August 9, Coco!

 Wow!  We just got home last night from Camp Mishawaka, where all three of us were working our little butts off for the past 4 weeks, and more intensely this past week... Max didn't sleep at all on Thursday night, so Duane and I shared driving duty home. It's pretty adorable to have a 16 year old fall asleep in the back seat, with a kitten and a pup on his lap...

SO I'm really slow today. Doing a huge pile of laundry, running errands, and I have yet to take the nap I wanted to take at noon... and I JUST finished painting Coco!  What a cutie-patootie!

Here's what Coco's loving dog mom Natalie said about her~

Coco was a very good girl for all 17 years we were blessed with her ~

She stole our hearts as a tiny puppy - once we saw her there was no way she wasn’t coming home with us. She was the queen of our family her whole life and she knew it. 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

August 8, Russel T Coltrane

 Here's another one I had to paint- I completely respect a dog with a full lengthy descriptive name. And here's what Brian said about him~

This is Russell T Coltrane, LLC (Limited Liability Canine). 

He was a mini pinscher/Italian greyhound mix, and I called him my "apple buddy" because every time he heard me cutting an apple he would run into the kitchen for me to give him a piece. 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

August 7, Rocky!

 This is Rocky, and here is Rocky's story!

Rocky

It was L-O-V-E at first sight. Rocky is a sweet, lovey 4 1/2-year-old boy who tucked himself into

Juliana Soltis’ side straight-away on a rainy, February morning at Greyt Love Retirement. He

made it clear that he was going home with her to be little brother to brindle greyhound Ceci.

Rocky quickly became known as the Velvet Ninja for his stealthy ways. Juliana Soltis is an

internationally acclaimed cellist and when a new cello came into her home; Rocky immediately

had to investigate and there may have been some licking…but Rocky admits to nothing!

People often ask if the hounds can recognize her playing when they hear her on a recording —

and the answer is yes! The hounds definitely know mama’s “voice,” so when a new cello came

home and was played for the first time, both hounds popped their heads out of their beds because

*this* was not their usual cello!

8x8 acrylic on wood

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August 6, Winnie the Choo!

 You may have never heard of this breed of dog, and she was a delight to paint!  Here's Jill's story about her~

Here is a little background on Winnie. She was a rare breed dog known as Chinese Foo Dog. I also owned her mother and Winnie was the runt of her second and last litter. She was always a little shy and insecure and this is why I chose her to live her life with her dog mom and human mom. She loved going boating and exploring the woods at our cabin in Northern Wisconsin. We even named our pontoon after her- "Winnie's Joy".  She was a mellow girl with a very sweet disposition. During the last year of her life, she could not walk very well so we pulled her around in a wagon for her 'walks'. She seemed to really enjoy that. She had many admirers who would stop their cars just to ask about her. When we or others would tell her how beautiful she was, she would just beam! It was hilarious. We miss her so much!

I think she was one of very few still alive in the US until she passed in August of 2021. The breeder I bought her from had long since retired. He sold these dogs all over the world. I even contacted breeders in Europe (all of whom bought their original dogs from the same breeder I did) and they were shutting down their programs due to fears of inbreeding. 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

August 5, Millie!

And it's Tuesday!  And I am nearing the end of this uplifting (for me anyway) month of painting your beautiful dogs!  

Today's dog is no exception to that- What an incredible face!  here is her story~

Millie is a Leonberger dog.  They are a bit rare, and gentle giants (millie is 110 pounds).  Its an old breed originally made up of newfoundland, St Bernard and Great Pyrenes.  They are very sweet, playful and dont drool! Millie is 1.5 years old and a great ambassador for the breed.  Most people are drawn to her and love meeting her and she loves everyone. Very sweet personality. Training to be a therapy dog currently.  

8x8 acrylic on wood

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August 4, Milo!

 This is Milo~ I was sent a wonderful collage of all sorts of photos of Milo in all kinds of positions, and it was fun using those to create this final painting. It seems Milo is s sweetheart of a 16 year old elder, and this portrait is to accompany his young owner to college.

I appreciated the sweet note that came with the request~

We  live in Powderhorn and can pick up   Any chance it could be ready before Sept 20 when my daughter heads off to college?  I hope you still enjoy doing these paintings.  It’s such a sweet way to remember such a beloved part of our family.

10x10 acrylic on wood

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August 3, Lance

 It's amazing how tricky this much fur can be to paint... it's kinda all over the place, wonderfully fluffy, and you have to get the undercolors as well as the over layer of top hairs. Plus there's that position of the nose, long and elegant and slightly to the side, so I have to make sure I'm getting the mouth in the proper angle under the nose... I think it worked. There's also the sublte shading in the eyes- I know they are probably brown, but the glint and shine look grey and blue. It's really fun figuring it all out!

