share it here first.

Well, this commission was the last one I have on my books at the present time, but that's okay. I have been waiting for a little break so that I can take some time for a creative sabbatical. It's not that I won't be working on some art work of some sort, it's just that now I get to play a little. I have been making notes to myself about some new ideas for months and now I will finally get a chance to try a few of those out. So.....keep checking back to see what's new as I will be posting the new stuff here!

Have a great week!

Work in Progress - 4 Chessies

2009-07-01T10:28:00.001-07:00

Almost done! As you can see a lot of progress has been made since my last post. I am on the final dog and with any luck should have it all complete by the end of the week. I have been concentrating primarily on each dog individually first. After I have them all in I will go over the whole drawing and make adjustments to values so that each dogs image will stand on it's own and not completely blend in to the next one. As I said before, there are actually three different colors of Chesapeakes represented here and I want to try and capture that. I will also be deciding whether to include a hint of a background with these four. The photos were taken outside near a pond and Chessies are definitely water dogs. These dogs, however, are not used for hunting so that type of background will not work. These dogs are primarily show dogs and much loved companions. My client has left the design up to me so I will have to give that some thought. Sometimes the best design is the simplest.
This image shows a close up of one of the dogs. I wanted to show some of the pencil strokes and shading. Unfortunately, it doesn't show the finer detail as well as I'd like it to, but it does give some indication. Chessies have a very wavy coat pattern and it can go in several different directions at once. There are curls and waves and ridges that are created as the hair goes different ways. On some areas it looks like someone has brushed the hair in the wrong direction, against the grain so to speak. This makes it very challenging to draw and sometimes it requires me to turn my work all around in order to properly draw the contours. I often work on a piece upside down because on difficult patterns it allows you to draw the actual pattern instead of the way you "think" it should be.

I also wanted to show a closeup of the eyes. No matter what else you do this part has to be right on. This is the heart, soul and personality of "this" dog and if I can't capture that it's of no value to my client. The eyes are by far my favorite part and I spend a lot of time around this area working to get it right. I could be quite happy zooming in and cropping paintings this tight all the time. I can look in this dogs face and see love and intensity and wisdom and maybe just a bit of longing to go do something fun!

Anyway, it's time to get back to work. Sometimes it's hard to finish a piece especially one that you really enjoyed doing and if it turned out really well it's hard to let it go. I have really enjoyed this one. I hope my client will be as pleased with it as I am.

Four Chesapeakes in Pencil - Work in Progress

2009-06-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have started my latest commission of the four Chesapeakes done in pencil. I thought that I would share a work in progress and talk a little about that. There is quite a bit of work behind the scenes before I actually get to the stage that is pictured here. It involves a lot of "thinking" first, in this case about the placement of the four dogs. I first blew up the photos that I took and then began laying them out and playing with the positions to see what would yield the most pleasing arrangement. Once I came up with a design I did my sketch up on a sheet of tracing paper so that any additional changes could be made on that and not ruin the good paper. I chose to do this drawing on Stonehenge paper and transferred my sketch to it using a sheet of graphite paper between the tracing and the Stonehenge. Then the drawing was ready to start.

I use a variety of pencils to accomplish all the shading, but my favorites are an HB, H, 2B and one that's so old that it's letters have worn off, but I think it must be something very hard like a 4H or so because it makes very light marks that are more like scratches. This actually scars the paper and when you go over it with a softer pencil like the HB hair texture appears. Just in case you don't know an HB is the familiar #2 pencil we used in school. A 2B is softer and makes a dark mark and H is hard. Starting with the harder pencils I lay in hair patterns and then build on those with softer pencils to get the texture and values right. I'm simplifying it a lot here. The process does take some time and a little patience, but if done right can create some awesome detail and depth.
Here is a little closer view of two of the Chessies. The first one is pretty much complete and I'm just getting started on the next one. In color these two have pretty much the same coat color which is called sedge or a reddish brown color. For the other two, one will be darker ( a dark brown) and one has a lighter coat (called dead grass) so the challenge will be to depict those changes in black and white so it will be obvious that they are not the same colors.
This last photo just shows my work area. I have all my reference laid out along with all my pencils. It looks a little messy and cluttered, but works pretty well for me. I will be working along on this for the next few days and will include another post before I finish. Hope you enjoyed this little peek into the process!

