July 21, Punkin!

And this is my friend Dawn's dog, Punkin, also known affectionately as "Pig"~  though I can't remember at the moment why.  I'll have to ask Dawn about that and get back to you~

Whew!  I'm at my studio at the moment, painting up a storm on some larger paintings, and doing my daily ones too-  it's not as cool at my studio as it is at home, so we'll see how long I can last here~

8x8 acrylic on wood, we'll see what happens-  I think I need to give this one to Dawn...

July 20, Cecil!

Dang!  How can you not love a corgi?!  Just look at that face!  And I had such a great pile of photos of Cecil to pick from-  there may be a larger version painted later this week for my Artistry show, because I just love the proportions!
Here's Cecil's story!

Cecil is a one year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi from Abington, MA.  Cecil is very "down to earth".  He makes the most of his stubby legs by enjoying romps in the fields and wading at the beach.

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold!

July 19, Frode!

This was a fun, fluffy dog to paint for today~  it is Nathaniel's birthday and Frode is a surprise for him-  Frode loved the north shore and Nathaniel~  here's what Nathaniel's mom says about Frode~

Nathaniel decided he wanted a Keeshond when he was in second grade. Our first was Bjorn and then Frode. Frode joined our family through a Keeshond rescue organization on Valentine’s Day, 2010. Frode was a perfect match with Nathaniel. He could never get enough petting and snuggling. Nathaniel took Frode on adventures to places like Lake Harriett. They made up little games to play around the house. Frode was never more content than when he got to cuddle with Nathaniel. As Nathaniel likes to say, he was so stinkin’ cute. Forever in our hearts.

8x10 acrylic on wood, sold

July 18, Rosie in the Snow~

Ha!  here's another black lab mix-  gotta love these guys (and gals)!  This one is Rosie in the snow-  she's looking up waiting for something to be thrown-  you can tell she's got her one paw lifted ready to take off after it!
And here's what Kate sent along!

I love this project! In case you need another black lab mutt to paint- here is our young rescue from Standing Rock Res in SD- Rosie; arrived last fall (rash decision-I swore I would never get another puppy, and now I remember why) in my grief after losing my beloved canine Ruby-a yellow lab you painted.

8x8 acrylic on wood, $175 click here to purchase!

July 17, Queenie!

It's always fun when the client allows me to pick the photo I paint from!  I received several of Queenie, and I picked this one because it is the most regal!

I also think I should mention that I have a couple more art exhibitions coming up, along with my 30 Dogs in 30 Days Show!
On July 30th, I'll be hanging a raft of Otters out at the Chateau St Croix Winery and they will be hanging for the month of August, with a Closing Reception held on Sunday, August 28th from 1-4pm!  I like wine!  Come on out and join us! Just north of Taylor's Falls~

And I am really excited about my "Dog Days of Summer" solo Exhibition at Artistry, formerly known as The Bloomington Art Center!  I'll be hanging this show on August 1st, with an Opening Reception on Thursday August 4th from 6-8pm!  The dogs will be up all the way through to September 25th, and I've been painting up a storm.  There will be some pieces from private collections as well as brand new works and I am so excited to see these all up together!

And of COURSE the 30 Dogs in 30 Days Opening Party will be on Friday August 12 from 6-8 pm at Diamond's Coffee Shoppe in NE Minneapolis!  Please come to that TOO!

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold!

July 16, Pepper

This is Pepper, who lived in Australia with Shay, whose is a friend of my sister Colleen who is living in Brisbane at the moment~  great story~

