August 30, Fergal the Comforter!

Can you tell how much fun this one was to paint? I love that sweetly scooped face, that nose with the white smudge and those eyelashes...

And Fergal is all wrapped up in his blanket~ loved painting that too!

And I had to post Sarah's comment here!

Fergal's portrait is SUBLIME. Love the colors and his 'bankie'. It's nearly his 1 year birthday, which he shares with his Person, Sam, who will be 34. This painting is a gift to Sam, who this time last year was critically ill (though not covid) and intubated for 28 days. We are all still healing, but Fergal has made the journey easier. ESA dogs are the best medicine!

6x12 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

 

August 29, Mango the Bulldog!

This was a super fun face to paint!  Look at all that expression!!!  This is Mango Bowie, and he is owned by Toni, who has this to say about him~

"Mango is a charming, fastidious, two-year-old- 65 pound English Bulldog who was the first pup born to my daughter's bully, Mynt-E.    He has the physique of a body builder and speed of a gazelle,  and yet the napping ability of an English nobleman.  Mango is a perfect gentleman indoors enjoying fine cuisine ( preferably human), family activities and snuggling. He is a living stuffie with tons of personality who particularly loves riding shotgun in “ his” pickup."

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold~

 

August 28, Sophie!

 I love this one- with the backlighting and the high horizon line and the wide mouthed smile, and just all of it!  This is my friend Kris' friend's dog, and we're doing a trade for the painting. If you are ever wanting one of my paintings and you aren't sure you can afford the whole price, you can always check in with me for a trade. I've traded art for flying lessons and babysitting and dishes and gift cards and wine, and you never know what you might have or be able to offer!

And if you are in the area tonight, we are in Lanesboro for the Artist Reception for "My Wild and Precious Life" at Lanesboro Arts!  I am SOOO excited!

Wahoo!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 27, Minnie!

 Minnie's owner, Cheryl, had a difficult time selecting a photo for this project, and I had a hard time picking one. We ended up agreeing that this one is a great, straight-on full face portrait, and that this represents Minnie best.

Minnie has that wonderful brindled coat, with the greys and whites in stripes and wonderful patterns, and she also has those amazing ears! Well, and those eyes are pretty great too~

Okay, she's just fun to look at!

12x12 acrylic on wood

sold

August 26, Myra!

 And this was another fun one to paint, lucky me! Such lovely bone structure, and such sweet eyes!

And this is what Joanne wrote about her~

 Myra Pit-bull is a rescue pit Bull mix  She is 1 1/2 years old. She loves to dig holes and wrestle with her brother Bentley Hound Dog. 

8x8 acrylic on wood

Sold!

 

August 25, Dweezil

 And this is Dweezil!

I've only got 5 more dogs to paint for this project, and I'm really cutting it close some days!  Whew!  I like to usually paint these in the morning, and in July that seems to work, but it is August and I'm an art teacher and we have workshops and meetings all this week and the kids come next week!  AAAACK!!!

My art room is SO not ready!

8x8 acrylic on wood

$224

click here!

August 24, Milou

 Hmm, so I should not post the video and photos along with the paintings, or something... because that didn't seem to work!

This is Milou. He lives in Costa Rica. He was found on the border of Panama, covered in fleas and matted fur and still able to dance on his hind legs, and my sister rescued him and brought him back to Costa Rica where she and her fiancé take turns dressing him up and loving him!

6x6 acrylic on wood

I think I need to get this to my sister...

August 23, Marley!

 So this is Marley, and she lives at Camp Mishawaka, and she is Bunny's best friend. We loved having her around because she could wear Bunny out. You had to be careful when they got going, though... I know too many people who've gotten knocked over by a playing pair of pups!

And I had to include a few more shots of the two of them!

8x8 acrylic on wood~

August 22, Illy

And that is ""Illy" like Silly but without the S" as Judy explains. Illy is no longer with us, and I admit I felt honored to paint this version of a lovely dog on a dock. 

Judy says this about her Illy~

" : An adventurous, playful, curious soul who loved long walks, bounding through deep snow, and watching water from docks and shorelines. Strong and willful yet demure and respectful. She loved treats, frozen blueberries at breakfast, two bites of whatever I was eating that was “puppy-approved”, and having her teeth brushed every night. We experienced many life changes over the course of our years together. She opened my heart with unconditional love and is with me always."

8x16 acrylic on wood

sold

August 21, Radar!

 Well, this is Radar, who is as you can see a smiley and athletic and ready-to-go kind of dog!  I have to admit I am not delighted with something about this painting, and I'll be readdressing it later today~ sometimes that happens, and it may be more to do with me than the paintings, but if I don't like it then I don't want YOU to have it!  So there will be another version of Radar!

However, we have to get going to our First Outdoor Art Fair of 2021!  The Carpenter Art Fair is today, and we'd love to see you there if you can make it! 

8x8 acrylic on wood

August 20, Louis, with and without Eyes!

 Loveable and SO sweet, this is Louis, who lives with my friend Rachel in Wisconsin~ I'm wanting her to tell us about Louis in her own words, and I am always delighted when I see her posts of Louis on her Instagram account!

