July 16, LUNA

 SO, in Minnesota right now, it's pretty smokey from the Canadian and Boundary Waters wildfires... it is really creepy to have the air taste like smoke and to not want to spend time outside in a Minnesota summer... and the fact that my 17 year old is an expert in AQI is NOT a good thing... that he went off to work this morning with a ventilator mask does NOT make me feel like a good parent.

Dudes, really- climate change is happening, and we need to make sure we are voting for people who believe this and who CARE enough to work to fix it, if we hope to have any kind of future for our kids, which I do!  Okay, enough of a lecture for now.... It's just weighing so heavily these days-

Which is why I love these projects!

SO the dog of the day is Luna, and I wanted to paint this one because of that intense eye contact and all the wonderful fluff of ruff and fur... SO fun!

Here's what Gennae wrote about her friend-

"Luna is 4 year-old German shepherd/malinois rescue. She’s a true representation of the breeds….loyal, intelligent, and very energetic. She often accompanies her family to work where she’s learned to open doors and stir up some chaos."

12x6 acrylic on wood

$300

click here for purchase info!

July 15, Pepper!

 Today's dog is a black lab, a black dog, like my Bingo who was the first black dog I painted. I really feel like Bingo taught me how to paint black, on black... it is extremely fun, and quite satisfying, like completing a puzzle. I sketch out the portrait first, and then paint it in sections, not overlapping much and attempting to honor the brush strokes, making each stroke count.

And here is what Shestin said about Pepper!

"Meet Pepper! I volunteer with Can Do Canines and Pepper is a service dog in training. She is a goofy, fast learning, hard working lab!  Can Do Canines trains service dogs for mobility, hearing, seizure, autism assist, or facility dogs (like you might see at Children’s hospital)."

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for~

July 14, Valdez

 I thought this guy just looked so intriguing.... Laura sent me two photos and one was of Valdez sprawled on a chair, looking kinda sexy, and I thought about painting that one, but that would have to be a bigger canvas, honestly! For these projects, just the face works best for a one-day painting!

I'm gonna see if I can get Laura to send me something about Valdez, like where did he get his name?

8x8 acrylic on wood

$275

click here to purchase!

July 13, Bramble!

 This is Bramble, Charlotte's parent's corgi! She sent a few pics and I was debating between two and my son said THIS ONE! Which I agree with! That is such a wide open, beautiful corgi-smile!

I also hope you are staying cool today, if you are in Minnesota where we are expected to feel like 100 degrees everywhere... I didn't get a Lake Hiawatha video this morning because we had to drive Max out to Roseville for his AIC camp... it felt cool out there at 7:30am... I just hope all the kids manage to stay cool all day!  It's gonna be a toasty week~

This one is a 6x6 and is available!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$160

click here to purchase!

July 12, Harley!

 This is Harley!  I made another little video as I did some of the finishing touches... I'll post that separately on instgram~

And his owners came yesterday to the sweltering St Kate's Art Fair and brought me freshly made chocolate chip cookies with the chips all melty! That's the best part of this job, if you can call it that!

Judy wanted me to make sure I got Harley's streaks- I hope I managed!
Here's what Judy wrote about Harley~

"I went looking to adopt a dog after my dog Frank died unexpectedly.  Harley was being fostered outside Bel Plaine. He was with 4 other dogs at the time.I just loved the name of the rescue group---Redemption Road. He was just 10 months old but he acted much older. He's a hound mixed with shepherd mixed with maybe husky. He loves sniffing, meeting people and finally, other dogs."

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

July 11, Clover~

And this is Clover~

Sorry for the delay~ I was at St Kate's Art Fair all day and am at home in the air conditioning recuperating... it was pretty darn hot!  Thank you everyone who came out to explore art and hang in the shade under those beautiful trees!

I'm not sure this one is done yet, but I am just wiped out from the day so I'll adjust later~

Here's what Tanya wrote about Clover~

"Clover is a 1.5 year mini American shepherd, blue merle in color with those piercing blue eyes. She's a petite girl, around 17lbs, and has already learned lots from her older "sister" Skye like catching a frisbee and riding in a car. They play and tumble with each other, and Clover jumps over and under Skye before Skye knows what's happening. Clover has developed the nickname "pillow princess" as she will perch on top of a mound of couch pillows, and she loves to snuggle when it's time for bed, basically saying, "can we go to sleep now please?!" "

8x8 acrylic on wood

$275

click here to purchase!

July 10, Frank!

 And here is yet another face that just could NOT not be painted! As in I just had to! And also, it was sent to me by a high school friend on whom I had a huge crush back in the day~ so of course!

This is what Paul wrote about Frank!