Dancing with Cheyenne - Colored Pencil Portrait

2009-06-11T10:03:00.001-07:00

I finally got my commission finished of the "black" horse of a different color! As you can see she's got a lot of red to her coat which did not make her a truly black horse. This painting was both a pleasure and a challenge to do mostly because of her color which changed in different lighting and at different times of the year and I had reference photos taken from many different times. So....after about three attempts with watermedia I finally switched to colored pencil and the piece started to come together. There is a lot of subtle shading with many different pencils to achieve the coat color and the sheen. There not only was the red, but in the shadow areas I could see shades of purple as well. A very colorful black horse, indeed! I delivered her to my clients last night and they were thrilled. Thank you Dale and Linda for trusting me with another painting of your treasured pets!

I currently have one more commission to complete. The next one is a black and white pencil portrait of four Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. I am really looking forward to starting it as this piece features my favorite breed of dog. It's a bonus that I have also met each one of these wonderful canines in person and was able to photograph them myself. Also, this piece will be a nice change of pace as I will not have to worry about color and will be able to focus on drawing the coat patterns and detail.

After this last commission is complete I will be taking a little break from pet portraits or at least not actively pursuing commissioned pieces (though if any come my way I certainly will not turn them down!!!). I am not planning on doing any other shows this summer. What I will be doing is taking a little time to dream, plan, and decide what direction my art work needs to take. The pet portraits have been a most wonderful journey and I will continue to do them, but I believe there is much more in me and I need to explore what that might be. I hope, in the coming weeks, to play with new mediums as well as new subject matter. Keep watching my blog to see what develops!

Max - Yellow Lab in Acrylic

2009-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite paintings!! I did this for the last show I had in April and was working in a smaller format and looking to try something a little different. This painting is done in acrylic and is 5" x 7" in size. I had originally sketched it out to be larger with more background area around it, but thought it was lacking something so I started playing around with cropping it close and scaling down the size. By coming in close I was able to better capture the look in this pups' eyes.....so serious for a Lab puppy! The other things I like about this painting are the warm and cool colors next to each other and the fact that I loosened up just a bit and painted a little more impressionisticly and not so detailed. I used more blues and lavenders to create the shadows and details. It was really a fun painting to do and it is for sale. Inquiries can come to me at kindredspirits@clearwire.net.

I am currently working on another commission. It's slow going trying to work it in between the rest of my life right now, but my clients are some very understanding friends. It's a fairly large piece, 16 x 20, of their horse and has been a little challenging as it's a horse of a different color. It's black, but has a lot of warm highlights and in certain light looks very reddish which has been hard to capture. I will post it when finished which I hope will be this week.

Well, I have the day off so I guess I'd better get to that painting and get it finished. It's a beautiful summer day outside and my garden is also begging me for attention. There's lots of weeding that I'm getting behind on and I also have some veggies that are in need of harvesting. Maybe that will wait until this evening when it cools off a bit. Then I'll go play in my garden, relax and watch the hummingbirds visit my feeders.

Cavalier King Charles in Gouache

2009-05-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well, in spite of having a J.O.B. I have managed to complete one of the commissions I took from the dog show in April. This little guy is Seamus and he is a delightful Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Thanks go out to Tom for trusting me again with creating another painting of his champion dogs and to Family Tree Images for the use of their photo.