Ode to Pepper 

Being a cattle dog, in was in Pepper's nature to 'herd' things. This inherent behaviour was transferred to things such as the frisbee, the hose, the vacuum cleaner and the all-time favourite - the tennis ball. Anything that moved with repetition or that she could chase had her undivided attention. To the point of obsession. If you had a tennis ball in your hand and you went to pat her (because she was sooooo cute when intently focused on that ball), she would pull away and let you know it was all about the ball. When I lived in Victoria, the pristine mountain streams and banks had rocky bottoms, with lovely smooth rounded rocks that children couldn't resist throwing into the water - this was always too much for Pepper and many a time she would catch these rocks and had worn teeth because of this. When I was living in north Queensland, I was living in this area with no fences that was just starting to become urbansied - Pepper used to roam around and would often come home with teddy bears - I cringe to think where she got them from and cringe now too at my lackadaisical approach to dog ownership. But they were carefree times and Pepper was carefree. We religiously walked every morning and everyone knew her. She was a character, mischievous. She would often get into the rubbish bin and lick any food wrappings - one night when we came home I even thought we had been burgled because there was rubbish all over the kitchen and living room floor! We used to live near a caravan park and she would often sneak out over there during tourist season - one time we had a call from a good friend who reported seeing Pepper trotting home with a 1kg Doner Kebab sausage (salami) in her mouth - sure enough we found her under the house with only bits of sausage wrapping left...we didn't feed her that night and some unfortunate tourist was probably wondering what on earth happened to their salami!!! There are many more stories I could share of Pepper - of her food stealing antics and of the countless, innumerous places we went together - beaches, rivers, creeks, parks, lookouts, forests, tracks, trails - exploring and sharing. She will be forever in my heart.

8x8 acrylic on wood, $175 click here for purchase info~

July 15, Rupa!

This was SO much fun to paint!  wow, those eyes, those ears, that NOSE-  such fun!

And here is Rupa's story, in his own words~

Woof.

 My name is Rupa. A strange name, I know, but my parents tell me it’s a name from a far-off place called ‘Nepal’, where they spent their honeymoon.

 I’m a lucky dog. I get to play a lot with friends at daycare. I get to go to school and learn all kinds of new things. But mostly, I’m lucky because I get to make a difference for my family.  I came to this family just before my grandma died and I could tell that made everyone sad. I decided that it was up to me to keep everyone smiling and laughing during their grief. So I just keep acting silly, giving them big slobbery kisses and the best part is, they keep giving me treats every time I do it!

12x12 acrylic on wood, sold~

July 14, Yoshi Bear!

This sweet little face belongs to Yoshi Bear!  I had so much fun painting this intelligent, alert, eager creature!

So thrilled our Yoshi Bear made the list! We adopted him from Minneapolis Animal Control in 2013. Neighbors noticed him alone for weeks outside a house in freezing January temps. The family had moved out without Yoshi!!! :( He was pretty skinny and his coat was in poor shape when he got to MAC. I saw him on their FB acct and felt an instant connection.  Rushed down to adopt him as soon as he was available. He gained weight and grew a lovely coat. He loves to be held all the time and is a very sweet gentle boy who makes us smile and gives us so much love.. He's 10yrs old now and we can't imagine life without our "Bear". 

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold~

July 13, Budha!

Here is today's lovely dog, Budha!  Doesn't he look noble and wise?

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold~

July 12, Mozart

I love this story about this dog!  And I had a great time playing with all those whites in his fur~

We adopted Mozart at six months of age after he became too big and powerful for his owner. He was our first child. 
He loved to chase squirrels, bat a ball back and forth on the lower level of our coffee table (coffee table ball), chew on racquetballs and make them squeak between his teeth, and play in the snow. He would always revert back to his happy gangly self whenever he got into water.
Once we were walking in an underground parking ramp and he accidentally stepped in a giant puddle of leaked car oil, slipped and did a belly slide. We used a whole bottle of Dawn getting his coat clean.
Mozart developed Cushings because of a pituitary tumor and died in early 2007. About that time we discovered we were pregnant with our first son Horace who we often say has been reincarnated because the two of them share so many personality traits.

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold!

