My Mom’s backyard was full of wildlife. There were rabbits, squirrels, a groundhog and a skunk (who used to exchange homes in midseason). There were also chipmunks. And this fellow is one of the many.
I think that him and his little pals hitched a ride in my car one day when I was heading home because they seem to be here now…everywhere you look.
This little guy looks after several big horses at the equestrian centre near me. He’s the boss! We were actually able to take some good photos of him (mainly because he’d push the horses away when we tried to photograph them). I was going to do a full body painting of him but thought a head portrait would be better and allow for more detail.
Once in a while I get to do a painting with a person as one of the subjects. Most of my commissions are of animals only and it’s a bit of a change when asked to bring a human into the picture.
This is a watercolour painting on Arches 140lb cold pressed paper.
Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!
This portrait is a wedding gift for a couple of their dog Tommy. He is another dog that I have never met and needed to rely on photos for reference. As it was a surprise the only photographs available were from a cell phone. I find cell phone pics are grainy and don’t print very well so I was a little concerned how the portrait would turn out. However I’m happy to say the couple are quite pleased with it! Tommy seems like a really nice easy-going fellow as evident in his photos. I especially liked the exasperated expressions he had when dressed for Halloween!
This is a watercolour painting on Arches 140lb cold pressed paper.
My latest commission is of this lovely fellow Kingsley, a thoroughbred who is retired from the racetrack. He now has a good home and is doing well in dressage competitions.
The painting is done in watercolour on Arches 140lb cold pressed paper.
This is a portrait of Sam, a dog I haven’t met (yet). This often happens in animal portraiture. Sometimes it’s due to the location of the subject, other times because the animal is sadly no longer with us. In those situations I have no choice but to work from photographs. It’s actually easier on the animal working from a photo because they hate to pose, but it’s nice to meet them to get a sense of their personality. By doing this the portrait becomes more than just “my” interpretation gathered from a photo.
Trail Horse
I’m going to post some work I did before starting this blog as it will be a while before I finish my latest painting. This is a watercolour of a trail horse I saw in Alberta and loved the way the light played on his face and bridle.
When I was younger I worked at a riding stable and from what I’d heard of other riding establishments, we were one of the better ones. You couldn’t take a horse out on your own unless we knew you could be counted on not to gallop the whole way as soon as you were out of sight. Our horses would be able to rest for an hour after being out a couple of times in a row. Things like that. I like to think that times have changed for horses in riding stables. For the better.
My latest commission is complete and the client is very happy with it! Yay! It always feels like I’m holding my breath until that moment.
This portrait was a joy to do. I get to meet these fellows in the next couple of weeks when we deliver the painting. They’re both rescue dogs and in good company. The woman who rescued them also has cats (also rescued) and a horse. In addition to her own animals she helps out on a local farm which includes horses (one of them is 34 yrs old!), goats, sheep, pot-bellied pigs, llamas, cats, dogs a donkey and a cow. For the sake of animals I’m glad there are people in the world like her…
The portrait is finished! I’d put it aside for a while allowing me to come back and view it with “fresh eyes”.
