A couple of Golden Smiles

These lovely blondes were at a park a few years ago and I found them to paint at the Golden Retriever Rescue event last month in Scottsdale. Mostly done, so ready to post!

First Christmas Commission

This cute little Boxer is officially my first commission for the holiday season!

Don't forget to order early!

(Minis are available until I can't finish them in time!!!)

Blessing The Animals

My great friends at PACC911 asked if I would donate art for their T-Shirt design for the Blessing of the Animals Adopt-a-thon at the Franciscan Renewal Center (the Casa) this October.

They have approved this design and I can't wait to put it on my own back!!!

Loving that Ball

I have been trying (with much effort and low results) to help a charity book featuring a red Golden Retriever. I have been making realistic sketches that really don't suit the format of the book, but I came across one I had completely forgotten!

And boy, did it cheer me up!

Finished Portrait in Mat

We are trying to send it out ASAP.

Rescues are not often cute puppies and kittens. The neediest are the animals with very little time, lives that will be short and the most wonderful rescue people give these guys a quality of life at the end that makes us understand what humane REALLY means. Just respecting all life as much as our own.

Good Bye Jesse

A Memorial in Progress.

I support so many rescues. Now it is time to support a rescuer. My local group has suffered the lost of a sweet rescue and this is something to ease the pain of the loss of a tiny life that was too short on earth:

Waiting for a little critique before I finish it.

A Little Silverpoint of My Cat

This little 5x7" board is gesso with stain, I thought it would look like spilled milk, but it is in the R&D stage.

My cat, The Dude

A New Blog from Me.

I am trying to generate some funding to help my cat, know as The Dude, get a radiation treatment to cure his hyperthyroidism.

Way back when he was first diagnosed I featured his good looks in this blog. And now I am hoping to use social networking to finance the one time treatment that will allow him to have his own life... and I can have mine!

In the hundred plus degree days we have in Arizona, there is very little opportunity to find work as I used to. With a healthy, normal CAT cat, who can be alone a few days at a time, I am going to be able to go to art fairs around the country and at the very least, go up to cooler north country for fairs and festivals!

If you take a look at my new blog: http://mycatthedude.blogspot.com/

You will see a button below that links you to a fund raising site.

The beauty is that my budget can't handle the full amount. Neither can most of my friends... but a lot of friends can donate a very little bit and it will help!

My once portly 18 pound Dude is looking a bit gaunt:

If you want to help, just follow the blog and send it to your friends! I am going to paint a few more portraits of him and every donor that sends their snail mail to me will get a thank you card of the boy and a hand written note... not that THAT is a prize!

Thank you all

100!!!!!!!

I am so happy! Today I have 100 followers...

Of course I am not painting a dog a day. I have a few other things in the go, so I am slacking!

With some luck (any commissions out there?) I am working to get a few more furry faces for you all. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support.

(a sample of the new stuff and a self portrait)

Always at your service!

dj*

Dakota's Project - The beginning.

I have been asked to help illustrate a charity publication. The little author has written a great little book on aging pets and their challenges. I am going to donate the work for illustrator's credit so it is going slow, between gigs.

This is my favorite picture so far. There are plenty more to come.

Bella Can Do No Wrong

This is a gag gift for a client's client. The "Perfect" pet is a spoiled brat to everyone but daddy who loves her.....

The Johnson Dogs

We put in a suggestion of the beautiful yard they call home and a little tail that Dexter needed to wag!
Finished size is 24 x 29" wrapped with a two inch side. I will try to photograph it in its home when installed.

Darling Dexter

This little boy is a very gentle soul. Must weigh all of 6 pounds! Right up front in the picture, he is a little vignette of sweet.

Isabella, the sweetie

This poodle mix... Maltese, Bichon...terrier? Not sure but she is a girl with a huge soul. Amid the ruckus of four roommates she just cheerfully chases a ball, and loves life!

Roxy, the noisy one!

She is a bouncing barking bundle of puppy nerves, but very beautiful when sitting still!
I worked hardest on this fur of all the others put together.

Next: Daisy

This is the same wonderful old gal I did as a mini mini round vignette earlier. She is the oldest and I always love when people let me MEET my model! Older dogs, when ill, tend to get the attention of owners who always wanted a portrait, but by the time the call me, I just HATE it when they turn into Memorials before I get done...

The Johnson Dogs... Scooter

I am near completing a large portrait of five dogs and thought you all might like to see the progress of the whole piece.
It is watercolor on canvas. I do the diamond dogs on canvas, but this is the largest piece so far.
This is the first dog, a great little Scottie named Scooter!

I will post them all one a day and so I should be finished by then!!!
dj*

Best In Show...

I feel like it is WESTMINSTER!
I was awarded the BEST IN SHOW for the Arizona Art Alliance celebration of 250 Years of Veterinarian Medicine with the AZ Vet. Assn. this evening.
My piece from THIS POST won and the art from Dec. 22 will be part of a set of greeting cards produced as a fund raising event from this show.
I am pretty stoked!
dj*

Veterinary Medicine is 250 years old!

And three of my pieces are accepted into the celebration at the Scottsdale Pavilion's Arizona Art Alliance Gallery from March 3 - April 5. We are having a nice little opening on the 5th with goodies and schmoozing. If you love art or animals, be sure to stop in and say hello.

The pieces are in my blog... below on the 18th (fresh off the easel)

and on Dec. 22.

And a real oldie but cute:

All the info is here online!

A vignette for a clent

I am doing a bigger piece for a new client and while we are planning, she asked for a 2.5" circle for a favorite frame....
SMALL but mighty!

Back Office

My entry to a show about veterinary medicine....

Zoe

This was the donation to the Friends of Animal Care and Control Hero's Dinner. Cute little Cairn:

First real commission of 2011

I met this lovely girl at my storage unit!