July 11, Sage

Today's dog is a beautiful black dog, with a shiny black coat, on a soft beige tile floor, that was such fun to paint! And Sage has an incredible story attached to his incredible face~

Oh and I've painted a couple other dogs for this family, who adopt them from a dog training company, and this is the greatest pose of Sage relaxing, with those elegant forelegs crossed~

Sage also comes from the company's explosive search canine unit.  When Sage arrived from England it was discovered that he has a defect in his larynx which makes him ineligible to be a working dog in the heat of Saudi Arabia.  He was supposed to be sent back to the trainer in England as these dogs are very expensive for the company to purchase.  However, because of the strict laws on importing dogs into Saudi Arabia, he had to wait for some time period, have a new round of shots and would ultimately have gone into quarantine on arrival back in England.  So the company's canine unit had pity on him and put him up for adoption.  As we had recently had to let Bennie (the white lab you painted a couple of years ago) be put down because of age and illness, we went to the top of the list and were able to adopt Sage.

He had never been in a home, seen himself in the mirror, or heard a dog bark on television.  He adapted beautifully and as he is already trained to most commands, his training was pretty easy - except for jumping up on the kitchen counter.  He was, after all, trained to sniff and search.  He is wonderful with our grandchildren (aged 1 and 4) who live next door and lets them do just about anything to him.  Our four year old can make him respond to commands as easily as any adult.

9x12 acrylic on wood, sold

July 10, Henry!

And here is Henry, another sweet grey dog, my favorite kind~  I was so drawn to the light on his face, I was honored to paint him!

Henry Blue was a Christmas puppy for our youngest daughter - a sweet Weimaraner who had to grow into his baggy skin.  He quickly became known to all the children in the neighborhood, as he LOVED tennis balls and would return one to anyone who would throw it again!

There was something about this jowly shiny gray dog that people loved - our oldest daughter's college roommates featured a large photo of Henry in the living room of their apartment.

He was able to win over even tiny children who were afraid of big dogs, because he'd drop the ball and wait patiently for them to throw it back to him.  

Henry was a shy dog, slow to warm up to other dogs and people - so you knew that if he wagged and made a fuss, you were pretty special.  He was a very smart, gentle dog with a quirky personality and a great memory -very easy to make you his best friend.  He will be missed extraordinarily! 

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold

I had to include a shot of Henry with his favorite toys!

July 9, Lookyee and Marcy!

Hey!  So I did TWO dogs today, and both are slightly larger at 10x10, and also took a bit more time to complete, and I'm still not sure about Marcy's coloring...

These two lovely dogs are in Thailand, and belong to Nattie~

"You are a beautiful soul. May you rest in peace."

10x10 acrylic on wood, sold

"A strong protector and a loving friend!"

10x10 acrylic on wood, sold

July 8, "Chi Chi"

And now it is FRIDAY!  And this is Chi Chi!  I really loved this photo, with that look on her face and that pinky nose and lips... isn't she CUTE?!?

Little blurb about Chichi, we rescued her a year ago July 5th, she loves to sit on a lap and put her arms around your neck!

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold~

July 7, "Georgie!"

It seems like every year when I do this project, I have a certain kind of dog show up, and this year it seems to be fluffy ones!  And here is another!  Yay!

And a note from his owner, my friend Annie!

I have attached a photo of Georgie, my little soul-dog friend. Georgie was a rescue dog; I flew to North Carolina to get him. When his foster mom brought him to the airport to meet me, he ran up to me and planted slobbery kisses all over my face! From that day on, we were inseparable. 
His fluff might be a fun 30 day/ 30 dog challenge for you. ;-)

8x8 acrylic on wood, $175 click here to purchase!

July 6, Rugby, with Long Hair & Short Hair

This was a wonderful, double portrait of a sweet, long haired dog in both her long coat and her short coat!

Rugby was born on March 21, 2001 in the Catalan region of Spain. She is the daughter of a Spanish champion. Her breed is known as Catalan Sheep Dogs (or Gos d'Atura Catala). This breed is not known in the United States, but it is very popular in Cataluña, Spain. The Gos d'Atura was named the symbol of the Olympics when they took place in Barcelona.

Gos d'Atura are bred as working dogs. They herd sheep on the mountains in Spain. They are known for their intelligence, good nature, and work ethic.  

Rugby came as a surprise for our two boys who had been begging for a dog for years. We had to make all the arrangements in secret, but it was not too hard to do this since the phone calls took place around 2:00am (here), more like 10am in Spain.  