And here's Lance's story- one I have NOT heard before!

One of Lance’s favorite activities is climbing up grassy or snow-covered slopes then sliding down them on his back.  At first, he slid spontaneously; now he (sometimes) slides on command, especially if he has an audience of passersby and their dogs.  

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

August 2, That Boston Terrier at St Kate's Art Fair...

 Every so often I meet a dog that I just have to paint, and a number of the pups in this year's selection are among that bunch. This is one of them. I don't know who she or he is, I don't remember what the owner even looked like, I think it was a woman...but this little face just caught me. She seemed youngish and puppy-ish, but that look in those eyes speaks of wisdom passed down through generations. 

Or maybe she was just hoping for a treat...

8x10 acrylic on canvas

$256

click here for purchase info

August 1, Luna!

 I love these eyes!! and the shape of her head-and those tiny little teeth in that tiny little smile! and here is Luna's story!

Luna was adopted from an SPCA. Her DNA shows that she is a husky/staffordshire terrier mix going back several generations. She has championship Huskeys in her background, so my guess is that someone was trying to breed a new mix. 

SUPER sweet and gentle, she has a husky personality, is very smart. She can fly like the wind! 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

July 31, Watson

 This is Watson, on a beach somewhere, with the bright sun strong on his face. He has a commanding presence, doesn't he? He looks pretty confident of himself, and he is paying attention to the person who held the camera. This was another one that took a while to paint. I started drawing this one out a few days ago because I was worried I wouldn't be able to get it done on time. And I've been up painting for a bit here- 

We're still at camp, and it is smokey up here, closer to Canada. I can feel it in my lungs today. We are outside most of the day. We'll try to keep activities easier so we aren't breathing so hard. I don't remember ever worrying about air quality when I was a kid, though I do remember visiting London in the late 80's and blowing my nose often, with very black polluted results, and no one mentioned air quality then...

Ah, how the mind wanders!  Thanks for reading! I'm over half way through this project and have been appreciating the challenge so much. It gets me out of my head, to paint like this, so thank you!

16x12 acrylic on wood

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July 30, Peach!

I LOVE this name for a dog, and she sure looks like a peach! I also will admit this was a tricky one to paint- any piece that includes background and body takes longer for me to paint than a straight on portrait. There's just more bits to fit together...

And here is the story for Peach!
Peach on her perch

This picture is of Peach sitting at her usual spot in our house. It gives her a clear view of the front door in case she has to alert to any intruders (lol, or hide), and where she can keep track of her people going up and downstairs in case she needs to follow any of them. She is laying on a little blanket Jen made for her after Peach many times dug into one of Jen's knitting projects. She would look up with yarn over her nose and an expression that said "What? This is fun!"

10x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for~

 

July 29, Kumo the Kind

 This is a white dog, painted in my style on a black panel.  That means there's a few layers of white there, to get it to glow... and I'm never sure the photos are doing the paintings justice.  Like, you really have to see them in person to see the glow. I could take 4 photos of every painting I make and they would all read a little different. That's what a real original painting is- difficult to actually reproduce!

"Kumo is a Shiba Inu, cream with copper tips.   “Kumo” is Japanese for “cloud” and my daughter and her boyfriend chose that name since Kumo is white and my daughter’s boyfriend is a computer programmer!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

July 28, Rudy!

 THIS is a big soul in a little body! I'm sure you know someone like this!

Written by Cari and Mark~

This is Rudy. (Some kids in my area know him as Little Red Rudy Hood, a memorable name in light of him often rocking his red hoodie sweater on Winter walks.)

He’s the love of my life, well our lives, but I like to think I’m his favorite dog in our pack of two humans:) We adopted him six years ago at estimated age five yo, and when we set him down in our backyard, he immediately threw his head back, sniffing the air like he was smelling a fine wine (we were to quickly learn he is a true connoisseur of scents—a beagle in a chihuahua body). Tiny yet sturdy and all round curves, he walks like a cartoon character. Loves to hike—and snow! Sleeps belly up under the blankets like a true chihuahua; but mostly a mellow guy without the stereotypical chi drama (although most chi insiders know that stereotype is more hype than substance…they’re simply amazing little loves). 

He had at least two homes before we adopted him, plus a foster home in there somewhere. Still marvel that anyone would give up this love bug, easy-peasy dog. I guess they didn’t know what we know: He’s perfect. (Just as he is.)

