Lori Graydon Art

Tag: pet portraits

  • Tommy

    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.

    Tommy © sig

  • Pixie

    My latest commission is of Pixie, a Yorkshire Terrier.

    She’s a little sweetheart and is great friends with my dog.

    The painting is done in watercolour on Arches 140lb cold pressed paper.

    pixie©sig

  • Renfrew Fair

    This is another horse I saw at the Renfrew Fair several years ago. He was one of the entries in the heavy horse division and I liked the way he stood, quietly waiting for the judge to make his decision. This artwork wasn’t a commission just a fellow I wanted to paint.

  • Sam

    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.

    sam-sig-for-blog

  • In the meantime…

    western-horse-sig-for-blogTrail 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.

     

     

  • Willy and Cricket

    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.

    willy-cricket-sig-for-blog

     

    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 finished portrait…

                  The portrait is finished!  I’d put it aside for a while allowing me to come back and view it with “fresh eyes”.