Rugby spent the night in a dog hotel in Amsterdam on her way to Minnesota. When she arrived, my husband and I picked her up at the airport and took her to our friend Angel's house to bathe her and get her ready. We put a huge red bow on her neck and put her in a bin in front of our house door. We had made arrangements for all the cousins and our kids to be at our house with my parents. When we rang the door bell, my parents urged all the kids to go see who it was, but not one of them wanted too. Their parents had taught them that they should not open the door if they did not know who it was. My parents walked them all to the door and opened it. My husband and I were outside filming all the kids as they figured out that they were getting a dog. It was a really fun and memorable experience for all!

Rugby turned out to be the very best choice for our family. She is very gentle and good natured with children. She hardly barks and has never destroyed anything at our house. She is very smart and has lived a very healthy and long life. She turned 15 years old this past March and is going strong!

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold

July 5, "Tippy!"

Wahoo!  A lovely perky face, with a great story!

This all started 3 years ago when I found a scared, dirty, little white dog in my yard. I really wanted to keep her, but I had an old, sickly cat who hated dogs. So my brother-in-law took in the white dog and named her Pippi. They live next door to me, so this was almost as good as keeping her myself. I grew to love her and, after the cat died, I really wanted my own dog. 

My husband and I got Tippy from Ruff Start Rescue in January 2016.  He had worms and had not been neutered yet, but that's all we know about his early years. He was adopted by an elderly lady who returned him after 6 months for marking & barking. We adopted him anyway, he was just so darn cute! And with the name Tippy (Tippy and Pippi, get it?) I thought the universe was trying to tell me something.

Tippy is a great friend to us. He is spirited and opinionated yet sweet and affectionate. He "talks", a sort of whining vocalization that usually ends in a bark. He has a bark for all occasions- happy, excited, scared, annoyed - and he's not afraid to use any of them! He loves walks, treats, and butt rubs. He hates flies, bicycles, and being brushed. He's become good friends with Pippi and enjoys chasing her around the yard. 

We are thrilled to be getting this painting to mark the beginning of our journey with Tippy. We look forward to many entertaining years with him!

10x10 acrylic on wood, sold!

July 4, "Roxie"

And this is the one I painted this morning, in the sun, with a bit of difficulty seeing whether the colors were on or not, so I had to retreat to the garage where I was able to adjust a bit here and there.  We are at my brother-in-laws and there's a number of art-interested grandchildren around who are fascinated by my painting...  pretty fun to paint for an eager audience!
 And here is what Cheryl has written about Roxie, our dog of the day, a good old black lab mix!

Roxie is a lab mix. We saw her picture on the internet. She was at our local shelter. Roxie was scheduled to be euthanized in two hours. She reminded us of our previous dog who had died a year earlier.  Both were neglected and abused.  Both had many health issues to deal with and were emaciated.  When we saw Roxie, we knew it was time to help another dog in need.  We went to get her immediately!  Our vet helped her health issues.   With time, a lot of TLC, and lots of patience, Roxie has become a very sweet and loving dog.  We are blessed and happy to have her in our lives.  She is a lucky dog, but WE are even luckier to have HER!  We Love her!  

8x8 acrylic on wood, sold!

July 3, "Bernadette Blue, Wagglebottom, Korean Pop Star"

And here is today's lovely, hugely brown eyed pup!  We're talkin' serious eye-appeal, fluffity-fluffiness, and ears as soft and silky as clouds!

This is Bernadette Blue Wagglebottom, Korean Pop Star!  And here's what Jasper has to say about her~

She is a puppy mill survivor. My twin sister got her 4 years ago, along with a breeding dog that they were giving away for free. Bernie was one of 400 dogs at a breeding facility in Iowa. She is very shy and a bit socially weird, just because she spent the first 4 months of her life in a cage. Bernie is a Dashalier.

Bernie loves Italian, everything. She is not Korean.

8x8 acrylic on panel, $175 click here to purchase!