I am still trying to adjust to my new schedule and I am finding it a bit challenging to try to fit in quality painting time. I honestly do not know how some women who are also artists find the time to paint and still care for family and home and not be insane or exhausted. I'm feeling a little of both lately. It's very hard for me to keep creative juices flowing and not be totally overwhelmed. If anyone has a great suggestion as to how to do this I'd really love to know! In the mean time I will keep plugging along and hope that this situation will even out and I will find some peace with it.

Me and Maggie

2009-05-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post a recent picture taken this past weekend of me with my dog, Maggie. It was an awesomely beautiful spring weekend and we were clowning around in the front yard. I didn't think posting the picture previous to this would be as good since it looked a lot like I was choking her. She doesn't like having her picture taken and you can tell she doesn't look really amused.

Some things have changed in my life recently and so I'm taking a step back to re- evaluate the direction I'm heading. Our household has been affected by the economy and my husband has been laid off. It looks like it will only be for a short time, but he works in construction so it's hard to tell. I would love to say that I make tons of money from my artwork, but that is not yet the case so ........I have made the decision to ( temporarily) work for someone else at a J. O. B. This has not been an easy decision for me since I have always believed that I would make my living from my art. I fully intend to continue with my painting and still do the outside job, but you, my readers, may notice that I may not be posting as many paintings in the weeks ahead. Hopefully, I will be able to keep up with it all. If you're a praying type, please pray for my sanity as it tends to slip a bit and I get a bit grumpy when I neglect my creative side for too long!

I am trying to keep the right perspective about all this and be thankful for what help I can be, but my heart will always belong to my art and no other job I do has ever been able to satisfy me. Perhaps this will be a time of strengthening my dedication to my art and maybe it will take a new path all together. Being a creative soul I always have ideas of new things to try so maybe this will be a time of experimentation. On my website is a quote from a friend of mine about life being a long journey, so perhaps this is just another turn on that journey. I'm not sure where it will lead and sometimes that's a little scary, but I'm on the journey just the same so I guess I'll look forward to what's ahead. If you join me we'll find out together!

Dogwoods in Bloom

2009-05-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in Art Under the Elms, an arts and crafts show associated with the Dogwood Festival here in the LC Valley. It's a beautiful time of year here in the valley and the festival takes place just as all these gorgeous dogwoods come in to bloom. It's a wonderful way to welcome in spring! I took a little time out to snap these photos to share with you all. The first photo is my booth, the next shows a grouping of these trees in a historic part of town and the last is a closeup of the dogwoods themselves.

Well, I have to say that I was really looking forward to doing this show. It's a great, fun family event with lots of food, great artists and lots of activities for everyone. I was really hoping it was going to be a big money maker for me, but the jury is still out on that. Since I do mostly commissions sometimes it's hard to tell how successful an event has been right away. Sometimes it takes a few months for folks to decide just what they want.

Now that these shows are behind me I'm going to take a well deserved break and see what my next move will be. In the meantime, I'm going to try to make some time to enjoy the spectacular springtime show that God is unveiling!

Lewiston Dog Show 2009

2009-04-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Can you say "Hi! I'm really cute?" I just finished my first show of the year, the Lewiston Spring Cluster and this little Chihuahua was just one of the many faces that stopped by to visit my booth.Thanks to all who took time out of their very busy show schedules to visit my booth and share their wonderful stories and pictures of their dogs. It was truly a pleasure meeting you and I hope to visit with you again soon. Also, thanks to my past customers who came by to say hello and order from me again. I feel so privileged to continue to paint for you!

I thought I would share just a few of the 200 plus photos I shot while I was there. ( Digital cameras are sooo wonderful.....you just keep shooting and shooting.....!) There were, of course, all shapes and sizes represented and I am always amazed at the diversity that parades past my booth at every show I attend! There was the very large like this Tibetan Mastiff....and the very small like our Chihuahua friend above. There were some like this Dalmation that looked like they were not too sure they were really enjoying themselves......
"Oh no! I think I've been spotted!!" (Sorry, I couldn't resist! She just has that look like she really wants to hide.) And there were some that just seemed to be genuinely happy to be there like this Bernese Mountain Dog.All in all I think it was a pretty good show for me. I made some sales and took in a few commissions and made some new friends both human and canine. I have a few days off now to recuperate and prepare for my next show this weekend. I'm anxious to see how my artwork will be received at this venue. This next show is an art festival and not related to dogs at all. It will be the first show of this type that I have done featuring just canine art. It's a very popular show in my area and I've never seen anyone doing any dog related art there before so it will be an interesting experiment! I'll report back next week with the results!

