It has been a long time since I've posted here.  Bill and I have traveled back and forth to Wyoming, finally purchasing just under ten acres in the Big Horn Basin 30 miles North of Cody. There in Clark we will build our new home, and this week the well is being drilled so the process has begun! Until our home here in Texas sells, we are going to call our 5th wheel RV trailer "home" and start construction with the studio. (Hey, priorities, after all!) It is no small feat, relocating 1700 miles away!  Yet we are excited about following the dream we've held in our hearts for so long!  My new studio will look out over the rugged Beartooth Mountain Range of the Northern Rockies where I cannot help but be inspired daily!

In between commissioned works I am planning a series of more canine portraits from which to create prints. The Family Guardian is the latest, a 14" x 11" rendering in Colored Pencil.

The Blancett family delayed their Father's Day celebration until everyone could be together for the occasion.  Reeny said that Steve was overwhelmed with his gift, loves Brady's portrait just as it is, and does not want any further changes. It is in the process of being framed and will soon occupy a place of honor in the Blancett home. 

Bill and I were in Wyoming much of June. The weather was gorgeous, ranging from 65 to 75 degrees in the day, and the nights were delightfully cool.  It was such a shock to the system to return home to relentless 103 degree heat!  That is just one of the reasons we have talked for the past year of relocating to Wyoming. There will be much to do in the way of preparation, not the least of which will be selling our home here without taking a bath in this disastrous economy. "Yes," in answer to many of my friends' questions, I DO know the winters are cold and snowy there!  Yet I can think of nothing more appealing than the opportunity to explore the National Parks in search of reference material all summer long, then watch the snow from inside a cozy studio which overlooks the mountains as I paint throughout the winter.

In addition to continuing my commissioned work, I look forward to painting western and wildlife art once again.  It has been many years since I have had the time to do so, and I was greatly inspired by the museums and galleries of Northwest Wyoming.

This fellow has taken a long time from start to finish, but Ace is completed and being framed. In between commissioned work and in doing art demos, Ace has been done in an hour or two here and there, but I've enjoyed every minute.  

I have done this portrait as an exhibit piece and will take him to many dog shows and art fairs.  But at some point the original will go to his owner, Emily Colvin, my eldest granddaughter who lives in Seabeck, Washington. Open Edition reproductions are in the works as Ace has made friends far and wide!

Thanks to all who have faithfully followed his progress. Watch my Blog for information on availability of the prints!

Adding background colors always makes a big difference in the overall appearance of the portrait, and for Brady I have chosen the cool of soft greens against the warmth of golden browns to bring out her eyes. Some of the highlights will be softened and more detail added, but Brady is nearing completion.

Work on Brady's portrait continues with blending of the highlights and the addition of details in her coat.  Because of the dusty nature of pastels, I paint left to right to keep my hand out of the areas on which I've already worked.

After photographing this earlier in the evening I began to add color to the background ...... I'll post a peek at that soon!

Brady's portrait is being done in Pastels on Suede Board as a Father's Day present.  I love doing paintings that will be a surprise for some special occasion and hearing about the recipient's response after the gift is opened!

I have begun by blocking in some basic colors and establishing the values.  As always, everyone is invited to watch as the portrait develops to the point of blending and adding details.  The reference photo is shown below. Doesn't she have the sweetest face?

It has been awhile since I've had time to work on Ace. I have begun teaching Colored Pencil classes at Hobby Lobby, and my opportunities to work on him have been when doing demos at the various locations where the classes are held.

With a bit more work on the chest area and blending of the background I'll be calling this one complete! What fun and what a terrific medium!

The first showing of the framed original will be at my booth during the DFW Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Fun Match next month.  Plan to come out for some fun and stop by my booth for a visit!  It will be held:

He has been a joy to paint and his portrait is on its way to the framer because "Arthur" is complete! Hez and Bonnie wanted the purple of the collar downplayed and that has placed the focus where it belongs, on the dog. 

Each time I finish a portrait which an owner tells me they will treasure for their lifetime, I feel blessed all over again that I was given the gift to do so.  To have painted both of the "Balch Boys" is a special honor. Thanks for following along here on my blog!

While I fine-tune Arthur's portrait I also have had a chance to catch up a bit on Ace. Having to create the collar and chest area from imagination takes more time than the face which was an easy sketch, but I am enjoying the details with the leather and buckle.

I am continuing to work on the right-hand side being in shadow so that the left is clearly the light source for the composition and am pleased with the way it is developing.

Our cat Max sat in the studio window sunning himself most of the day as I worked on Arthur.  He and one of our dogs, Baron, like to spend time with me as I work, and there's something very fitting about having my own beloved pets by my side as I paint another animal cherished by his owners.