July 2, "Bimo"

I love painting fluffy dogs!  When I first started painting dogs seriously, I loved painting black dogs because my love at the time was Bingo, my sleek black lab, and his coat of many shades of black, from dark blue indigo to lavender highlights, and now, I have a fluffy dog too, so here we go with fluffy love!
This was a very sweet one to paint-  getting all those little peaks and valleys of shade and light is a fun endeavor!
And here is a little blurb about Bimo, from Brad who knew him and his owner, Mary~
"This is Bimo. He was my friend Mary's dog. He passed away a few years ago. He was a very special dog. Mary would take him to work at the Ramsey County Mental Health Center & he would always brighten the client's day. "
 I'm sure he would've brightened mine!

8x8 acrylic on panel, sold~

July 1, Hubert!

Happy JULY!!!  Here is Dog #1 for the month!  I was so excited to get started this morning, I think I may have skipped a bit of Hubert's body!  I might go back into this one after soccer camp this morning...
At any rate, THIS is Hubert!  Isn't he adorable?!?
Here is what his owner says about him!
Hubert is a 1 year old Border Terrier. His favorite activities include… hurdling his brother during games of chase (of course) and swimming.  We love Hubert’s dark eyes and of course THAT FACE! 

8x8 acrylic on wood, $175 click HERE to own the first of the month!

June 30, The OFFICIAL LIST of 30 Dogs in 30 Days, July 2016!

Yay!  One last painting before I start the dogs tomorrow-  Max requested this one today, I really don't know why-  it's a little brown bat.  You know, seven year old boys and brown bats-  the two go together like peas and carrots!

6x6 acrylic on panel, NFS (Max wants it, of course...)

And HERE is the OFFICIAL LIST of this year's 30 Dogs in 30 Days!  Wahoo!!!! And I reserve the right as a human (with a human's foibles)  to adjust and modify this list as necessary for the month of July~

And I have saved a couple dates near the end in case of emergency cute dog-ness!

Can't wait to get started!!!

30 Dogs in 30 Days, July 2016

July 1- Hubert for Eric L

2- Bimo for Mary H 

3- Bernadette Blue Wagglebottom for Jasper 

4- Roxie, for Cheryl & Paul 

5- Tippy for Andrea and Andrew

6- Rugby (longhair AND shorthair) for Laura R

7- Georgie for Annie B

8- ChiChi for Cynthia W 

9- Lookyee for Nattie (Paul)

10- Marcy for Nattie (Paul)

11- Sage for Candy K 

12- Mozart for Lisa 

13- Buddha for Mattie

14- Yoshi Bear for Nanci D

15- Rupa for Tanya A  

16- Pepper for Shay

17- Queenie (for Cynthia's Sis) 

18- Rosie for Kate T

19- Frode for Nathaniel (Gay G) 

20- Cecil for Joe (Donna H) 

21-Buddy/Buster for Dawn U

22- Honey for Wendy L 

23- Otto for Anna P

24- Augie for Liz J

25- Poodle for Andrea G

26- Murphy for Allison W 

27- Yoshi for Sherri D 

28- Buddy for Lisa's mom!

29-

30-

June 29th, Thunder!

I painted this one today, outside at Powderhorn Park watching Max at soccer camp... he's so fun to watch!  He really is the class clown, unfortunately, but at least he seems to know how to make friends~  and this little dog is one of them.  This is Thunder, the little dog belonging to one of the blacksmiths at the North House Folk School, whom Max fell in love with two years ago and who was still here this year, and who is incredibly tolerant of seven year old dog lovers.

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to purchase!

And here is the photo of my Max and another Max at soccer camp today-  they'd dressed in opposite colors and decided that tomorrow would be red day- and a shot of Max and Thunder!

June 28th, And Then There's Another

So yes, here is another apple! This one is a Red Delicious, with that toothy shape and those lovely shoulders~  hmmm~
And yes!  Please DO send me your dog photos!!!
Yay for apples and dogs!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 for this sweet baby! Click HERE!

June 27, "Did You Say STAY?"

Here's a face I am sure you've never seen before-  especially if you don't happen to have a dog who knows how to use her eyes to her advantage...

And don't forget to send me your dog pictures!  I'm making my list up this Thursday and I paint my FIRST DOG on Friday!
More info below!  And I'm making this one an auction!  Ha!

