"Ice Man"

This piece is my latest oil painting. I am entering this one into the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association Art Show. I am very excited! This will be my first juried show in the US!

The Finished Oil Painting

And here it is! It took me a few weeks to get this painting done. Oil is a slow medium but has at least allowed me to take my time on the painting and keep coming back to it to make small improvements. I can't wait to do a close-up face portrait and use some bright colors - oil is a fun medium!

Oil Painting in Progression

It's getting closer to completion! Just a few more finishing touches to do and it will be finished. The good and bad thing about oil is how long it takes to dry... it's good for working on it but also takes much longer to finish.

My latest Oil Painting...

The beginning stages of my latest portrait and this one is an oil painting. It's going well so far and I'm loving the feel oils has for pet portraits. 

"Hattie"

The finished portrait of Hattie a lovely Golden Retriever.

Hattie coming to life...

The beginning stages of my latest pencil portrait. I always start with the eyes, because in my opinion they are the most important part of the drawing.

Hattie the Golden Retriever

This is Hattie a beautiful Golden Retriever who is to be the subject of my next portrait.  This portrait is going to be a surprise birthday present!  I took the photo of Hattie - a free photo shoot is included in all regularly priced portraits.  I like to be able to take the photo myself as I know exactly how I need the photo to be to do the best portrait I can do. I also love to meet the pets I draw before I get started as it helps me with the process and I feel makes for an even better portrait.

The finished Watercolor!

The finished watercolor portrait.  I am pleased with the way it came out and particularly like the way the horse's coat shines. I hope my client will be pleased... I know this photo means a lot to her as did the horse depicted in it. 

Watercolor Painting - adding the initial washes...

Here you can see I have put in the soft background tones and started on the horse and rider. I like to keep the background somewhat muted so as to not distract from the main subject.

Watercolor Painting

This is the beginning stages of my latest commission - a 7"x10" watercolor portrait. I start by lightly drawing in  a contour drawing. This was a great photo to work from...

Remembering those that touch our lives....

This portrait was done in loving memory of a dear friend and companion. I was blessed enough to meet this sweet little dog before she sadly had to be put down. I love to meet the pets I draw - it gives me a better insight into the animal's character and somehow that enables me to translate their individual personality onto paper.

The Finished Dog Portrait

The portrait is completed - I really hope the recipient will love it! I enjoyed drawing both dogs - both faces are so full of character.

Dog Portrait in Progress.....

Dog Portrait in Progress.... the first dog has been fully rendered and I've finished with the second dog's eyes. I love the way his eyes glow through the page. The eyes are the most important part of the portrait... so much can be told about an animal through it's eyes.

The Beginnings of my next Dog Portrait

My latest portrait.... I just started the shading today - my favorite part - this is where the drawing comes to life and just as Michelangelo "found" The David in the marble so I "find" the subject I am depicting by bringing them to life with shadows and lights on the paper. The aim is to have the subject really come out of the paper in as three-dimensional a way as I can using only two-dimensional tools.

"Friends"

The finished watercolor based on the photo below.  I really like the way it came out... it's bright and warm and as my husband says reminds him of summer. I hope you like it!

Last year I did a photo shoot of this gorgeous Arabian stallion "Aur Elijah" - this is one of the photos with him and his new pasture friend smelling noses. I just love this photo! The photographs I took actually became published in an article by NW HorseSource magazine see it here: http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1k47i/NWHSJanuary2010/resources/10.htm

I decided I wanted to do a watercolor painting from this photo which I have entitled "Friends".... I will post it on my blog shortly.

Chester

The finished portrait of Chester. I decided to paint him in watercolors. Every time I use watercolors I am amazed at it's beauty but also somewhat frustrated by it's difficulty too - it's certainly not a forgiving medium! Anyway, the portrait came out vibrant and was a lot of fun to paint!

To Receive is a Blessing... to Give is an Honor.

I have just been blessed with a new (to me) painting easel from a lovely couple in Blaine. It's just exactly what I need right now and will enable me to really exploit my painting skills and create some beautiful big paintings.

As a thank you for the great easel I received, I am going to paint this lovely kitty cat that belonged to the couple who gave me the easel. I have decided to paint it in watercolor and I hope they will treasure the portrait for many years to come.

Stay tuned for it's progress....

In loving memory....

The finished portrait! I hope my client will be pleased with the result. I really enjoyed creating the beautiful black glossy coat this dog had. This portrait is intended as a gift and I truly hope the recipient will be delighted with it.

I included the photograph I am primarily working from in this image so you can see the likeness of the portrait to the actual dog. I think it's coming together acurately.

We are now starting to see the shape and portrait really come together. I like to start with the darkest tones first and add softer shades at the end.