Confidential collaboration

I’ve wanted to do an art trade for a while now. I put the idea out into the universe via this here blog, and just hoped the opportunity would soon present itself.

Well, it did. Twice! First, my friend Nicole contacted a slew of her creative friends about doing an art trade. As soon as I heard from her, I jumped at the chance. Nicole is a printmaker, painter, and tattoo artist. I received four prints from her in the mail, and will soon be sending her four of my own prints. How fun! And it’s a good way to, in her words, “dump creative refuse,” which is exactly what I need to do right now as I’m in the throes of the MERGE OF STUFF that happens when you get married.

Then, another art trade opportunity presented itself sort of unexpectedly. I contacted a pet portrait artist whose work I really admire about commissioning a portrait of Rosie. The portrait will be a birthday or Christmas present for my husband Kevin. I was fully prepared to pay for the portrait, but to my delight the artist told me that she really likes my work and would love to do a pet portrait trade. WOO HOO! My wish came true!

This particular artist is quite accomplished, so I’m very flattered and totally excited. She is awesome. Her style is such that she can create a portrait that really celebrates the activities we like to do with Rosie, which will mean a lot to Kevin. I’m keeping the identity of the artist confidential until I give Kevin the gift. He knows that I’ll be doing a trade (I couldn’t keep that from him, as he will be witness to me painting a portrait of her dogs and I’m a horrible fibber), and that the end result is a gift for him, but I don’t want him to know who the artist is. I think he’ll really be surprised when he receives the portrait.

Thank you, Nicole and Mystery Artist! I am so happy to collaborate with and support fellow artist chicks.If anyone else has the time and inclination to do an art trade, just give me a holler. I’m always game.

FOR FUN: If you think you know the Mystery Artist’s identity based on what I’ve disclosed, take a guess. If you’re right, I’ll send you some arty goodness in the mail.

Wallace

Meet Wallace, the Yorkshire Terrier. He is named after after William "Braveheart" Wallace. This little tidbit inspired the blue background! Not quite the blue Mel Gibson wore on his face in the movie, but a nice blue nonetheless.

This commission was a donation to the Northern New Jersey chapter of the Young Survival Coalition's most recent In Living Pink event. Wallace's parents, Jack and Pat, were the winning bidders and scored the portrait. After the auction I couldn't wait to get the call from whoever won; I was so curious what type of dog I'd be painting. I soon found out: a Yorkie! Ironically, the last time I donated a portrait to this event, the winner had a Yorkie. There must be a lot of philanthropic Yorkie lovers in North Jersey!

To my delight, Pat and Jack had fantastic photos of Wallace. I can't express enough how wonderful it is to work from good photos. By "good," I mean: in focus, from the dog's eyeline, no harsh lighting, clear view of the eye(s), with a great expression. I could have used several of the photos they gave me, but I knew right away which one I wanted to work from. How great is this expression? I love the tight crop, too.

Thank you, Pat and Jack, for supporting a wonderful cause and for your interest in my work. It was a pleasure to work with you and to paint the adorable Wallace. Enjoy the portrait!

Peanut

For the second time, through Facebook, I was commissioned by a girl I've known since I was 6 years old. And both times, the paintings were gifts for loved ones. First there was Ozzy and now here is Peanut.

I'm so honored to create this portrait of Peanut, an adorable Maltese, for my friend Stephanie. Peanut was her family dog who recently passed. This portrait is a gift for Stephanie's mom, whom I remember very well. I hope this portrait brings Stephanie and her mom joy and comfort, as they remember their beloved Peanut.

Thank you, Stephanie, for your business; I'm flattered that you chose me to create this gift...and I can't wait to paint your gorgeous Boxers someday!

THANK YOU for voting me into the TOP TEN

Thank you to everyone who voted for Barcchus, my wine label submission. Thanks to wonderful friends, family, and clients (and the power of Facebook), I made it to the Top Ten, which was the goal. The rest is up to the judges. There are some gorgeous submissions keeping mine company. Good luck to all! If I don't win, I will definitely participate next year; what a fun art competition!

Oh, and how cute is my dog? I love this picture!!

SUMMER SPECIAL

I'm so glad summer is here. My first full summer as a wife, first summer in my newly-renovated house, and first summer as a doggie mom. It promises to be a fun summer, and hopefully an art-filled one as well!

To kick it off, I'm offering a 20% discount on any portrait commissioned between now and the end of July. Just send me an e-mail with "SUMMER SPECIAL" in the subject line to get the process started.

The lovely spokesmodel for this advertisement is Tessa, a Mastiff we met at puppy class (yes, she is a puppy-a very BIG puppy!). Isn't she cute? She'll get her wish one of these days.

Happy Summer!

BARCCHUS: My submission for the Mutt Lynch Winery wine label contest

I haven't entered an art competition in a while, so when I heard about the contest sponsored by Mutt Lynch Winery and Dog Art Today (a great blog by a very dedicated lover of dog art), I jumped at the chance.

The project was to create a wine label that is dog-themed. The first thing that came to my mind was Bacchus, the Roman god of wine (a.k.a. Dionysus in Greek mythology, but you can't alter "Dionysus" to sound like "Bark"). I had the idea of doing an homage to Caravaggio's painting Bacchus, but replacing the man with a dog. It was a great challenge to draw all of the fruit and foliage in addition to the dog. My work is usually dog + colorful background. It was also fun to create something for me, rather than a client. The title of my finished work is BaRcchus: The canine god of wine (after Caravaggio).

The label submissions will be up on Moira's blog next week (June 15-19), so that viewers and fans may vote for their favorite label design. Then the top 10 will be judged by a panel of three judges. If you dig my label design, please take a second and vote for it here! I'd love to make it to the Top 10. And enjoy all of the other 50 submissions!

Regis

Meet Regis the Basset Hound. This painting was a long time coming. I was commissioned quite a while ago by Pam to paint her dog Rupert. At the time, she also purchased a commissioned portrait to be auctioned at an event for a local pet rescue. The winner of that auction is Sandy, who has rescued many Bassett Hounds. I hadn't heard from Sandy for a while, and when I finally did she wanted to "regift" the portrait to another auction. How generous of her to almost give up the painting she won! I had to gently convince her to have her own pet portrait done, and she agreed. Out of all her dogs, Sandy chose Regis, her "heart dog" for the portrait. And here he is.