9x12 acrylic on wood, $45 starting bid!  Click HERE to join in the auction!

It is NEVER too late! 
well, technically, it won'd be part of the project if I paint your dog AFTER July 31, though I am always delighted to do another one!
that's why you want to
SEND ME YOUR HOUNDS NOW!

Please send me an image or two of a great dog and I go through and select the ones I will include in the month of July.  These do NOT have to be commissioned to be included!  However, I will include as many commissions as possible.  To keep it easier for me, I will paint all paintings on 8x8 inch panels ($175) and if you want to commission yours and make it 10x10 ($275) or 12x12 ($395), please let me know!  And just to make this clear, ALL COMMISSIONED PAINTINGS WILL BE INCLUDED!  So if you want your dog painted FOR SURE, let me know and we'll get them a date!

 All accepted dogs will be assigned a day in July on which they will be painted and posted on my blog when completed.  Please subscribe to my blog to follow along! I'll be posting the list THIS THURSDAY!!!
 

All completed works will be on exhibition at Diamond's Gallery (1618 Central Ave NE) for the month of August~  I will have an opening celebration on Saturday, August 12th from 6-8pm, and works will be available to their new owners after August 31.  This year I will contribute a percentage of all sales to the Minneapolis Animal Control.  And I'll make a blurb book too!  Those have been fun and you can see my bookstore here!

a recap for you~ WHAT TO DO

SEND ME IMAGES OF DOGS-  to katjojo@hotmail.com- small sizes are fine-  I’ll let you know if I need a bigger one!
TELL ME WHAT SIZE YOU WANT ME TO PAINT if you want to commission the work!  Otherwise, they'll be 8x8 and available for sale!
 TELL ME A DATE if you have a preference- I'll do some Public Paintings again, so let me know if you have an idea of where I could paint in PUBLIC!
 SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG  ( katcorrigan.blogspot.com) so you'll know if your dog is accepted! 
 then FOLLOW ALONG for the month of July and watch me paint!

Painting like this is truly a community effort and I appreciate all the support and encouragement I've already gotten!
so then COME TO THE OPENING on August 12th!

June 26, "Northern Irises" and MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Yay me! It is my birthday today!  And I am starting it off by going out to a Spina Bifida Conference this morning to teach (what started out as 20 kids and is now 37 at last count) one of my Negative Space Tree Painting Lessons because the title of the conference is " Beyond All Limits" and the idea is that the kids try doing something they don't think they can do, so we'll all paint trees together!
Wahoo!  Wish me luck!

And these are some gorgeous irises from last week, again kind of a lesson in negative space, and I really enjoyed painting them!  I don't do flowers often-  those would be some of my more rare paintings I would say.

And ALSO as my birthday present to YOU  I will give you 30% off of ANY PAINTINGS on my DAILY PAINT WORKS SITE today only!  Take a look through and let me know which ones you want and go ahead and CLICK to PURCHASE them and I'll send you a new invoice through Paypal for the discounted price-  good TODAY ONLY!

Including THIS ONE!

9x12 acrylic on wood, $215 click HERE to purchase!

June 25th, An Apple For Your Thoughts...

 Because perhaps apples can help you think better!  We like apples at our house.  We kinda decided it would be better to have a bowl of apples for the kids to nab from than the bowl of leftover Halloween candy... and so now we always have apples around.  The dogs don't like to eat them though, which is probably a good thing...

I had fun with the light on this dark red apple-  a Fuji maybe?  I can't remember!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $25 starting bid for an auction! Wahoo!  Click HERE to participate in the fun!

June 23, "A Day Lily"

At least I think this is a Day Lily... you can let me know if you think it's something else-  I'm getting more and more excited about the dogs coming up, people!  Keep sending me those beautiful photos!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to make this YOURS!

June 21, "Wizendom"

Okay, it's a word I just made up for this dog in particular, because she's got all that lovely bearding and fuzz and those wise wise eyes, like a wizard dog, and I just like the word!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase! 