Hez and Bonnie were gracious enough to send Arthur's TCU collar home with me after the photo shoot. That decision has proven to be most helpful as I put down the first layers of color with pastel pencils today. I love to do details! Tomorrow I will get the last large blocks of color down, being sure to pull wisps of hair over the collar so it doesn't appear to pop out as it does at this stage. I am close to being able to sharpen those pencils to a fine point (using a box-cutter) and spend a few hours happily picking out tiny whiskers and eyelashes. Well, actually I couldn't wait, so already drew in a few in the left side!

With soft pastels I have begun shaping the head with deeper color, and adding a background helps to establish values.  A workday for me is a fun day in my studio, and I look forward to tomorrow's time there!

It is a privilege to be able to paint beloved pets like Arthur for the delightful people to whom they are Family. I fall a little in love with each animal I paint, and Arthur won me over immediately. Doing his portrait gives me the opportunity to remind readers who may be considering the addition of a dog to their own families about the importance of adoption.  In a facility near you a dog waits, his very existence dependent upon someone with room in their heart for a loving animal who asks for nothing more than a chance at life.

His eyes are soulful liquid pools of chocolate. One's first reaction to meeting Arther is a natural inclination to scoop him up into one's arms, but honest affection is not acceptable to Arthur. Not yet. Perhaps one day.

Arthur spent his first two years of life in a crate in a puppy mill.  It is probably best that he cannot put into words the horrors he has witnessed or to which he has been subjected.

Last October Arthur was adopted by Hez and Bonnie Balch.  His new brother is Rocky and he trusts only the three members of his new family.  For now it is enough.

From dozens of digital photos taken, this was selected as the primary reference.  His head is lifted slightly in the drawing, not only to more closely resemble the pose in which Rocky was painted, but also to depict Arthur's air of dignity, intact despite his first unfortunate years, and his hope that has been restored by finding his Forever Home.

Arthur's portrait is being painted on a 12" x 10" Crescent Moorman Suede Board using Pastels.

It has never been unusual for me to have two or more paintings in progress at any given time, especially when working in oils which require drying in between layers. In addition to Ace, I currently have a large canvas stretched with an under-painting of oils begun. That piece will appear here on the blog when time permits me to continue working on it. 

Following a recent photo shoot, I completed several sketches for an upcoming pastel.  I emailed a scan of the final drawing and have received approval of the pose, so "Arthur" will be joining Ace this evening as the newest work in progress.

When I mentioned on a couple of animal portrait forums that Ace would continue when the pastel (commissioned as a birthday gift) was complete, I got some great replies.  One artist asked me to hurry with the pastel as Ace was her candy, and another gentleman emailed me to say he needed his "Ace fix," hahaha.

Hey, Mary, David, Emily ....... ol' Ace has a fan club, lol!

I think you will fall in love with Arthur as much as I have, but meanwhile here's one small "Ace" update.  Thanks so much to everyone for your kind words and compliments!

Colored Pencil artworks take the greatest amount of time to complete.  Yet artists like myself who thrive on rich detail can capture the finest lines with them, so the medium is growing in popularity.

There are now nine layers on the background, perhaps only half the number that will eventually be required, and more than thirty hours have already been invested in the tiny blue strokes of color.  I have started to work in some grays on the right hand side in order to define the light source. To take a break from the tedious background technique, today I have worked quite a bit on the mouth area.

Today I got to the nose, for me always a very interesting part of any canine portrait.  Every breed has its own distinct characteristics and there are wide variations among those.  I am fascinated by the texture and shape, and while Ace's nose is not finished I am pleased with the day's progress.

Prior to beginning the painting process, I always create a detailed drawing of the subject on paper, often doing half a dozen or more until I feel the subject has been captured at the best angle and position.  After the client approves the final drawing it is transferred to the surface (or support) on which the portrait will be painted.  By using this method there are never erasure marks on the support.

If your monitor allows you to see the light outlines of this transfer, you will find that I am close to starting on that big happy grin and Ace's tongue lolling out of his mouth.  I can't wait, and could hardly leave my studio tonight because of the enjoyment of painting this character!

Hello, and welcome to the Blog I have created as an extension of my Website! While my site serves as my online Gallery, I saw a Blog as the ideal way to share Works In Progress as well as answers to questions I often receive from other artists.

The plan has been to launch this Blog in the first month of the New Year and as I do, I have several commissions lined up along with other exciting artwork projects. I decided to begin with a piece titled “Energy on Steroids,” a painting of pure joy as it makes me smile every time I work on it.

Meet Ace.

Ace belongs to my son and his family who live in Washington State. When visiting them last summer I snapped this photo ~ not a good reference shot at all, but I knew I could use it to depict the boundless energy and playful spirit of the Boxer.

I work in four mediums, Oil, Pastel, Bronze and Colored Pencil which is the medium of choice for “Energy On Steroids.” The support is UArt 800 grit paper and the pencils are Derwent Cloursoft, Faber Castell Polychromos and Prismacolor.

Join the fun and follow along as Ace comes to life as my first Work-In-Progress on my new Blog. It is going to be a fabulous year!