Golden Retriever Puppy

2009-04-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Copper is a Golden Retriever puppy that I had the opportunity to photograph last summer. I was able to take lots of reference photos of him and got quite a few that I will be using for paintings in the future. This is the second one I have done of him titled "Copper Highlights" because I really like the way the sun reflected off the color of his coat illuminating the copper colors there. This is painted with acrylics on a hardboard panel and is 6"x 6". It would look awesome displayed on a small, decorative easel sitting on a desk or bookshelf. It will be included in my upcoming show at the Lewiston Spring Cluster Dog Show, April 17th - 20th in Lewiston, Idaho. If it doesn't sell there it will travel with me to the next show at Art Under the Elms at the Dogwood Festival, April 24th - 26th also in Lewiston, Id. It is for sale priced at $175.00 and inquiries can come to me at kindredspirits@clearwire.net.

Only ten more days left now until my first show. I have finally come to a point where I can't think of one more thing to paint, or one more card to make that I could have finished in time for these shows so I guess I'll give myself a break and trust that I have done everything I can to get ready. I will run through the last minute check list and tie up those loose ends, but time now not to stress. I need to relax a little, maybe play in the dirt for therapy (it's warm enough here to start some spring planting!), and think about conversations I will have with people coming in to my booth. You know, mentally prepare.

So, since it's a nice day I think I'll start with playing in the dirt. Somehow, for me, digging up weeds and feeling warm earth in my hands (and if it's warm enough....under my bare feet!) is great therapy for me.

Bald Eagle in Acrylic

2009-03-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

The weather today has been typical March... a little rain, a little snow, mix in some wind and even a spot or two of sunshine and Voila' ! a perfect day to stay inside and paint! That's what I would have liked to do, but instead I had to take pictures to the framer, run some errands, you know, everything that kept me out in the weather and away from the studio. The count down is on with only three weeks until my first show of the year so I'm running like a chicken with my head chopped off. I woke up this morning at 3 a.m. with my mind whirling with ideas and things I need to remember to do. Good thing I keep a note pad on the table next to the bed so I can jot things down! Eventually, I got back to sleep right in time for the alarm to go off!! Arghh!

Today's painting is another eagle done from the same reference as the last. It is 6" x 6" painted in acrylic on watercolor paper. The reference photo was taken on a bright sunny day against a clear blue sky, but I wanted to do this one with a dark background to make the bird stand out more. This painting was done more as a study just to see if the color and contrast would work, but it is for sale. If you are interested email me..... kindredspirits@clearwire.net and I'll get you a price. Also, keep watching my Etsy store as I will be adding more items in the days to come. You may even see this eagle there.

Well, I'm hearing things blowing around and banging into the house. Since I'm in the basement and can't see I guess I'd better scamper upstairs and see what this March weather is doing now! Blessings til next time!

Song Sparrow in Acrylic

2009-03-23T10:11:00.001-07:00

Here is another of my miniature paintings (4" x 5") featuring a song sparrow perched among early spring twigs. I spotted him as I was out on one of my morning walks. Actually, I heard him first since, as his name implies, they are quite the singers. It was an overcast, drizzly morning, but that did not damper his spirits any or his song. I chose to paint this piece with a very muted palette of colors that make you have to look just a bit for the bird since usually you have to do just that. They are small birds and blend into their environment very well especially on a rainy day. The best way to find them is to follow the song. So perhaps you need just a bit of spring on a rainy day. Just click on the ETSY button and follow that to my store where you will find this little songster for sale priced at just SOLD.