"Here’s a little bit about Frank - he’s an Australian Shepard but for Dog purists, he is officially an American Shepard.  He will be 12 this fall.  He’s been the family dog for most of this kids life.  He is docile yet the greatest defender of a threat to anyone in the family.  And he is a great looking dog.  Everyone in the neighborhood knows Frank."

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

July 9, Gracie~

 Isn't this the best face? My friend Rachel lives in Wisconsin way out there somewhere and has these wonderful little rescue Frenchies and axolotls and a compulsion to photograph insects and to run! She's the best!

And Rachel says of Gracie "she's a special rescue gal with a gummy bear body type and an insatiable need for food and affection!"

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

July 8, Goethe

 Oh my word, what an elegant creature this is... 

I've painted several dogs for Nick and his partner, and this is the second Giant Schnauzer- last year I painted Ingo who in his sprawling position as a delight to extend widely to the edges of the canvas. Goethe is a bit more reserved, and in a square format feels a little more contained. Here's what Nick said about Goethe~

"For a long time we have wanted to ask you to make a painting of the first of our Giant Schnauzers - Goethe - he sadly left us in the early 2000's. He was a formidable chap, very serious but loving and loyal. If you would like to add him to your 30-in-30 list we would love to buy the painting so we can include him with the paintings of Werner and Ingo that we love so much.

The futon was his favorite place -  I used the word serious to describe him, perhaps a more accurate word is sincere."

 I love using the word "sincere" to describe a dog such as Goethe...

10x10 acrylic on panel

sold

 And this stunner is Huck!  here's what Mary wrote about him~ great story~

Huck was a wild dog who had been to 4 homes before mine and had been kept in kennels for long periods of time because no one could handle him. I was asked by my daughter who worked with the rescue if I could give him some attention and training since I was retired and had time on my hands. I said I would foster… he never left. 

Once he arrived he got to work destroying everything I owned and my mantra became, “Huck has come into my life to show me what I don’t need anymore.” As a giant schnauzer/border collie mix, he was big enough to peruse the top of a book shelf and choose the most irreplaceable thing  it held. He would grab tubes of paint from my easel and run around the house squeezing paint out onto rare antique rugs and new furniture alike, resulting in a rainbow of colors in his white beard that I would carefully clean to avoid poisoning him. He went through 2 rounds of dog boot camp and even the trainers were perplexed about how to address his behavior.

I should mention that he was also incredibly sweet and funny and I was willing to work with him as long as it took for him to become a (semi) well behaved boy. Just as I was at my wits end in that pursuit, a trip to a friend’s cabin helped me stumble upon the answer, SWIMMING! He could swim for hours a day and found pure joy in the water. He swam back and forth in long laps across the lake. He swam next to boats and canoes, It had a calming effect  on him and he became a different dog. With this discovery,his

behavior,even between lake visits, miraculously changed. 

Huck became my constant companion and protector. He accompanied me on numerous cross country road trips for the 8 years he lived. He entertained my 102 year old father immensely and was a treasured visitor to all at his assisted living. 

Sadly,Huck was struck suddenly with an aggressive form of lymphatic cancer in the autumn or 2024 just after my father’s passing. By the time we discovered it he was suffering and struggling to breathe and we had to say goodbye far too soon. 

He remains in our hearts and is the subject of many true stories that all sound like tall tales  and despite his initial years of challenging antics, I fell in love and he became a cherished family member and a really good boy.

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

 

July 6, Heidi for Judy!

 It is still lovely and green in Minnesota- I hope you are finding cool spots wherever you are! It does get humid here, and you move slower and seek water, both to be in and to drink. I leave water out for the butterflies and birds and critters... and neighborhood dogs as they walk around. My pups always appreciate a bowl of clear fresh water as we walk the hood!

And this beauty is Heidi, who is Judy's Soul Dog, and who has a Magic Eye, as you can see! Perhaps Judy will tell us more about this amazing creature and I'll include it in the book!

I am always accepting commissions, so if you were hoping to be a part of this project, you can still send me your photos! If you know you want to buy it, I'll fit you in!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

July 5, Waylon

 Here's one that I just couldn't resist painting... can you tell why? Those big freaking eyes, that whole expression, the little bit of a lip...

Goodness! Who wouldn't want to paint Waylon!

And it is said about him that "He’s a cute little sausage who keeps up with his doggy siblings."

6x6 acrylic on wood

$160

click here for purchase info!

July 4, Lulu

 And this is Lulu~

She just seemed kind of an All-American Dog to me...

I hope you are having a safe, kind, communal, friendly, amusing 4th of July! 

8x8 acrylic on wood

$275

click here to purchase!

July 3, Lily for Donna!

Whew!  Lots going on around here! And this is LILY!!! Who doesn't love a sweet faced fluffball? And Donna wrote our her little story~

"Lily is an adopted pup we were happy to find. We don’t know her back story.   She  nicknamed the trash panda. She needs petting….her happy tail never ever rests!"