When Sandy first met Regis, he was sitting amongst her iris plants. I love her how-we-met story, and I happen to love irises, so I had to use iris leaves as the background. That was a nice change-of-pace for me.

Thank you, Sandy, for your interest in my work, for being such an advocate for dogs, for supporting a great cause, and for your kind words when you saw the finished portrait. Enjoy!

Rosie the water dog

Kevin and I love the ocean. It was a big part of our childhoods, especially for him as he grew up in a beach town. We now live 20 minutes from the beach, and we are sure to go every weekend during the summer. Soooo, when we considered adopting a dog, one of our big hopes was that we'd get one that loves the ocean. And our dream came true! Rosie is definitely a water dog (it's the Springer in her). She loves to jump waves and swim. She is great at retrieving the balls that daddy throws into the water. Watching her doggie paddle is so cute! We also live near a lake, where we like to kayak. She has a blast there, too. We couldn't be happier!

I have been a blogging slacker this month. Trying hard to find time to paint, but coming up short. Now that June is here I will have a lot more time for art making. I better! I've got a backlog going on: TWO Basset Hounds, a Maltese, a Yorkie, and the first portrait of Rosie are all in the works! Whew!

Reflections on a quote about dogs, part 1

I've been working for a while on a different line of greeting cards featuring my dog art. And here is one of the results. Each card features a black & white version of one of my dog portraits and a corresponding quote about dogs. I've chosen a beautiful, archival, Crane paper. I'm really excited about these cards, especially since they are now available in my Etsy shop.

I'm finding it difficult to eek out some time to paint. But I don't want to slack off completely on here, so I decided to feature one of my new cards and reflect on the quote it features. Perhaps this will become a regular posting trend for me. Who knows...

Ahem.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."
~Roger Caras

I couldn't agree more. I had a few dogs growing up, but in every case we would have the dog for a while, and then it would, for reasons I can only speculate, go away. Patches went to our vet, who found a good home for him. Brandy went to live with my grandmom, and became an outside dog (that makes little sad now that I look back). And Daisy, well, I was a baby when we had Daisy and I don't know where she ended up. I'll have to ask my mom...

As an adult, I have acquired a canine niece named Georgia and a canine little sister named Abby. I love them both dearly, but I wanted my own dog...

Kevin and I prioritized adopting a dog, but we waited until we did a lot of research on dog breeds to find the best match for us. We also waited until we were actually married (we did not live together prior to getting married), and after our house renovations were complete so the pup would have a nice home. We planned on waiting even longer--until the summer, when we would both be home for ten weeks. But when we saw our puppy's face on Petfinder.com, it was a done deal! Now we can't imagine life without her. My expensive sheets and comforter that I registered for and received as wedding presents are all sorts of stained, but I don't really care. Because the source of the stains are the cute paws of the best dog in the world. Rosie definitely added a new dimension to our lives and marriage. She does, indeed, make our lives whole.

In other IHDS news, I'm working on Batch #4 of my fancy dog cards, with some improvements.These have been a great seller for me, and they are fun to make.....Also in the works: a portrait of a Basset Hound named Regis, and the first (of many, I'm sure) portrait of my precious puppy Rosie.

Happy Birthday to me!

Today I turn 35 (otherwise known as twenty-fifteen). My first birthday as a wife and a doggie mommy! The weather is gorgeous. I entered my classroom to find balloons left by some of my seniors. Pizza and a movie tonight. Life is good!

I hope everyone has a splendid day!

Graduation for Rosie

My little Rosie graduated from puppy school last night. She was a star pupil; we are so proud!

Kevin and I enrolled her in an 8-week training class at our local PetSmart. We highly recommend it. We learned a lot and Rosie had fun with her friends Boomer, Lucas, Spike, Sadie, Jersey, and Yankee.

I'm currently working on two paintings: a portrait of the graduate herself, and a portrait of a Basset Hound named Regis. I also have some partially-finished projects I'd like to tackle and complete. And all sorts of ideas whizzing around in my brain. Hopefully it will be a productive Spring!

Pet portrait trade, anyone?

I recently saw on Oprah several examples of how, in this dismal economy, women are getting creative with bartering goods and services. It inspired me.

I remember in art school when I used to participate in print trades. It was so fun to make one piece of art (times however many editions) and receive all sorts of artwork in return. It's a great way to acquire original art to adorn the walls without exchanging money!

So I had an idea: I would love to do a pet portrait trade with a fellow pet portrait artist. Or two...

Anyone interested? I'll paint your dog if you paint (or draw, or render, or sculpt...) mine.

Priscilla

I've always wanted to paint a bulldog, and I finally got my wish with this beauty. And the commission went to a good cause!

I donated a custom portrait to a charity event/auction in January. It was a benefit for a young woman named Caitlin. Caitlin, who works with my sister, was walking home from a homecoming bonfire the night before Thanksgiving, when she was struck by a car that was going very fast and never stopped. Caitlin sustained many injuries including head trauma and was in a coma for a long time. She is slowly-but-surely getting better (thank God), but as anyone can imagine, her medical bills are astronomical. The women at my sister's work (an adorable jewelry store called Sunshine Daydream) sponsored a benefit in honor of Caitlin and her family. I was honored to design the logo for the event (above), and to donate a custom pet portrait for the auction. The evening was a huge success!

I couldn't wait to find out what kind of dog I'd be painting....then I heard from Donna, an incredibly sweet woman with a precious bulldog named Priscilla. This portrait took me a loooong time. As I've mentioned in previous posts, white dogs can be the most challenging to paint. And all those wrinkles! I learned a lot from the experience; I'm now ready for a Shar Pei...bring it on!

Thank you, Donna, for your interest in my work, for your support of a great cause, and for being a dream client. Enjoy the portrait!

Dog art by Devon

I was going through some old stuff and I came across some drawings made for me by former students. I've taught so many little kids, between my many years of summer Art Camp to my elementary school student teaching placement. I miss the little kids now that I teach high schoolers. The drawing above was made by a boy named Devon. I have no idea when it was made, but it was well before i heart dogs studio was born; way before I ever imagined creating a pet portrait business. Now that I am a dog artist and dog mom, I especially love this picture. I plan on keeping it for a long time.