"Louis became a part of Tom’s life as a tiny baby pup! He quickly revealed his spunky, stubborn personality. His google eyed head turning suggested he REALLY knew what you were talking to him about. Napping and wrapping up in blankets are Louis’ favorite activities. His favorite meal was the full Thanksgiving feast with all of the fixings and on the good china (Grandma was aghast!) After ten years, those amazing googly eyes developed sudden onset glaucoma. His vision lost and trouble managing the pressure led to both eyes being removed. This has not really changed much for Louis! Stubbornness may be the key as he keeps on going even if he bumps into things now and then! We are lucky he lets us be his best friends!"

8x8 acrylic on wood 

sold

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

August 19, Ox and the Bubbles!

 This one totally cracked me up as I was painting it!  Ox is blurry in the photo but I didn't want to paint him that way, and the eyes look better sharper because you can see his expression as he's watching the bubbles!

My friend Angie asked me to paint this for her, and I made it a rectangle because that head is too big for a square!

"I was hoping to be part of your dog project and commission an 8x8 painting of our new fur baby- Oxford Blue, aka Ox!  

He’s about 14 months old now! Such an Ox! "

Such a perfect name!

8x10 acrylic on wood

already taken!

 

August 18, Max!

 And this sweet faced pup is Max! What a perfect expression he has- though I am pretty sure that the photographer has something in their hand to get Max's attention... because he is really alert!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 17, Boola!

 This is Boola. What a presence! I can just feel her breath coming through the paint as I placed each stroke. SO great!

And here's what Laurel says about her~

Blurb on the Boola Baby:

Boola is a 13 year old rescue of the breed "big brown dog." Once we walked past a group of preschoolers and one shouted "it's a buffalo!" She likes to bring visitors a leaf in her mouth as a welcome gift, adores the mailman, and makes friends everywhere she goes. 

 She is 13 (very distinguished) and a big wooly lady, and I'd love the opportunity to have her painted.

6x12 acrylic on wood

paid for!

August 16, Loki and Thor

 Hey! I'm over halfway through the 30 Days already!  Whew! And honestly this has been a more difficult year than I'd expected, really... I'm loving painting the dogs, of course, but it has been harder to create the time to paint.  I'm wondering more and more about finding some sort of Virtual Assistant to help with this part of my work, the posting stuff part!  Know anyone?

And this is Loki and Thor, and they were just a delight to paint! Those personalities are screaming out the photo at me as I paint-  it's gotta be the eyes and the body postures, don't you think?

And this is what Tracy wrote to me with this photo~

"Hello! I’d like you to paint my guys (left to right), Loki and Thor. They’re Chinese Cresteds. This is a very “them” pic—I’m guessing they were informing me that it was time for me to get up and give them cookies. I just love them together in pics."

9x12 acrylic on wood

this one is taken!

August 15th, Bosca!

We are back from the cabin now, doing loads of laundry and fortunately it is a nice breezy warm day and it's drying on the line in no time!

And this is our dog of the day, Bosca! Did I mention how much I love painting black dogs?  You people just keep making my life better!

And here's what Cheri, Bosca's owner, remembers of Bosca~

"Bosca was a foster dog that I looked forward to rehoming because she was so difficult. But three months in, she was deemed unadoptable and by that time she had adopted me. Over the next nine years, we struggled through until we became the best of partners. She was my heart. Your portrait will keep her close to me. "

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 14, Ladybones for Deanna!

 I want to know more about her name and where it came from! I painted Deanna's dog Buddy a couple years ago, and this is Ladybones, who apparently has a wandering eye...

I think they are both pretty sweet eyes!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 13, Kitty and Juanita!

 Kitty is the fluffy one, and Juanita is the elegant lady standing in the doorway. These two live with Steve in a household of elderly rescued dogs and one pig and a turkey named Tofu and a chicken or two. I follow Steve's instagram, Wolfgang2242, and am in love with all his creatures and his entire philosophy on life, and when he posted this photo on July 5th, before I read his post I said to myself "I WANT TO PAINT THIS ONE!!!"

And so I let him know that I wanted to include it for this project~ and here's what he wrote about these two!

"I really love this photograph. I wish it were a painting. I'm not a great photographer by any means, but you know they say even a blind pig finds a truffle every once in awhile. I think this one is a truffle. 
Kitty and Juanita."

10x10 acrylic on wood

August 12, Winston and Emma!

Today's a two-for-one, with Winston and Emma!  Aren't they the cutest?

Lisa and her family got these two as pups about a year ago or so- and I'm not sure if they were COVID pups or not, but here's what she wrote about them!

Yes, they are wire haired fox terriers and they are a blast! They keep us out and about and on our toes.

10x10 acrylic on wood

yes, these are taken!

 

August 11, Teddy~

You might already know that I love to paint black dogs. This was an absolute pleasure. 

Plus those eyes....

And here's what Mindy says about her beloved Teddy~ and I'm sure she misses him.  I would!