Oh, and a foodie, and that’s where that little slip of pink tongue in the photo comes in (that and the fact that he only has about 8 teeth:) As most dogs do, he works the cute hard when he wants a bite of food, all dewy-eyes, perky ears, upright posture—like a school photo. But when it’s not working, he throws in the zinger (the pink tongue). It works and he knows it.

8x8 acrylic on wood

$256

click here for purchase info~

July 27 Charlie!

 And THIS is Charlie Girl!  Who is 14 years young! Can't you tell, with all that joy she is projecting at you, so hard and strong and beautiful you can feel it through the screen!  What a delight!

I'm so lucky to have this to look forward to every day! Yesterday, I drove back from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis to run a few errands that couldn't wait til we get back in August, and the alternator went out in the van... and last Wednesday Duane cranked something in his left leg while playing frisbee with the kids at camp... so we spent that night in the ER and he's in a boot now, until we can get an MRI to see what's what... and still, there's plenty of joy around, right?! Thanks for sending me your dogs!!!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

July 26, Dottie May!

 I just LOVE the expression on this face! This is one of those people who just feels comfortable as soon as you meet them, you know what I mean? Like they'll get you! Like they have a sense of humor and confidence, and they see the world as the somewhat ridiculous and precious place it is, and they see you and that you are doing your best to be in it as fully as you can!

8x8 acrylic on wood

-possibly available...

July 25, Pippin for Eve!

 This is Pippin!  I have painted a few of Eve's other pups, and am so happy that she keeps asking me to!

Here is his story~

Pippin is a Cairn terrier mix whose sweet face grabbed me while scrolling through the Humane Society’s list of adoptable dogs. His favorite things in life are sitting on laps, walks and working to keep my yard rodent free.

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold~

July 24, Sally!

 And this is Sally! Beth is a great writer- I want her to write MY story too!

Sally – Silly and One of a Kind

She joined our family when she was just over a year old, but she had already been a mom. Her past was sad and complicated. But her future looked bright. She came home right after we lost our sweet Eva. I was sure that adopting a look-alike dog was the only way to stop the grief. Sally looked so much like Eva in the photos, and she went into the shelter on the same day we said goodbye to Eva. Some sort of greater power, right? I knew I wasn’t really ready, but I had to get Sally out of that shelter, and we would both heal together. My son said it was either the most toxic or the most beautiful thing he’d heard. Turns out, probably a bit of both. I wanted a quiet cuddler so I could sit and be sad. I got a rambunctious young dog who didn’t know how to be still. I also got this unconditional gratitude and love that didn’t know how to quit. I had trouble bonding until the day I didn’t. She wasn’t Eva. She was Sally. Silly Sally who loved me so deeply. She didn’t understand calm. But she had so much love. Her short life had been so hard, and she was safe. I was her person, even before I realized it. She is pure joy. She smiles, wags, cuddles, sleeps with your shoes, runs fast, and jumps high. She taught the old dogs new tricks. She didn’t replace Eva, she became part of Eva’s legacy of love. Sally was one of the best bad decisions I’ve ever made! 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

July 23, Petey for Audrey

And this is Petey! Here's his story!

This is Petey (named after Pete Seeger)! Petey is a pit lab mix who came to the humane society from Alabama. He sat there for many months before ending up on the euthanasia list due to his rowdy, puppy behaviours and lack of adopter interest. Thanks to the help of a local rescue Petey was able to leave the shelter to his new home with just a day to spare from the needle…. His “rowdy” behaviours have disappeared with the addition of a stable, loving household and fellow dog to play and learn from.  Petey is adored by everyone who meets him due to his love of getting sprayed with the hose, and fun, playful nature with other dogs.

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

July 22, Carmela!

 And here's one that looks a bit like my Pompom, with her tiny turned up nose and all!

Carmela's story~

Despite coming through animal control, Carmela is a super sweet little lady who has been known to elicit belly rubs from random strangers. She also has a fiesty side, which she exercises through her work as a professional squirrel stalker and home security system.

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

July 21, Ingo the Long

This is another one of those photos that just begs to be painted... my art friend asked me to paint this for her friends, and we settled on a larger panel to showcase those unbelieveably long legs. And all the greys!  I'm so glad there is a red collar in this one too~

The light here in this cabin is weird too, because I've photographed the painting three times now, trying to get it right and this is the best I could do today. Life up north, people. A bit rustic, a bit buggy, really lovely!

18x12 acrylic on panel

sold