The Eyes Have It

Each time I paint a portrait I find the most critical piece in capturing the essence of the animal lies in the eyes. Perhaps it's because we spend a lot of time looking into those eyes trying to understand a pets needs and thoughts that reproducing them accurately is key. That special unique sparkle in the eyes is what turns a generic corgi portrait into "your" corgi's portrait. If I get the eyes right, I know I'm 95% there.

So today I started the first piece of a pet portrait triptych that focuses on our own cats. You know that old adage, the cobblers children have no shoes? Well I thought it was time I captured our own kids in paint. And in this case, the eyes definitely have it.

Meet Mackie, our calico princess.

Back in the Saddle

Have you missed me?

I know I've missed you. Although I have not been painting portraits recently, I have been busy. After we took a vacation to California to celebrate my husband's birthday I took advantage of a lull in commissions to tackle a long overdue project - the renovation of my studio/office. It was the one room in the house that had not been touched since we moved in and believe me it needed some attention. So I emptied it out, stripped it down to the bare walls and floor and started over. Now I have a much less cluttered, multi-functional space and I'm ready to get cracking. I'm excited about some cool projects I'm about to begin and looking forward to filling up the pipeline with new commissions.  Believe it or not, it's only 6 months until the Holidays and not too soon to start commissioning a painting (or two) as gifts for your family and friends. My calendar fills up fast. Plus think how good it will feel to already have those gifts out of the way! I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon and sharing lots of new pieces as they progress!

First I painted a band of metallic paint so I can use magnets on the wall.

I used another product to create a chalkboard area before 

painting the final wall color - a lovely bright, buttery yellow.

Carpet tiles were an easy way to cover the floor as well as practical.

(If I make a mess I only have to replace the bad tiles.)

New blinds will help to reduce glare at certain times of the day.

I really like the industrial look of this shelving unit.

 It gives me a great place now to store all my canvases and other supplies.

Several work stations make this space really multifunctional.

Locked and loaded and ready for my next commission.

Will it be yours?

Iris heads Home

OK, Wow - this year is flying by. We are already well into April and I have been busy doing a lot of things non-painting related. But I did finish the portrait of Iris and have sent her on her way home to her Mom and Dad. I can't wait until they get to see it in person. 

Finishing Iris

Above is a picture about halfway through the process. After roughing in the color I go back in and start adding detail. You can see here that her snout and chest are starting to look fluffy.

I keep reference photos on my IPad. This has been a great tool because I can easily zoom in to see details.

And here's the finished painting - all it needs is my signature and a coat of varnish. I love the way this one came out. She looks like she is stepping right out of the canvas!

Meet Iris

This is Iris. She is my latest commission and so adorable I can hardly stand it!

I began her portrait as I always do, with a basic sketch.

And this is how the portrait looks now after a first pass at adding color. Tomorrow I will begin filling in the details so please check back again soon to see the progress!