I'm almost finished a portrait of Priscilla the Bulldog. She is a beauty and I can't wait to finish and post it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ozzy

Here is my latest dog commission (and the first in 2009), an adorable Beagle named Ozzy. Ozzy is the canine nephew of my friend Trish. Here is a bit of his story, in Trish's words: "Poor Ozzy has been through a lot in the past few years. He was attacked by a [dog] and had quite a recovery with a bad infection that compromised his sight. He has aged quickly since then, as anyone would." How sad! But Ozzy looks like a trooper to me.

Trish supplied me with some recent photos, as well as some older shots of Ozzy. The recent ones reflect the tough times Ozzy has faced; some of his fur has gone gray/white. Still quite a handsome boy, but I chose to paint him with his younger-days, classic Beagle coloring. I'm happy with the results...and so is Trish and her three adorable daughters.

I've known Trish since I was 6 years old. We went to school together for 12 years. I'd lost touch with her in college and beyond, but through the magic of Facebook we are back in touch. Trish remembers how art was my thing in elementary school, which makes me smile. I'm so honored to create a portrait of this very special dog for her brother-in-law. Thanks, Trish! [I should also mention–-because he told me to–-that I've known Trish's wonderful husband Dave for over a decade as well. He's awesome.]

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's a Valentine I, I mean Rosie, made for Kevin.

Today is my first Valentine's Day as a married lady, and my first as a doggy mommy. What a special day! Kevin, Rosie and I are having lots of fun. Hope you are, too!

Love looks like this

Kevin and I are proud to announce that we adopted a beautiful Cocker Spaniel mix puppy. It all happened yesterday, February 1st. The adoption went so smoothly! We found her through Pefinder.com and dealt with some fantastic women from New Beginnings Pet Rescue. Our baby's original name was Harrah (as in the casino; we live just outside of Atlantic City), but we renamed her Rosalita (after the Bruce Springsteen song--the last song played at our wedding), and we are calling her Rosie for short. We are very happy parents; she is awesome.

We didn't care that our Eagles weren't in the Superbowl. We barely even watched the game (I just took the photo above to document that we got her on Superbowl Sunday). She and I were wiped out from the drive and all the hubbub in Petsmart, so we took a nap together on the couch.

There will be many more adventures with Rosie to post, I'm sure...

Dogs among ruins

It is a cold, cold January here on the east coast. And the month seems to be flying by. Not much time for art making these days, but I've been very busy with art planning. I have a lot of ideas for future projects; I just need to write/sketch them all down. One such idea involves the many photographs I've taken of dogs amongst ruins. They are mostly from my trip to Greece, but the photo above was taken in Ostia Antica, Italy.

I wrote briefly about the stray dogs in Athens when I got back from Greece. It's almost a year later and I'm still thinking about them. I love the visual juxtaposition of something alive and warm against something so cold and ancient. Along those lines, I also took a lot of photographs of flowery weeds sprouting up in the cracks of the ancient marble steps and columns. Beautiful stuff to see!

I'm still working on Shrimp, the Lhasa Apso. And I will hopefully have some new commissions come February. In the meantime, my head is chock-full of ideas for new work, an additional Etsy shop, and all sorts of creative endeavors. Now if I could only find more time...

Abby, my canine sister

Today is my mom's birthday. And slacker daughter that I am, I'm finally giving my mom her birthday present from last year. My sister, dad and I threw her a surprise party last year for her 60th. In all that hubbub of planning the party, I couldn't complete my present for her, which was a portrait of her dog, Abby. Then I got engaged, and all sorts of projects got put on the back burner, for the sake of planning a wedding in 7 months. So here I am a year later and I'll giving my mom double presents tonight. I hope the portrait will be worth the year-long wait!

Abby has blessed our lives with such joy. She's the cutest thing and a constant source of entertainment for everyone in my family. I think she helps ease the Empty Nest Syndrome for my parents. Kevin and I dogsat Abby last weekend. We were sad to give her back, but it prompted us to seriously talk about what kind of dog(s) we want to adopt next summer. Since we are both teachers, we'll have 10 weeks off to be home with the dog(s) and get he/she/them acclimated to our house and us. At the moment, the plan is a Cocker Spaniel and then a former racing Greyhound. We can't wait!

one little word for 2009: HARMONY

It's time to say goodbye to 2008. I'm a bit sad about this because 2008 was, without exaggeration, the best year of my life. Within those 366 days, I did the following:

* Got engaged in Washington, D.C.
* Traveled to Greece
* Got married !!!
* Honeymooned in France
* Earned tenure where I teach
* Celebrated 10 years cancer-free (I was diagnosed with melanoma in 1998)
* Moved into Kevin's house
* Renovated OUR house--every surface is new/updated

And while I didn't create nearly as many paintings as I did in 2007, I had some wonderful clients and I'm proud of the art I made this year. It was an amazing year. But I'm happily looking forward to 2009. I have many goals to accomplish!

I am a big fan of Ali Edwards' blog and work. I think her concept of "one little word" is brilliant. Last year my word was BALANCE. When I chose that word at the beginning of the year, I had no idea how much my world would be rocked (in a good way) in the upcoming months. Despite all the wonderful happenings of 2008, I felt like I was in a constant state of overwhelm. I definitely have more work to do to achieve some balance in my life. So I'm going to keep the same theme but this year my word is HARMONY.

{Harmony is derived from the classical Greek harmonia (meaning a joint between the planks of a ship or a joining of those planks). From the beginning, the term was also used in its current metaphorical sense, that of a combination of parts or related things to form a consistent whole or an agreement.}

Here's to a great year. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and harmonious 2009!

To be posted soon: the portrait of my mom's dog Abby (finally!) and a portrait of a Lhasa Apso named Shrimp.

Taitan

My latest dog portrait was commissioned by Kim, one of my very best friends. This is Taitan, a gorgeous Akita that belongs to Kim's parents. This portrait will be their Christmas present. I couldn't be happier to do this for Kim and Brian; I've been friends with them for a gazillion years, and I love Kim's entire family. I hope Mr. and Mrs. Larsen like it!

Kim is a mommy to her own Akita, Bo. (And soon Kim will be a mommy to a human!) Thanks, Kim and Brian! Merry Christmas to you both and to the entire Larsen clan!

This year's holiday card

When I should have been writing wedding thank-you notes, I designed my holiday card for 2008 instead. It features a Yorkie from one of my paintings popping her sweet head out of a wrapped box. What you see here is the front of the card, and the inside is blank. These guys are currently being printed. When I get them in my hands I will most likely list a few sets in my Etsy shop. The rest I will send to family and friends (after I take care of the wedding thank-yous, of course).