And by the way, Happy Spring!!!

Eagle 1

2009-03-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

"Eagle 1" has landed! Sorry, I just couldn't resist the play on words! This is the first of the miniature paintings I've been working on for my upcoming shows. Living in an area with two major rivers gives me great opportunities to view a lot of wildlife. We have several eagles that work the rivers in search of food and I came across this one on one of my many morning walks. It was gracious enough to sit on it's high perch and allow me to photograph it, though it looks none too happy about it. I was actually able to get quite close. Not all of them are as cooperative as this one was...most fly off about the time I get close enough for a really good shot. I was able to get several nice photos before this one took to the skies so there will be more paintings in the future, hence the name "Eagle 1". This one is done in acrylic on a masonite panel. It is 5" x 7" and is for sale for $175.00. Inquiries may come to me at kindredspirits@clearwire.net.

Lots of exciting things have happened since the last time I wrote. First, the Art Show at the Dog Show has posted images of all the winners on their site so now everyone can go and view who the lucky 50 artists were that won awards. All of the final entries are on display so you can see the competition and judge for yourself. It is an awesome display of canine art. Please take some time to take a look.

I have recently set up a storefront on Etsy which, if you're not familiar with it, is a site dedicated to selling all hand made items. Right now I have only my ACEOs listed, but in the next few weeks I intend to have original artwork, prints and note cards available for purchase there. You can get to my store through this link ctempleart.etsy.com. Please drop by for a look. If there's something not there that you would like to see drop me an email. I do commissions and requests!

That's about all the news for now. I'm off to complete the three miniature paintings waiting for me in the studio. I'm working on three at once... a black lab puppy, a yellow lab puppy and a golden retriever puppy all done in acrylic. With any luck I'll have them done today!

Feathered Elegance

2009-03-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

The weather outside can't decide if it's winter or trying to be spring. The last two days I woke up to snow and cold in the morning, but by afternoon the sun has come out and all traces of snow have melted away only to return sometime during the night. But I guess that's pretty typical for March!

I snapped this photo on one of my outings and as you can see there's a little spring and a little winter in this picture. This beautiful ring neck pheasant was out searching for food right along the road and was not bothered at all that I had stopped my vehicle to snap his picture. I took quite a few actually, and he never moved off. In fact, I finally got tired of watching him! I think things would have been a little different if I had actually gotten out of my car. Sometimes vehicles can be great wildlife blinds because the animals get used to them and don't feel threatened, but if I had gotten out and pointed that "thing" at him ( the "thing" being my camera!) well that would have made him nervous and I'm sure he'd have flown off. I got some great reference material though....nice full body shots and close ups for detail. I'm formulating a few ideas for paintings so I'm sure you'll see this handsome fellow again.

I'm still working away towards my shows in April. Finally got most of my cards done, have inventoried my paintings and I'm starting to work on some prints. I have also decided to do up some miniature paintings, 5" x 7" or less, to offer as quick sale items of original work. They will be priced accordingly and I've decided that they will not be framed. That will save me time and money and if they are done on wrapped canvas where the sides can be painted they will work perfectly to hang without frames in a grouped display or on a table or desk on a small, decorative easel. These will most likely feature wildlife and probably some dogs, but either way I will post some here for all to see.

Time to get back to work and wait for the sun to melt the snow!

"It's My Chair" takes Third!

2009-03-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

"It's My Chair" wins third place in the Drawing category at the Art Show At The Dog Show competition I recently entered!!!!! ( See my post from Feb. 13, 2009 for details about that) I just received notification today. It was wonderfully exciting to first be juried into the show and that had me floating on Cloud 9 for days, but this is even more exciting! I was in tears again! I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have had my artwork recognized this way especially knowing the quality and talent of the other artists that were chosen for this show. Thank you, God, for giving me this talent and helping me to use it! Big, wet, sloppy dog kisses of Congratulations go out to all who were chosen for awards!! Please click the link to the Art Show At The Dog Show website above to view the winners. They are not posted just yet, but should be soon.