Arizona Art Alliance Demonstration Today

This is one of those progress shots.
I had to man the show at our gallery in Scottsdale, so I brought a nice little image from a recent Giant Schnauzer rescue event.


Now that the holidays have actually arrived, it is time to get set for the pictures YOU really want for yourselves....

This will be posted when I finish it. I will have prints available on FineArtAmerica.com

Another Memorial

One of my donation pieces... a little too late.
(HINT TO PEOPLE: Get the painting when you think of it. Enjoy your art AND your best friend so you don't cry when you get the painting...)
It has been an emotional season for me and too many of my pieces are memorials. Makes me very sad. BUT the good news is that the art is always of happy times.

Michelle

I was up too late, too much coffee and finished this before going to bed. One last memorial for a (hope we can make it in time) Christmas gift for a mom.

A Schnauzer and its Human.

A double portrait from my local Giant Rescue group event on Sunday.

Great Pyrenees Diamond Dog

I do watercolor on diamond format canvases that make great decorator accents. This is one of the last Christmas commissions (UNLESS MORE COME IN!) ready for delivery.

Bella

This is a challenge. The painting is a client gift from a businessman to a friend/business associate. We have a tight budget so it is going to be reproduced and available for cards as well on my Fine Art America site when we are approved and going.

There is something about Tibet!

I guess I am a master of messy hair! This is a pup from my favorite Tibetan Terrier breeder. Generations of dogs! How cool.

Two Police Dogs - Memorial

I got a note from Boston, from a wife of a K-9 officer. She wanted to give him a portrait of his two favorite partners as a Christmas tribute.

The Little Sister

The third of a set of paintings as a great-grandmother's gift to her daughter of the grand kids

Big Sister

The German Shepherds are coming up Monday, but for now these human puppies are coming off the easel.

I told you we would be doing more species....

The first of three beautiful Grandma Gifts for the holidays.

More Horsing Around!

I seem to have been discovered by the horsie set!

The amazing star on the front of this memorial piece was a challenge, but I personally find it one that keeps looking back at me from my easel.

YES, I am crazy.

NO! You may not get one of these!!

This is literally only 5"x7". I am doing a special favor for a returning client. I DON'T do multiple subjects in the Holiday special pricing (even though you add 50% more for each added subject) but to see if I COULD this is a double portrait in black and white....

I start multiple portraits and my regular pricing at 8x10".

Now I have to see if I can get my eyeballs screwed in right again!

A Gift, Many More to Come (I hope..)

I am starting to finish up the early bird gift givers. This is a larger 6x8" piece and when I start getting too busy, this will be the smallest size I offer, but for a few more weeks the minis are still available!

Specializing in white and/or black dogs!

Christmas is starting!

Although this is a private commission, not a gift, it is the first of what I would call the RUSH.

One of my minis and, as I am now all mammal, it is not a dog.

A Little Audition Piece

I am hoping to illustrate a little book on dogs and kids. I can do both but I will need to figure out how to get myself enough of them to populate the book.

First try

Splashy Pom!

I brought my unfinished cat to the dog park today, but could not do a cat... just couldn't... so I did this splashy little Pomeranian.
9x12" watercolor.

Unfinished Demo from Last Night

I had a LOT of people interested and charity events are ALWAYS more fun than real life!
The dinner was great and the winners incredible.
By asking the first person who I met, I decided the Rex Cat reference I had ready would be my demo.
It is pretty dramatic as is, but I am going to finish it tonight.
REMEMBER... we are not just dogs anymore!

First Demo Today

I went to the AZ Art Alliance Gallery where Gabriel's Angels, a therapy dog program, was supposed to have a doggie costume party. I only had a few hours because tonight was a big charity event!
I have been having fun doing a much looser looking dog style, more contemporary of late. So the bloodhound was the sample I took to the event (tomorrow's post) as my demo of size and style of my silent auction prize.

Fast Evening at the Park

So... I run out and bring my easel and my kit and a quick layout of this... and FORGOT MY PAINTS!!!
Well, I had my pencil. It is actually 9x12"

Two Redheads

I got mostly finished in the park and decided these needed some jazzing up so I got all free and splashy for two lovely dogs.
9x12"

Back in the Park

I have finally been brave enough to venture out again. The blog crashed to a halt when both my Mother and Cat were ill last year about this time and I just lost the momentum. But...

I started this demo at a little show I was hanging, and decided the weather was so nice, I would continue it in the dog park!

Not promising a complete dog every day this year, but I am going to post even the progress shots... for SURE a dog a week. AND we will include cats and others...

Two lovely red headed Setters in progress.

Leonard, probably done.

I have a bad habit of being hyper focused. When I get a commission and have the times, I lock my knees in front of the easel and paint for up to 18 hours at a time and then burn out.

Leonard was a bit of a binge. I am happy as is, but I will probably live with him a little and see if I really want to add the background (I suppose the client will make that decision for me) but for today, he is complete.

A slide show...of the Amazing Leonard.

I started this demonstration piece in the Grand Opening event for the Arizona Art Alliance Gallery and previewed it against the wall of my human portraits

This a commissioned piece in progress (I hope)
I will post the finish in a new post but add to the show as I work.

Keep checking back!

ORDER NOW! Christmas is not that far off.

Because these are such perfect gifts for holiday giving, I offer my 5x7" minis seasonally and it is that time.

Here is my inch by inch guide to estimating your costs if you go larger or any different materials... it needs a click...

Mercury

I quite am smitten with this girl!
I got a call because she had been rescued from euthanasia two weeks ago and her mom wanted to add her to the gallery of great dogs on the wall. 6 years old and the SWEETEST, she is my first Weimaraner I have had the pleasure of meeting for the portrait. REALLY great girl.