[UPDATE: The cards arrived too late to sell for this holiday season. However, I'm so happy with how they turned out, I will definitely reserve some of them to sell next Christmas!]

And I relisted last year's holiday cards. I was pleasantly surprised at how many sets sold last year, and I just sold another one a few days ago. I have two sets left, in my Etsy shop.

Happy holidays!

Frosty and Flurry

At long last, here is my latest dog portrait: two Bichon Frisés named Frosty and Flurry . This painting was actually purchased over a year ago, by the woman who commissioned me to paint her beloved Rupert. She also purchased a to-be-painted-later portrait, which was donated to a charity auction in support of Small Paws Rescue. [Thank you again, Pam!] I was contacted by Brooke, the winning bidder, and received pictures of her adorable Bichons. Brooke is a very sweet person and I could tell right away how much she loves her dogs!

Brooke asked if I'd be willing to paint both of her dogs in the portrait. I agreed, but was a little bit worried because my style doesn't really lend itself to really small details. To fit two dogs on a 10"x8" canvas was definitely a challenge, but one I welcomed and learned a lot from!

Thank you, Brooke, for showing interest in my work, contributing to a wonderful cause, and for being incredibly patient during the busiest few months of my life. I hope you enjoy the portrait!

Bill Alexander was right...

Remember Bill Alexander, the painter who had a show on public television? His most famous phrase was "Almighty White." Every single time I squeeze white paint onto my palette I hear his voice saying it in my head. White truly is a magical color to paint with. And up until just recently, I only extolled the virtues of white paint in oil-from-the-tube form. But as Kevin and I renovate our entire house (going on 5 months now), I'm becoming a huge fan of white semi-gloss latex paint. It hides a multitude of sins on baseboards and door jams. White really *is* almighty, Bill!

And speaking of white, I'm just finishing up a painting of two Bichons who are named after the most glorious white there is: snow! Flurry and Frosty will be posted soon!

i heart farm animals, too

Last Saturday we celebrated the 1st birthday of my twin nephews, Benjamin and Daniel. The party was held at a farm, where we ate delicious food, fed some cute animals, and had our own private hayride. It was the very first hayride for my 86-year-old grandmother! A good time was had by all! I finally had an occasion to wear the cowboy (or cowgirl, I suppose) hat I bought in San Antonio. There aren't too many opportunities to wear it in Southern New Jersey without getting strange looks!

Happy birthday to the buh-buhs! The best nephews a girl could ask for!

What a smile!

While I'm working on a portrait of two Bichons, and in my spare time painting the walls in my house...I'll post a photo of my canine niece that makes me smile big. Here's Georgia, with the sweetest expression!

Muffy and Nicky

This is Muffy the Shih Tzu and her brother, Nicky the Shih Tzu mix. They are my latest portrait commissions. Muffy has an underbite. I love underbites, in both dogs and people. My sister had one and my husband still has one. Elwood has an underbite, too. So cute.

It took a few revisions to get these cuties just right. Revisions can be tricky because of the way I apply my paint. It was definitely a learning experience for which I'm grateful.

Thank you to Geralyn for the commissions. I hope these paintings make you very happy!

Remembering Fisher

I received devastating news yesterday. My friend Lisa had to put down Fisher, her sweet Weimaraner. Fisher was the first dog I ever painted and therefore I consider him the dog that started i heart dogs studio. As I mentioned in my first post about him, I fell in love with Fisher at first sight. He made me an instant fan of the Weim breed. He was a fantastic dog and a beloved member of his family. My thoughts and prayers are with the Millers during this difficult time. I feel lucky to have known Fisher and I will always consider him to be the mascot of my little business.

I am an art dork

I went to France for my honeymoon. We spent the majority of our time in Paris, but also took a river cruise on the Seine from Paris to Normandy and back again. It was glorious. I am an artist/art teacher and Kevin is a history buff/social studies teacher, so this trip was right up our respective alleys: we saw an overwhelming amount of art and architecture, and we visited the D-Day beaches.

I knew ahead of time that I'd be visiting several places that were special to one Mr. Claude Monet. So I stashed my little plush Claude Monet doll in my suitcase. I had the idea of photographing him in the areas where the real Claude Monet lived and painted. I wanted to do that ever since I saw how the garden gnome gets photographed around the world in Amelie.

So little Claude made an appearance in Honfleur, Giverny, and Rouen. I think the photos are adorable. Hopefully my students will too!

New dog portraits will be posted very soon....

Bosco and Chief

My honeymoon to Paris and Normandy was amazing. I'm still recovering. I'll have pictures and stories soon.

For now, and at long last, here is my latest finished commission and my first painting of two dogs on the same canvas. Bosco is a Boxer and Chief is a Pit mix. These boys are the pride and joy of the lovely Sandra, who chose an i heart dogs studio portrait as her birthday present from her mom. Happy Birthday, Sandra, and thank you! Enjoy the portrait!

Up next in the gallery: two Shih Tzus named Nicky and Muffy and two Bichons named Flurry and Frosty.

MARRIED!

The wedding was perfect. Paris, here we come!

In just 11 days...

...I'll be a Mrs.!!! Artwork production and blogging are currently slow due to my upcoming wedding. Thank you to my current clients for your patience!

I've been a regular Martha Stewart with all my wedding craftiness. I'd show off my handiwork, but I don't want any of my wedding guests to see the stuff before the big day. For now, I'll just post my engagement picture. Eleven days. OMG!

Coming soon: portraits of Muffy, Nicky, Bosco, Chief, and more!...

Rant, 2, 3, 4.....

Dear Apple,

We go back a long way, you and I. As long as I've used a computer, I've used a Mac. I fell in love with you in college when I was a graphic design student. I got to know you very well as a professional designer. I remained faithful to you in graduate school. And now I sing your praises to my students, as I teach Graphic Design to teenagers. Do you know what that means for you? Future customers! And how do you repay me, Apple? How? HOW?!? By driving me crazy and making me go broke, that's how! Hmmph! Why do you make a power cord that has nifty little pieces that pop up for the purpose of wrapping the cord around, when the result of wrapping the cord around said nifty pieces causes MAJOR DAMAGE?!? For the second time, my power cord has practically caught fire. Look at those pictures! The smell was atrocious, and I'm lucky my studio didn't go up in flames. And to make matters worse, it cost me $80 each time to replace the power cords. I'm not happy with you right now, Apple. Not happy at all. You owe me. There is a class action law suit regarding this very issue. But I don't have time for all the legal mumbo-jumbo, Apple. I'm a busy gal. Make a better power cord.