Masson - Truck Dog, Too

2009-03-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

Meet Masson! Masson is a Golden Retriever/Husky mix that also shares "truck dog" status with Melvin and Matilda, the two Yorkies I introduced here a few weeks ago. Both pieces were done in graphite pencil. All three dogs share a home with a wonderful, young couple and will soon be gracing the walls of the new house they are buying. Congratulations!

Life in my world has been pretty hectic lately as I continue to prepare for some upcoming shows next month. There seems to be a never ending list of things to get done.....more paintings to paint, framing of those paintings, note cards, prints and ACEOs to create and package, business cards and brochures to print. There have been days when the amount of stuff I have to think of becomes overwhelming and I feel like sitting in the middle of my studio and crying/screaming/rejoicing! I'm not sure which I really want to do.....sometimes all three!!! Those are the days when I usually have to leave it all behind and go outside somewhere for a good long walk and have a really long talk with God. He's good about listening to my ranting and raving and He will gently remind me that he's there and not to worry. Of course, me being me, I don't always listen and choose to become a basket case anyway! I can just see God shaking his head!

Well, it's time to be off to work again! Check out my website www.petportraitsbycatherine.com to see the new updates there. Thanks and blessings to my wonderful friend, Judy, for all her work on creating a beautiful site for me!!

Until next time........!!!!!!

Sporting Dog Series - Yellow Lab

2009-02-23T13:07:00.001-08:00

It's Monday!!! I'm finding my tail is dragging a bit today and I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to be doing any painting today. I spent a wonderful, long weekend with my husband as we celebrated our 21st anniversary. We really enjoyed our time together laughing and sharing and going places and now it's back to work for us both and even though I work from my home some days it's still hard to face the work week, especially when you've had such a lovely weekend. You just don't want that to end, you know?

Well, that said, today I am sharing another painting in my Sporting Dog series that I just completed last week. This one features a very handsome Yellow Lab that I'm calling "Past to Present." This painting is also done in acrylic and I am really enjoying the results I'm getting. Having the ability to change things as you go is very appealing and I used that characteristic in this piece a few times. It came in very handy when I needed to adjust color and change how the background looked. I originally had the grass going up much higher, but decided that I was losing the puppy in all that yellow so I just painted it into blue sky. In the other mediums I work in that would not have been possible. I'm thinking that acrylic just may become my medium of choice, but I'm going to keep experimenting before I make that a final decision. This piece is 11 x 14 done on hardboard and is for sale though I have not set a price yet. Note cards and prints are also available. Inquires may come to me at my email address...kindredspirits@clearwire.net.

Work on my website updates is moving along nicely and should be ready in a few weeks to publish. I'm hoping to have a page to start selling items directly from my site, things like note cards, prints and even some originals. I'll keep you informed as to when that will happen. In the meantime, I'm just trying to keep painting away to fill my booth for the upcoming April shows I have scheduled. So many things I have going on right now is really keeping me so busy that I'm beginning to think I need a secretary. Think I can find one to work for free???

Everyone have a great week and remember to count your blessings!!

Brittany in Acrylic

2009-02-16T11:20:00.001-08:00

Recently, I have begun to experiment with acrylic paint. I have wanted to try this medium for some time as I have always heard it is such a wonderful, forgiving medium. However, in my hands it always seemed to be a struggle and I usually ended up throwing the piece away, but one of my goals for this year was to try it again. I'm very glad that I did because this time the results are much more to my liking. I learned, through a lot of reading, that I needed to work in thinner layers and build the paint up gradually. This is not the only way to work with acrylic as many artists I know can really work with it in thick, juicy passages. That technique only left me frustrated. So even though I was looking for a quicker way to paint I still have to handle this medium like I do my watercolors and colored pencils...slower and with layers. It may not always stay this way, but for now it's working better and I like the results.