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

July 2, Cleopatra

 This is Cleopatra!  Doesn't she just really do the name justice?

And here's what Don wrote about her~

This is Cleopatra, our beautiful girl. When we were stuck at home during COVID lockdown we thought it was the perfect time to adopt a puppy. She's six years old now, very sweet and affectionate, but only has one thing on her mind... B-A-L-L!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

July 1, Lucy's Dog! and the OFFICIAL LIST!

 Okay, this is the first dog of the 30 Dogs in 30 Days and I don't know his or her name!  Lucy had shown me the photo and sent it to me, asking me to paint it, and I believe it is a relative's pup, and so possibly her nephew/niece pup... and since Lucy owns Diamond's Coffee Shoppe where I've been curating shows and hanging my 30 in 30 Projects for over 15 years (holy cow!) AND since Lucy is CLOSING DIAMONDS this weekend, I needed to make the first dog hers. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have without having her as a consistent and gentle space in which I could experiement and play with my work.

Here's to Lucy!  And GIT OVER TO DIAMONDS! I'm going today!

Oy, AND the OFFICIAL LIST of the 30 in 30 for this July! With the understanding that I am human and it will be switching around as the month goes...

8x10 acrylic on canvas

spoken for~

And the OFFICIAL LIST!

July  2026

1- Big Ears for Lucy  8x10

2- Cleopatra for Don 6x6 

3- Lily for Donna 8x8 

4- Whiskey for Dawn 8x8

5- Waylon for Kelly E 6x6

6- Heidi for Judy S 8x8 

7- Huck for Mary 8x8 

8- Goethe for Nick 10x10 

9-  Orion for Julie M

10- Frank for Paul D 6x6 

11- Clover for Tanya B 8x8 

12- Harley for Judy Fi 8x8 

13- Bramble for Charlotte 8x8

14- Valdez for Laura A

15- Pepper for Shestin L 8x8 

16- Shepard for Gennae 12x6

17- Old Cutie Kirby for Lisa A

18- Black and White pup for Kellie H

19- Percy for Andrew K

20- Rocky for jereed

21- Lucy at Camp for Angela

22- Jojo for Amalia 8x8 

23- Baby for Susan H 6x6

24- Cosmo and Comet for Betsy N 9x12

25- Tiley for Paula R 6x6

26- Harlow for Katie F 6x6

27- Catherine Palmer/Kim whiteford- Louise Ann, aka wheezy 6x6

28-  Cheena Marie for Kendyl B 6x6

29- Don and Rythmn for Joe L 9x12

30- Mochi for Max 12x12

June 29th, Snoop!

 This is a commission, a 12x12 on board of a fluffy pup, whose fur somewhat overtakes his sweet face, and his owner was concerned that he looked unhappy in the first rendition so I went back in to see if I could make him happier, and I hope I managed!

I am actively compiling my list at the moment and will be posting it tomorrow!!  I DO still have some spaces open for my 30 Dogs, and if you want your painted for SURE, I'm happy to fit you in!

You can follow along on my blog posts at my instagram account, I think... here's that link!

And here's the 30 Dogs info page! Still looking for a venue to hang the dogs for the month of August, if you can think of anything!

12x12 acrylic on wood

sold

June 24, His Daughter's Horses

 Whew!  Here's another commission I've been working on for a while- I love horses! They are anatomically quite different from cats and dogs, though... a little closer to the deer I love and haven't painted in a while either!  These are for my sweet friend Andy, for his daughter who loves her horses dearly.

I wasn't sure about the background, painting it in blues first, but I'm really happy with the somewhat abstracted trees back there!

a bit of a wonky photo, taken on a fully laden picnic table...

11x14 acrylic on wood

sold

June 20, The Daily Path

 At camp we are living in the woods. It's a maple forest mostly, with tall, gangly trunks rising up above more smaller tall gangly trunks and a wonderful airy green atmosphere. Every day is a gift, walking through that space.

10x8 acrylic on archival carton

$160

click here for purchase info

Up NOrth Painting~

 Yep! I'm up north a bit, painting and working with kids! Got some pups around here to paint so that helps too, and there's always the beauty of the lake to pull me in. This painting is from a cloudy sunset- and all that color is true! The sunsets are amazing up here!

It is pretty chilly up here too, which I absolutely love, except for those few minutes between taking clothes off and getting into the bed, and that other time of getting OUT of the bed and into clothes in the morning!

And just as a little reminder, SEND ME YOUR DOGS!  I'm still looking for a number of dog photos for my July 30 Dogs in 30 Days project!

Wahoo!

Evening Light

9x12 acrylic on wood

$215 

click here to purchase!