June 19, The Irish Road- Happy Father's Day

For Father's Day, Duane gets to drive us home from Grand Marais through Sunday afternoon traffic-  I'll give you the gory details later... I do hope it isn't as bad as I am expecting it to be~
And this is a painting I did this week as a landscape demo for my lovely and talented class (thanks Caryl!) from a photo taken in Ireland, 2013, with my dad.  I still can't quite believe he's gone-  he had SUCH a great time in Ireland, talking to absolutely everyone who would stand still~

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday wherever you happen to be!

8x10 acrylic on panel, $160 click HERE to purchase now!

June 18, "Long Nose Wisdom"

This is a lovely collie that I've had the fortune to paint in the past for another 30 Dogs in 30 Days project, and I've been coming to the conclusion that it is really difficult to paint ANYTHING head on-  human, dog, car, moose-  I think it's because of the symmetrical orientation between the eyes, and how you (maybe subconsiously) want everything to match on both sides...

I think this worked...  it's 11x14 for my Artistry show in August in Bloomington!  Wanna come?  The opening is August 4th!  More info later- and DO send me your dog photos please!

11x14 acrylic on panel, $315 click here to purchase!

June 17th, "Little Brown Mug"

I loved finding and mixing the browns for this mug- those orangey- purpley tones sitting next to each other with that lovely vibration....

6x6 acrylic on panel, $25 starting bid, click HERE to join the FUN!

Everyone wants a MUG!

June 16, "Lucy On The Water"

Dang!  It's been foggy and rainy the last few days, and by the time I've gotten back to the cabin at night to try and post, I couldn't get an internet connection!  SO here I am, and here's a pup!  This is Lucy, from Thunder Bay, Canada, who was sitting with her lovely owners just down from the Marine Station on the bay a couple evenings ago-  they'd been looking for a nice place to sit on the water and have a beer and everywhere was crowded so they opted to sit in the open and sit from a paper bag, which is never a bad way to go about it if you figure you can probably get away with it, and you are over thirty and not wanting to cause trouble...

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to make this YOURS!

free shipping on this one!

June 13, Table Edge Mug

This is a little 6x6 demo mug, I think it may even have been a one-stroke-per-color one for my weekend class up here in Grand Marais...  I enjoy the small challenge of painting something deceptively simple, like a shiny blue mug.  Just having to really focus on something so ordinary can make you step out of yourself a bit, especially when you've just had a lovely orgy of painting lush, thick, velvety pug fur, or something similar....
Still accepting dogs for the 30 Dogs in 30 Days Project!  Send me your photos, people!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase- everyone has a mug!

June 12, "Me, Worried?"

You know this look too- especially coming from a pug whose face is built to look perpetually concerned... and especially with those eyeballs pointing in odd directions- dang this was fun to paint!  I just finished teaching my Beginning Acrylic class at the Art Colony, and tomorrow morning we start the week long Advanced Acrylic class!  I still have room if you want to come up!
And I am looking for those dog photos for my 30 Dogs in 30 Days Project!  The time is now to send them in!  I'll be picking my favorites (and any you've wanted to commission) by the end of June and I'll post the list here and then paint one a day for the entire month!  And this being summer in Minneapolis, I do want to plan on a few Public Painting Events again!  I wasn't able to do them last year, but I think we can swing some this year!  Send your photos to me at katjojo@hotmail.com!

8x8 acrylic on panel, $140 click HERE to make this your own!  I love those lush purples!

June 8, "And So It Goes..."

It's hard coming up with titles... and I have no one cleverer than me with words in my family (yet... perhaps my son will surprise me...) so I have to come up with them on my own.  I am SO pleased with this one!  This is our Gus, a jack-russell mutt terrier, who has the BEST looks I've ever seen!  He just has this way of sitting and looking at you out of the corner of his eye sometimes, that kind of a "yes, I know you want me to come over there because you are calling me, but I'd prefer to stay over here, thank you very much" and such kinds of thoughts.  You know what I mean, if you know a dog well. And this is SOOOOO one of those looks!  Totally-  and hence, the title~

9x12 acrylic on panel, $215 click HERE to have this lovely face for your own!