This painting was done on a hot pressed watercolor paper as I wanted to be able to achieve some fine detail. I really wanted to capture the intense gaze of this Brittany as it locked up on point. I was not so much interested in what the dog was pointing at as I was in the "intensity" of it's point and the look in it's eye.

This painting is 5" x 7" and is currently available for purchase for $150.00. I will also have it available in prints, note cards and ACEOs. Inquiries may come to my email kindredspirits@clearwire.net.

Art Show at the Dog Show Entry

2009-02-13T18:42:00.001-08:00

I am so pleased and excited to share the news with you that my drawing of my dog Maggie entitled "It's MY Chair" has been selected to participate in a national juried art show dedicated to canine art. The Art Show at the Dog Show is an annual event held in conjunction with the Sunflower Cluster Dog Show in Wichita, Kansas. I am almost beside myself with excitement as this is the first national art competition that I have ever been juried into! My entry will travel next week to Kansas and will then be judged along with many other amazing entries for various different awards and a chance at being awarded Best in Show. If chosen for that honor there will be a nice cash prize and my artwork will become a part of the AKC Museum of the Dog permanent display. That would be VERY exciting!!! As it is, just being chosen to be in the show is a great and wonderful accomplishment as there were 580 entries from 200 artists and from what I've seen of the artwork that was chosen I am humbled by the talent that will be represented there. The art will be on display at three different locations in Wichita. It will be at The Foyer Gallery in the Century II Convention Center, the CityArts Building, and the Sunflower Cluster Dog Show at the Kansas Coliseum from March 3rd -April 5th. All artwork will be for sale so if you have an opportunity to be in Kansas then stop by and enjoy the show!

Tiny Truck Dogs- Yorkies in Pencil

2009-02-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

These two little darlings are a pair of Yorkshire Terriers named Matilda and Melvin. They are quite the pair! I had the opportunity to meet them both and take my own reference photos. Matilda was quiet and reserved with this wild hair sproinking out all over. Melvin had the terrier spirit, thinking he was much larger than his size and ready to take on the world, or at least that bigger dog he heard barking at the neighbors! Both dogs enjoy going places with their owner like out for walks or gathering wood, hence the "tiny truck dog" theme.

In my neck of the woods you often see dogs riding in the back of pickup trucks and they get the name of "truck dogs". Many of these dogs are working breeds like cattle dogs or border collies and are used for herding or ranch work. They go everywhere with their masters and are usually left guarding the truck when their masters go to town. If you look close you can see a hint of window frame as they peer out waiting patiently for their masters return.

Hope you enjoy these two little cuties! Thanks for looking!

2 Chessies in Pencil

2009-02-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

These two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers were a very special commission for a very special friend. She chose to have it done in graphite pencil because it has such a timeless, elegant simplicity to the medium.

Both of these dogs have passed on now. I personally knew the dogs and had hunted with my friend and her husband in past years. It took us awhile to get the right pictures together that best captured Punkin and Belle and because the dogs were so special it brought back a lot of memories and a lot of emotion. Anyone that has truly loved any animal can understand that.

I hope you enjoy seeing this painting as much as I enjoyed doing it. It was a special honor for me to do this for them because it pays tribute to some wonderful dogs and because a part of my life is wrapped up in this, too.

Give your furry friends an extra hug today for the love they give us is exceptional and their time with us way too short.

Thanks for looking!

Januarys' Beauty

2009-01-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr!!! It's a chilly 10 degrees here this morning, but the sun was finally shining and cold or not I had to get out and be in it's bright brilliance. We've had so many dark, foggy, dreary days lately that the sun is definitely a welcome sight! We had light snow all weekend and it was fairly warm, about 32 - 34 degrees. As it warmed up the snow started to melt and icicles started to form. Apparently, we must have had an interesting freeze - thaw cycle going on because it formed these lacy designs hanging off my carport. I've never seen icicles quite like these so I snapped a few pictures to share with you.