" Teddy was a gentle soul, who always greeted his people by wagging his tail like crazy in a circular motion.  He was a nice quiet boy, who loved a good bone. He loved sunning himself in the grass, walks, and cuddles with his people. " 

8x8 acrylic on wood

already wanted!

August 10, Rocky!

 Okay, this photo just cracks me up!  Because Rocky is a pup, and that head is so big, and he's all curled up in his bed so his head looks even bigger. Dang!  And puppy wrinkles too!  SO good!

And here is what Liz, who has a few other paintings of mine, said about this pup!

"Yay!  I thought the big head pic really suits your painting style.  He’s a seeet puppy and we really look forward to seeing what you come up with.  Thank you!"

8x8 acrylic on wood

already claimed!

August 9, Grela!

And this is Grela!  I originally painted her background purple, but this brighter and more energetic background seemed better suited!

Here's what Monique wrote about this beautiful girl~ 

Summer of 2011, we walked into a shelter (our 4th that day) and our teenage son Austin went straight to Grela - I swear we could see cartoon hearts coming out of their eyes - and the two became a "pack." Grela was 5-ish... I say "ish" because she had 2 possible birthdates, and when she crossed the rainbow bridge in April 2021, she was either 15 or almost 17 depending on which date camp you're in. Either way, she spent most of her life at Austin's side, and got to be a very old lady for a husky (possible mix, some have suggested wolf!). She was a "diva" and loved to chase birds, gophers, bunnies & bobcats... even caught a few. She was a good, happy dog and we miss her so much, but we were lucky to have had her in our lives as long as we did.

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 8, Bowie!

 Melissa sent me a number of photos of Bowie, and this one is my favorite!  It is amazing how different a dog can look in photos, I suppose like humans too, right!

But this over-the-shoulder glance and just that look in his eye, wow!  I love this one!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 7th, Skye and her Frisbee!

 This one was a bit trickier, with the full body and all. It is why I usually opt to paint just heads for this project, because they are a bit more simple and I don't have to account for the entire creature and background and shading and all that stuff- and it is honestly harder to paint a small face than a big one!

So it took some futzing to get the light to feel right in Skye's eyes, but I think I got it!

Whew!

12x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for~

August 6th, Festus!

 This adorable little creature is Festus! And I'm realizing that Karin was hoping for green for the background, and I was just noticing that I used my favorite firey combination-  may have to go back into this one again too!

Karin sent this about Festus!

Sending some photos of our sweet dog.  One of our girls named him Festus when we got him 6 years ago because it means “festive, joyful, happy” in Greek. Perfect name for him because he is not only happy but brings so much joy into our lives.  Thank you for considering him as one of your hounds!

8x8 acrylic on wood

Spoken For!

August 5, Binga

 This is Binga. I believe this is a gift for a friend from a friend, which is always a lovely thing. And I worked really hard on Binga's eyes, because the one on the left just wasn't matching up with the one on the right, and it took some finagling and playing and redrawing to get it to sit right. I think it was John Singer Sargent who said you paint the head around the eye, and then the eye just goes right in there.  Like anatomically correct, kinda. At least that's how I understood what he was saying, and I think it is true that it really helps to have a basic understanding of the underlying physical structure of whatever creature it is you are choosing to paint.

At any rate, I do love painting black dogs!

12x12 acrylic on panel

spoken for!

August 4, Red Dog

 This is Red Dog, for my dear friend and artistic colleague, Michelle~ there's a lot of facial anatomy going on here in this one!  That wrinkled brow and concentrated look are a wonder of contrasts.. and I'm still not sure about the background color, so I may be going back into this one-

However, the day calls and I needed to get this started and posted before I run off to the Crafts Cabin for my morning of pottery with kids!

Wahoo!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 3, Linus

 Okay, this is one of those dogs that just about painted himself!  I see the photo and I'm thinking "this is the most adorable face I've ever seen!!!" and the paint just knows where to go!

Here's what Donna says about this sweet pup!

"Linus is a 9 month old mini Bernedoodle.  He is bouncy and friendly and loves nothing more than to be with his family and friends.  He is just what the doctor ordered when winter hit and the pandemic was still a long way from over."

  

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

August 2, Tony

There were a few photos of this guy, and I had a hard time picking which one I wanted to paint. And I ended up going with this one because he is just so freaking cute. I think it's the wide open eyes...

I do hope to post these a little earlier in the day- I'm working on that for tomorrow morning.  It's always tricky getting into the routine at first! I hope to do most of my painting in the mornings so I can post before noon!

Wahoo!

8x8 acrylic on wood

$224

click here to buy!

 

August 1, Lily the Hammer

 Yay! I am starting the "30 Dogs in 30 Days" Daily Painting Challenge to myself NOW!  And this is Lily the Hammer!  I can see why~

Some dogs really fit their names, and this has to be one of those~  It feels like she could hammer you with that nose at any old suggestion, though I also think she must have a great sense of humor~

Oh and I've made some adjustments to the Official List already- stay tuned!

8x10 acrylic on wood

$280

click here to buy~