June 6, "Leashed Expectations"

Yup~ I'm not quite finished with this divine little booger! it's the contrast between the shadow and that shadow and the concrete, and the warmth of the dachshund's body~  yay!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

June 5th, "Ear Wings And Shadow"

Another version of that sweet little dachshund named Fletcher I took photos of in May in Grand Marais!  It was just the perfect set up, with the pale concrete and that distinctive shadow and profile and those ears~  and creating that warm color for his coat, with the cool shadows-  do you know how much fun that is?  Have I mentioned how much I love to paint?  I can't stand it!  I have to post this and get painting!  Enough of the chit-chat!

Shoot.  I am not sure how big this one is, so I don't know how much to charge for it!  I think it's about 7 inches by 3.5 inches, which by my calculations means this one is for sale for...

$50!  Click HERE if you'd like this one!  

And I may be wrong and it may be bigger, but I'll still let you have it for $50!

June 4, Sprawled At Your Feet

It's a bit late, and I've been a bit busy, and I've been wanting to post this for a while and I keep starting to set it up and then I think it's gonna take too long and so I don't but THIS time, seriously, THIS time I'm DOING it...

Yup.

See?

This is one more of my favorite paintings!  it's Gus!  Can you tell?  And I really like it, but I'm not sure about his eyes... what do you think?

Hmmmm~

18x24 acrylic on canvas, $865 

And a couple process shots for you!  See the little photo taped up on the edge of the canvas?

And here's another one, a bit further along~  SO fun!

June 2, "Yeah, You Always Say That"

And this is one of my favorite ones from up in Grand Marais this May-  and one I had painted awhile ago for my first "30 Dogs in 30 Days" Projects!  I've always loved her grin~  don't you?
I also needed to put up something I feel great about today-  it's been a bit of an odd day, maybe an odd week, with thoughts of dad for some reason popping in constantly and throwing me off balance-  one of those weeks where things don't go quite the way you were expecting them to go, and you know you have to sit back and be grateful instead of trying to force things... but it is really really hard!
Anyway, this is a favorite one!

22x28 acrylic on black gessoed canvas, $1235 click here to purchase!

June 1, Summer Lawn Dance

Ha!  We're watching my sister's dog while she's in Geneva working for a while- Salama is from Miami and is a mini-version of our terrier mutt, Teddy, and the two of them get along like milk and cookies and peas and carrots!  Here's Sal, watching Duane use the weed wacker in the backyard... the electric lawn mower hasn't been holding its charge and he wanted to tackle the grass- what we still have of it.... and Salaama couldn't resist the wacker's whine and hum and kept yapping at it!  We kept her away from the string...
And hey!  I need a few more students in my painting classes up at the Art Colony in Grand Marais! If you are on the fence about it, send me an e-mail or give me a call and I'll answer all questions that I can!  It will be a great time, I can guarantee it!
More info below!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!   FREE Shipping on this one!

Kat's Painting Classes at the Art Colony!

Hey there!  One last blast from me about these classes, because I am really excited about going up and teaching in Grand Marais, and YOU know you want to come too!
Here's a couple things to help you-
FACT- there are very few mosquitos on the North Shore this time of year!  It is GORGEOUS!
FACT- Sign up for the week-long class and we will make dinner for you on Thursday eve(June 16) at our cabin!
FACT- The Solstice Celebration is June 17-19!  Come up and paint with me, and stay to celebrate Solstice!  There's a great pageant that we LOVE attending (and maybe participating in)!

Also, Ruth at the Art Colony told me there are scholarships available so check with her!
AND there is a New Hostel in town!  The Hungry Hippie Farm Hostel if you are concerned about expensive lodging~  check them out here!

here's the class links and info-  June 11-12, Beginning Acrylics, 9-4pm both days-  $190  more info here~
and Advanced Acrylic- How To Build The Habit Of Painting! June 13-17, 9-4pm, $475 more info here~

I am so excited to be back at the Art Colony and am looking forward to pushing some color around the studio with some students! Please come be one!!!