Sincerely,
Christine

That was my rant. On a better note...

My wedding is less than a month away! Oh my gosh! I'm trying to enjoy the last-minute preparations and not let the stress get the better of me.

I'm also thrilled to have 2 new clients, and between them 3 paintings of 4 dogs! I can't wait to post them. I'll be a painting fool before my wedding and honeymoon.

Charley

This is my latest completed commission, of my friend Elaine's dog Charley. Isn't he so cute? He is a mystery mixed breed, but we definitely think he has some Scottie in him.

Elaine and I went to college together, and have been friends for 15 years. Goodness! Thank you, Elaine, for the commission. I hope you and Charley like the portrait!

JULY SPECIAL

I'm so glad summer is here. Last summer I created many portraits for wonderful clients and I can't wait to have another productive season this summer. To kick it off, I'm offering a 15% discount on any commissioned portrait ordered in the month of July. Just send me an e-mail with "July Special" in the subject line to get the process started.

The lovely spokesmodel for this advertisement is Molly, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier that lives across the street. Isn't she cute? She'll get her wish one of these days.

Happy Summer!

Slower than a Galapagos turtle going uphill

I took this picture in Myrtle Beach in April. I was inches away from this face.

Wow, I've been away from blogland for a looooong time. That seems to be a recurring theme in my blog posts since September. Why September? Because that's when the school year started. It was a rough one for me. Not because of the kids; I had absolutely wonderful students this year. I just spread myself way too thin and couldn't ever really strike a balance between school, extra-curricular activities, my Greek program, my pet portrait business, and planning a wedding. Whew!

My Greek program is over, the wedding is in two months, and I've quit some extra-curricular positions. So the next school year should be a LOT better. Until then...HOORAY FOR SUMMER! My last day of school was Friday so tomorrow morning I don't have to wake up to my alarm clock at 4:30 (but I probably will naturally wakeup then anyway!)

Time to do the fun, crafty wedding-planning stuff. I'm looking forward to it. And time to finish painting Charley, my friend Elaine's adorable dog. Can't wait!

Happy Summer!

P.S. Linda, I need details from Tahiti!

The ocassional artsy photograph

Another three week span between blog posts. Sheesh. I got back from Greece and by the time I was unpacked, I had to pack again for a school trip to Myrtle Beach. All of this traveling has me a bit frazzled. Not to mention the fact that my wedding is in 111 days!

Every once in a while I take a photograph that deserves an "Atta girl!" (if I do say so myself). Here are two from my travels. The first was taken two years ago when I was in Italy. The second was taken recently, during my trip to Greece. Both photographs are available in my Etsy shop.

I am about to paint Charley, a gorgeous dog that belongs to my dear friend Elaine. I can't wait to start!...

My birthday is Monday. The big 34. Or, as I like to call it, twenty-fourteen. Monday birthdays are kind of stinky, so I'm celebrating this weekend. Gotta get the party started...

The dogs of Greece

I'm back from Greece and finally over the jet lag. It was an amazing trip and I'm suffering from that sadness that occurs when you return from a great vacation. It's hard to describe the experience in words, but I'll try: I was up close and personal with art and architecture that I had only seen in my art history books (breathtaking!). The food was amazing (very vegetarian-friendly!). The weather was fantastic. The Greek air and water did wonders for my skin (or maybe it was the olive oil?). The climbing, hiking, walking, etc. counteracted the feta cheese consumption and I lost 4 lbs. The Greeks were beautiful and nice (for the most part), but the Americans I got to know were much more impressive.

My travel companions, who were virtual strangers when I left NJ, turned out to be wonderfully kind, generous, and funny people. I'm proud to call them my fellows. THANK YOU, or more appropriately, EFHARISTO to Emily, Bill, Maxine, Sara, Misty, Tom, Joan, Barbara, Denyse, Nancy, Peter, David, Fred, and Mary for being so much fun and making this trip fantastic. I miss you already and it saddens me to think about our fellowship experience drawing to a close. I hope we keep in touch. Regardless, we will always have Greece.

One of my favorite aspects of Greece was the abundance of dogs. I was in heaven. I had read about the stray dog population in Athens, but had no idea how prevalent the dogs were till I saw them myself. On more than one occasion, as our tour guide Rula would be explaining the historical significance of a temple or statue, I'd wander off to photograph a dog or two. It might have seemed to the fellows that I have an unhealthy obsession with canines. Hopefully now they understand that it's simply an occupational hazard. I ended up with some great shots, some of which are featured above. They will surely make their way into artwork some day.

Dog silhouettes

I've wanted to do a series of dog silhouettes for a while. Finally, here are the first three: Great Dane, Bracco Italiano, and Doberman Pinscher. I love the old-fashioned profile silhouettes. Traditionally, they are made with cut paper. I’m pretty good with scissors, but I’m better with a paintbrush. And my silhouettes feature dogs instead of humans. I have several more breeds in the works. It's a nice change of pace to work in only two colors and to be so precise. If these don't sell, I just might have a wall o' dog silhouettes. But hopefully they will find good homes. They are available in my shop.

Painting will take another hiatus, but this one will be brief. I leave for a 10-day trip to Greece on Wednesday. Woo hoo!

Maxx

Hooray! My first dog portrait of 2008. After a bit of hiatus due to getting engaged, I'm back in the saddle. It feels good to be painting dogs again. This is Maxx, a beautiful Chocolate Lab. I was commissioned by Erin to paint Maxx for her mom. Thank you, Erin. I hope your mom enjoys the portrait!

I will soon be posting my little dog silhouettes. I'm excited about them. Until then, I'm off to pack for my trip to Greece.....Enjoy the weekend!

(Happy belated birthday, Linda!)

I'm back

My poor blog. I've neglected it for way too long. That's what wedding planning will do!

I've been consumed with phone calls, e-mails, appointments, decisions, etc. Whew! I had no idea how much work went into planning a wedding. Having been a bridesmaid 7 times, I thought I knew, but you don't know till you're the bride. I'm in good shape at this point, which makes me happy. I've got my church, reception, photographer [hi, Rob!], and florist booked. My dress has been ordered and the bridesmaid dresses will be ordered soon. Those are the big things. I'm designing my own invitations which is fun and should save me some money. If only I didn't have such an addiction to Paper Source! Our honeymoon is booked—three days in Paris, followed by a river cruise to Normandy! The guest list is 99% complete, my registries are almost complete......can you say OVERWHELMING?