On my walk this morning I was treated not only to the brilliant sun, but all the beauty a winters day in January can bring... ice crackling on the river as the water moves underneath it, crystal clear blue skies, snow sparkling so bright it brings tears to your eyes, steam rising off the river as the sun starts to warm it and ducks materialize and then disappear in the mist.

Yes, I know many parts of the country are experiencing some very nasty weather, but instead of grumbling about it perhaps we should try to find things about it we could enjoy like the intricate, lacy design of these icicles or the fascinating fact that no two snowflakes are alike. How amazingly creative our God is that he would do these things for us to enjoy! So wherever you live today, stop and take a moment to enjoy this January day. Find something that you love about winter....maybe it's hot chocolate, a warm snugly blanket and a good book. Or if you're like me the awesome beauty of the cold outdoors! Whatever it is remember this......This is the day the Lord has made! Rejoice and be glad in it!

Black Morgan Horse in Watercolor

2009-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

A slight departure today from the subjects that I usually paint. Most of what I do are dogs, but I live in an area that also has a lot of horses and from time to time I get a commission to paint one. This is a Morgan horse depicted against a setting of misty mountains where he is often ridden on trail rides. There are a lot of awesome wilderness trails near me and you can ride off into the sunset or sunrise and be out and totally alone and be witness to the most spectacular scenery. Sigh! While I can't be out riding a horse into the wilderness right now, I can look at this picture and dream about doing so. Maybe you can, too.

Well, I have my business plan written out and my schedule for the year is starting to take shape. My first show will be the Lewiston Spring Cluster Dog Show April 17 - 20, in Lewiston, Id. and I was just notified that I was selected to participate in the Art Under the Elms show this spring also in Lewiston, Id. The show dates are April 24 - 26. It is a part of the annual Dogwood Festival here in the valley and is a big event for our area. These are both good sized shows and coming so quickly one after the other is going to really have me hopping! I have a lot to do between now and then! I need to get started producing new work and implement the ideas that I have outlined in my plan. I have only a few months to do it in and I will still need to be working on my current commissions. So you know where I'll be for the next few months.... in my studio painting away! I'll need a picture like this horse painting that I can look at and dream about because until those first few shows are over I will be sequestered away!

Well, time to get to work. Pray for me to be flowing with ideas and the energy to paint them! Blessings until next time!

The Line Up - English Setter Puppies

2009-01-03T12:30:00.001-08:00

Welcome to 2009 featuring my first painting for the New Year! I've entitled this "The Line Up". It was a suggestion from my husband who thought the puppies looked like they had just gotten caught in the middle of some mischief and were lined up so the guilty party could be identified. Looks to me like they're all guilty, but mostly of stealing ones heart!

I had taken this photo last summer and believe it or not these English Setter puppies had lined up just like this. I didn't really modify the design much from the photo except to perk up the ears on two of the pups because it made them all look too sad or serious. The original photo was shot with them inside a fenced area and it really made them look like they were convicts behind bars, hence the sad looks.

This is the first in my new series of Sporting Dog paintings, just one of my goals for the new year. This piece is done in gouache and is currently for sale. Prints and note cards are also available and I will also feature it as an ACEO on Ebay. If you are interested in purchasing the original or any of the reproductions please email me at kindredspirits@clearwire.net.

I have many new plans for my art business this coming year so please keep watching my blog and my website for new updates. In the works will be a face lift for my website, new portrait sizes for commissioned work, and online outlets to purchase prints and other merchandise featuring my new designs. I'm excited about the new possibilities and I think you will be too. As always, thanks for looking and Happy New Year!

Snow Beast

2008-12-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-16T14:34:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-15T11:51:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

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........

2008-07-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-27T11:19:00.001-07:00

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!