Millie the Cat

Reference photo

Drawing

First layers and detail- you can see the masking here

Finished!

Here is Millie- a gorgeous tortoiseshell cat with vivid green eyes.  I had a great picture to work from, and really enjoyed working on this painting.  In a perfect world, all my paintings would start from photos with lighting this great!  This painting was etsy worthy, so prints in multiple sizes are up for grabs on my Etsy Shop.

Pet Collage

Original photoshopped collage

First layers and detail

More layers and detail

Finished!

This is my first commission with four subjects!  It was a lot of work!  A painting with multiple subjects like this is basically like painting multiple paintings, but trying to make them work on the same page.  This means that you have to take into account proportion, lighting, overlap, and shadows.  All of this makes for a challenging piece!  But, like always, I had a lot of fun, and I love how this turned out.  The recipient was also very happy :) 

Scooby!

Reference Photo

Drawing

First Layers



Mostly Done

 

 

 

Scooby- you are too cute, and you were really fun to paint.  And I have a soft spot just for you cause my old dog was nicknamed Scooby too! 

 

 I feel like I've been painting a lot of darker dogs lately, so this was a refreshing change of pace.  It is a gift for my husband's cousin's aunt!  :)  Painting all that thin long fur was my favorite part, or maybe the background was...  Either way, I'm still as busy as ever, looking forward to two more commissions due by Christmas (yikes!) and spending some time with my mom this Saturday at the Mayo Craft Show.  Hope to see you there!

Cooper

Reference Photo

Drawing

First washes and eye and nose detail

Layers

More Layers

More layers, detail, and background wash

Final Detail and background work 

Finished!

Here is Cooper!  He is a super cute French Bulldog that took me way too long to paint :)  Not that I actually spent a ton of time putting paint to paper, but I just couldn't find the time to paint!  Between school, a new job, and keeping up with Eilie (and squeezing in Zuzka workouts in preparation for our Mexico trip) it was hard to find the quiet time I needed to focus on painting.  But I really enjoyed painting, as always, and now I need to get started on my next commission!

Rajah (the cat) + Show Announcement!

 First drawing (a little dark- sorry!)

 

 Finished drawing and masking

 

Background (I used india ink here- no need to waste a whole tube of paint!)

 The nose- I incorporated purple and blue in with the black throughout the painting

 

 

First washes on nose

First washes of fur

More detail on one eye, adding black fur

More eye detail

 

 

More eye detail and fur

 

Finished!  Removed masking and final touch-ups

Rajah 22x30

 

 

Here is Rajah, a cat who thinks she's just a little bit better than all other cats.  She spends her days looking out the window to intimidate the ground critters, and tolerates play time and a few snuggles here and there.  But she'll do anything for treats.  Enjoy looking at the process I used, she was so much fun to paint- I had a great photo to go off of.

 

So, if you'd like to see this larger than life portrait in person, along with lots of other great paintings and prints, come to beautiful Lanesboro on Father's Day, June 16th, to see me at Art in the Park.  Here is the link for more information.  I'm excited to show off my work, but I may just be more excited about the Rhub-berry soda :)

 

And thanks to Jess for lending me this photo!  If any of you have a great photo of their pet, send it my way! 

 

Yupo #1

Donkey, 11x15

Hey there!  I have been so excited to create some 'for fun' paintings that I already finished one today!  This one is extra special because it was the first time I used Yupo paper.  I first heard of this kind of paper way back in 2008 at college.  I was so intrigued I knew I would try it out one day, and, yea!  I did! 

My thoughts on Yupo?  I love it.  I will definitely work with it again.  It will take some getting used to as so much about it is different than traditional watercolor paper.  Because the paper is actually made of plastic, the paint stays on the surface instead of soaking in.  This makes lifting paint a possibility anytime during the painting process, which is something completely new to me!  I was able to get whites back and experiment with lots of different colors.  I was also able to let colors run together and drip and I used some permanent marker too.  So much fun and I'm excited to experiment more.

Claire

Reference Photo

In Progress

Claire, 16x21

This is Claire, a recent commissioned portrait.  Claire recently passed away and this portrait is going to be a surprise present for her owner.  It's hard to lose a beloved pet, but I know this painting will help her cherish her memories of Claire.

It's been a while since I've posted a portrait (I've been busy getting ready for my summer shows).  But I'll have another one of a Brittney Spaniel for you soon!  Until then, if you're in Rochester this Friday in need of a fun thing to do, come to Camp Companion's UnCorked event at Salem Glen Winery.  The link is here.  I'll be there with lots of pretty art for your browsing pleasure :)