So needless to say, all of this wedding business has kept me from my artwork. Until now. This week I will (finally!) finish a portrait of Maxx the Chocolate Lab. [Thank you, Erin, for your patience!] I'm also creating some tiny dog silhouettes. They will be added to my shop this week, and I'm pretty excited about it. Finally, I'm doing a portrait of my parents' dog, Abby (pictured above). My mom turned 60 on January 2 and she's still waiting for a present from me. Hopefully this painting will be worth the wait!

At long last...

This is the Jefferson Memorial. I visited it last night and it was illuminated, just like in this picture. This is where I GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!! Makes sense considering Kevin is a history teacher.

A 2 year crush became an 8 year friendship, then a 5 year courtship. And now we're engaged!

Yesterday was about history (and a lifelong dream coming true). Today is about art. I'm off to the National Gallery of Art to see the Edward Hopper exhibit. I think I'm going to float instead of walk....

Greece and grace

It's not 100% official yet, but close enough: I'm going to Greece! I applied for The Examined Life fellowship through Stockton College and won it. The program is for Southern New Jersey educators. I'll be reading many ancient texts (Homer, Euripedes, Aristophanes, etc.) and studying ancient Greek culture. I will be expected to implement what I learn into my teaching curriculum. I'll be doing a LOT of work, which isn't so bad because I miss being a student; I finished grad school over 2 years ago. Besides personal fulfillment, the payoff is a 10-day trip to Greece over Easter! I'm super excited, and a little scared (traveling with strangers, flying, and who-knows-why). I've always wanted to go to Greece and it's a phenomenal opportunity.

As for the grace part, well, let's just say it's only Monday and I'm already annoyed with everyone and everything. Ever have one of those days/weeks? I just pray for the grace to handle it all in stride, until things improve and I'm smiling again.

Time to get back to painting. I'm working on a chocolate lab next.... =D

Balance

That is what I want to achieve in 2008. Balance.
I'm excited about a new year.
Happy 2008, everyone!

Flash

It's been a while since I painted a cat. This is only my third portrait of a cat ever. The first one I did for my mom's friend when I was in high school. Little did I know at the time that it would be the first of many pet portraits. I wonder if she still has it. Hmm.... The second cat painting was of my friend Brad's cat, Moo. That portrait happens to be the very first post I did on this blog. Now here is Flash, a very handsome cat with long whiskers. This portrait was commissioned by Laura as a present for her twin sister. Laura has a cat named Mouse, who looks just like Moo, so she bought a print of Moo for herself. And so concludes my cat portrait story. Hee hee.

As I type this, I am quite sick. The last several months have been incredibly busy and stressful and I think my body has finally rebelled. Time to slow down. Catch up on my correspondence with friends (I am soooo behind), write out some Christmas cards, etc. I planned to do a 100% handmade Christmas, but that would have required me to start making gifts in the summer. That didn't happen. Thank goodness for online shopping!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Achoo!

Why I've been so preoccupied this month:

My twin nephews: Benjamin Andrew and Daniel Andrew.
They are 4 weeks old today.
So precious.

Velveteen Rabbit Christmas cards

I planned on creating doggy Christmas cards this year. But with the craziness that has been my life over the last few months, there just wasn't the time. So instead I dug out one of my very favorite pieces: an illustration from my Velveteen Rabbit series, dated 1995.

I consider myself a well-read person. Of all the books I've ever read, I keep coming back to my childhood favorite: The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams. It is a close tie with Wuthering Heights as my all-time favorite book. I just love it. So I'm excited to share my illustration in the form of a Christmas card this year.

These cards are available in my Etsy shop.

I'm back....with Stella

Wow. I certainly took a lengthy hiatus from blogging! October was a crazy month for me and I have 20 un-listened-to voicemails to prove it! The month started with a weekend-long craft show (which I still need to discuss), then the following weekend I ran my first 5k, then two weeks later I became an aunt for the first time! I'll do a post about all these events soon. But for now...

"STELLA!"

Ha ha ha. I couldn't resist. Who doesn't picture Brando when you hear/read the name "Stella"? This is my latest portrait, commissioned by my friend Mark. Stella is a brindle Boxer; what a beautiful dog! This painting is a birthday present for Mark's wife Debbie. I hope she likes it!.....Thank you, Mark, for your support!

In the works: a portrait of a cat named Flash.

Fancy dog cards, batch 3

I still need to post about my first craft show. I think I'm still recovering from it. The most popular item in my booth were my dog cards; I sold quite a few. So I was inspired to make a new batch....and this one has a cat in it! These little beauties are available in my Etsy shop.

Have a great weekend!

Buster the Wonder Lab

This is Buster. I was commissioned by Marian to paint her beloved Labrador Retriever. Unfortunately Buster is no longer with Marian's family, but his legacy definitely lives on. When Marian told me about Buster's life, I couldn't believe all of the stories were about one dog! He certainly had a fun, never-a-dull-moment doggy life, and he brought a tremendous amount of love to his family. It was an honor to pay tribute to Buster with a portrait; it was a pleasure to get to know Buster's mommy, Marian.

Thank you, Marian. Enjoy!

Introducing Abby

As my family anxiously awaits the arrival of my twin nephews, we have a new addition of the canine variety. This is my mom's new dog, Abby. Isn't that the cutest face? I can't stand it! Abby is a Zuchon, which is a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Bichon. I'd never heard of this hybrid before, but I'm an instant fan because Abby is just precious!

This weekend as I was exhibiting at a craft show, I had Abby with me. She was a huge hit! Everyone wanted to pet her, kiss her, hold her,...even buy her! I can't say that she boosted my sales, but she definitely drove traffic into my tent.

I'll elaborate more on the craft show later....and soon I'll post my latest commission—Buster the Lab.

Max

Here he is—Samson and Emma's little brother Max, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I'm a sucker for this breed, so he was a pleasure to paint. My client, Nicolle, plans to frame the three portraits together as a present to her father. What a great idea! I hope he loves the triptych........Thank you, Nicolle!

Samson and Emma

I have a fantastic client (and fellow Blog Buddy) named Nicolle who is a huge animal lover. She has many pets herself but has commissioned me to paint her father's three dogs. Here are two of them: Samson and Emma, a couple of gorgeous Golden Retrievers. Samson is 12 and Emma is 2. They have a 1-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel brother named Max. I'll feature Max's portrait next; for now, I just couldn't wait to post these two beauties!

Saying goodbye to summer

Summer is over. And what a summer it was! I took a big risk, deciding not to get a job once the school year ended. Instead, I chose to devote all of my time to building this little business. There were times when I could be described as the proverbial starving artist, but I survived. And I have no regrets. I learned a lot about myself, I completed at least 12 paintings, and I made strong connections to fellow artists/dog lovers (and a wonderful friend in Linda). It was a life-changing summer and I'm sad to see it end.

I'm lucky to live within an hour from the Jersey shore. Working for myself this summer allowed me to spend a Tuesday afternoon with Kevin (also a teacher) on the beach. Not many people get to be leisurely on a Tuesday afternoon. Usually I'd draw on the beach while Kevin would surf. Again, not many people get to feel the sand between their toes and hear the crashing waves as they are working. I'm thankful for such a wonderful season.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've enjoyed picking up shells on the beach. One of the shells I found over the summer was the inspiration for this painting. This piece is my wedding gift to my cousin Andrew and his lovely bride Paige, who got married Labor Day weekend.

Coming soon: four new dog paintings—Samson, Emma, Max, and Buster!

Getting back to work...and artwork

Isn't this cool? I saw it on a bunch of blogs and decided to give it a whirl with my name. You can too at this site.

I took a brief break from artmaking to get my classroom set up and, quite frankly, because the first week of school is exhausting for a teacher. This coming week begins the balancing act of teacher-by-day and painter-by-night.

I've got two great new clients and between them there are four paintings to create. They will be portraits of some of my/Kevin's favorite breeds: two Goldens, a Cav, and a Yellow Lab.

Oh, happy day!

Wow. Kindness abounds today. You might remember a few weeks ago I posted a portrait I did of Ross Mathews' lovely dog, Louise. I sent it to Ross as a gift—a thank-you, if you will, for making me smile every day through his blog. I thought he'd like the portrait, which I executed using an old technique from my bag of tricks, but new to my dog portraits: watercolor + colored pencil. In the package I sent Ross, I included a few business cards, thinking perhaps he'd give them to a friend or two. NEVER could I have imagined the outpouring of kind words and inquiries that I received today. You see, Ross opened my package while being videotaped for one of his famous "Talky Blogs". As a result, I got to see his reaction in real-time. PRICELESS! Not only that, but his BFF Taya was there as well so I got to see her reaction, too. So exciting! Ross was incredibly generous with his plugs for me and my site. And his loyal Blog Buddies have been commenting and e-mailing me ever since. My face hurts from smiling. I am so happy! What a great end to a less-than-savory month. August has been redeemed!

I guess the "Pay It Forward" concept really does work. I'm experiencing it right now. THANK YOU to Ross and to everyone who has expressed a kind word about the Louise portrait and my work in general. Blog Buddies rule! If you are interested in commissioning a portrait, please contact me and I'll gladly give you a copy of my price list: i_heart_dogs_studio@yahoo.com.

Enjoy the video:

Oodles of poodles—hybrids, that is

A few evenings ago Kevin and I went out for a stroll and we came across a woman walking a dog. The pup went right up to me and promptly flipped over into "give me a belly rub" pose. Of course I obliged. This started a love fest between us and the dog. I'm telling you, I've never encountered a friendlier canine. And she was so CUTE! Her name is Jazzy, and she is a Lhasapoo. I happened to have a camera on me, so I asked if I could take Jazzy's picture.

Meeting Jazzy totally made our night and it got me thinking about the different kinds of poodle hybrids I've been hearing about lately. I've met a Cockapoo and now a Lhasapoo; I'd also heard of Schnoodles and Labradoodles. However, I had NO idea just how many poodle hybrids there are until I googled it that evening. Holy cow! Kevin and I fell in love with some Cavapoos (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel + Poodle) we saw in pictures. I can't help but wonder what purebred Poodle breeders and enthusiasts think about this phenomenon. Hmmm...

All I know is that Jazzy's mom made a good choice and she is very lucky to have such an adorable POOch.

Madison

At long last....this is Madison. Yes, she really is that cute! I've been talking about Madison for a while, referring to her as "the Sophia Loren of Yorkshire Terriers" and "The Most Beautiful Yorkie In The Land." Now you know why! It was a joy to paint Madison because her daddy is a professional photographer, so I had fantastic photos to work from. As I've mentioned before, this commission was a donation to the Northern New Jersey chapter of the Young Survival Coalition's most recent In Living Pink event. Madison's daddy, Daniel, was the winning bidder and scored the portrait. After the auction I couldn't wait to get the call from him; I was so curious what type of dog I'd be painting. I was excited to learn it was a Yorkie (the breed that was recently named America's 2nd favorite dog). And then I got the pictures and just fell in love with that sweet face!

Thank you, Daniel, for supporting a wonderful cause and for your interest in my work. It was a pleasure to work with you and to honor your adorable Madison. Enjoy!

Two Daisies

At the beginning of the summer, I posted a photo of myself as a baby with my childhood dog, Daisy. I decided to paint Daisy and here it is. This painting was commissioned by a V.I.P. client: ME! Except for one year in college, I've never hung my own artwork up in my living space. (Is that weird? I don't know.) So I figured if I'm going to finally create a piece for myself and actually display it, I'm going to be picky. I demanded that the background be the same color as the little blue boxes from a certain store I love. Hee hee.

I'm almost finished the portrait of Madison, who I consider to be The Most Beautiful Yorkie In The Land. She's got gorgeous wavy hair in the picture, so it's taking a while...

Louise and my first love

I got reacquainted with my first love. Not the guy, the art supply (that rhymed)! Colored pencils—my One True Love in artmaking. I've used them forEVER. I even used to teach colored pencil classes. But lately, I've neglected them and gotten busy with oils and mosaic tiles. I mentioned in my Owl and the Pussycat post that I wanted to re-introduce colored pencils into my repertoire. Well, today I did. And I'm positively giddy about it.

I needed some dog models to work from as I attempted the first dog portraits in my favorite combo: watercolor + colored pencils. I chose Quincy (whose portrait will be featured soon) and Louise, pictured above.

Louise is quite a famous dog. She is the "paw-fect little dog-ter" of Ross Mathews. If you're a fan of The Tonight Show, you already know who Ross Mathews is. I don't know him personally, but I wish I did. He is funny and sweet and down-to-earth and his blog keeps me entertained every day! Ross is head-over-heels with his dog, Louise. And I think she's super cute so I honored her in this portrait, which I intend to send to Ross.

A high five from Quincy

Today I uploaded a video to YouTube for the first time and here it is! Don't I feel all savvy with technology? Woo! The voice you hear the most in the video is mine, complete with an irritating Philly/South Jersey accent. I'm not aware of it until I hear myself on tape—yuck. Oh well...I'm proud of where I'm from; I just don't like the accent.

The star of this show is Quincy—short for Quincent—who belongs with my friends Tara and Vlad. I have a picture of Quincy in my Dogs I've visited this summer post, and I'm currently working on a portrait of him. He's got the most beautiful green eyes. And he gives a high five like a champ. Watch!

Rupert's Showbiz

That's the name of this adorable Bichon Frise: Rupert's Showbiz. This painting was my first commission through Etsy—woo hoo! I was contacted by Pam, who has FIVE Bichons, all rescued. It was a pleasure getting to know Pam, learning about her dogs, and painting Rupert's Showbiz. It helps when the client provides great photos, and this one takes the cake! Pam also purchased a painting that will be donated to Small Paws Rescue, for use in an auction. Thank you, Pam!!

Fancy dog cards: a new batch!

I just had to make more; I love these cards! I've had some from my first batch go to Colorado, New Mexico, and New Jersey (my home state). I hope some cards from this new batch get to travel to cool places, too. They can be purchased in my Etsy shop.

I'm mere minutes away from finishing a portrait of Rupert the Bichon Frise. So I juuuust miiiight have two posts in one day!

The Owl and the Pussycat

"...And hand in hand,
at the edge of the sand,
they danced by the light of the moon,
the moon,
the moon.
They danced by the light of the moon."

This is my favorite verse from Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat. I've illustrated this poem a few times, and this print is one of my illustrations. It actually is an intaglio print; I carved the image into Plexiglas. But the finished print just wasn't making me happy, so I picked up my first love in art supplies—colored pencils—and went to work coloring it. I like the result! This little print is available in my Etsy shop.

I've been working in oils and mosaic tiles almost exclusively for a long time. I forgot just how much I LOVE using colored pencils. I'm introducing them back into my repertoire. I hope they forgive me for ignoring them so long!

In the dog portrait department, I'm almost finished two commissions: a Yorkie and a Bichon. I'm excited about them both! They will be posted in a matter of days.

Mugsey (not Pugsly)

Who doesn't love a Pug? Seriously. They are SO stinkin' cute. I couldn't wait to paint one, but I needed the PERFECT photo to work from (since, sadly, I don't know any Pugs personally). Lucky for me, I'm a high school teacher so between my colleagues and students, I know many dog owners.

Enter Kaitlin, a wonderful student. This little blondie is sweet, funny, and seemingly meek. Until she opens her mouth to sing. Then she blows you away with a voice like Etta James, and the soul to match. Well, at some point last year I discovered that Kaitlin owns Pugs. I asked her for a picture and the next day she gave me several. My favorite pic inspired this painting (I'm a sucker for a curled tongue!). I'm pretty sure his name is Pugsly, so that is the working title of this painting. I'll have to confirm that with Kaitlin......HA! Nope. I just learned his name is Mugsey. Oops!

Thank you, Kaitlin! You'll get a print of this painting when school starts in...GASP!...a month.

Non-dog artwork for sale, Part 1

Today kicked off my Clean Out The Studio Week. I came across some old pieces and decided to put them up for sale. They aren't dog related at all. Some are over ten years old. Most of them are prints. The great thing about printmaking is that with most printmaking processes there is no "original." So I have a copy of my favorite prints (which I swear one day I'll actually frame) and I can say goodbye to the rest without that sad feeling that accompanies handing over art to someone.

There's a lot more where these came from, so Part 2 is forthcoming...

Cindy

One day this past spring, a sweet Yellow Lab came wandering up the driveway to greet my sister. Dogs love my sister, so that part wasn't surprising; however, the dog seemed to come from out of nowhere and she wore absolutely no identification. I seized the opportunity to photograph her, as I photograph every dog I possibly can. We played with her for a bit but were left with a conundrum: where does this dog belong? It infuriates me when dogs bear no identification at all. For a split second I considered bringing her to my boyfriend and yelling, "Surprise!" since he wants a Yellow Lab. But my conscience kicked back in. We asked a neighbor who was walking his dog if he knew anyone in the area with a Yellow Lab. He only knew of one residence, but sure enough that's where this dog belonged. Upon returning her, we learned her name is Cindy. I found this especially ironic, as my sister's name is Cynthia.

I ended up with some great shots of Miss Cindy, one of which was the inspiration for this painting. It is available in my Etsy shop.

Cute freebie

I've noticed that it is a common practice in the Etsy community to send a little extra something with each order. I've bought enough stuff from Etsy in the past 2 months that I've received some super cute little extra somethings. So I wondered: what could I make to send with my orders? And then I was struck with an idea that I just ran with. The result? These cutie Scottie dog bookmarks! I have to say, I love them! I'm pretty proud of myself for coming up with a way to utilize the scrap paper that is created when I trim a print. My prints are 11" x 14" and the paper is 13" x 19", so I end up with tiny scraps of very expensive paper! These scraps are the perfect size and weight for a bookmark, however. Recycle/reuse/repurpose.

I love Scottie dogs and I have no idea why. What I mean is: while I love all dogs, I have an affinity for Scotties such that you would think I've had a Scottie in my life, but that's not the case. I bought a Scottie dog print from Linda O'Neill, which—I just learned—is a portrait of Rebecca Collins' dog. Rebecca sells bookmarks of her dog artwork, so maybe that's how the bookmark idea got into my head.
It's all connected.

Fancy dog cards are here!

Here it is: the first batch in my new collection of fancy dog cards. Why the "fancy"? Well, I plan to also offer simpler cards which feature just the printed image. These, however, have pretty papers, trims, metal charms, and stickers galore. I had so much fun making these cards, despite the feeling of being covered in glue and double-stick tape! These lovelies are available in my Etsy shop.

If I were on The Simpsons

I found this website which allows you to create a Simpsons character of yourself. It's fun! If Matt Groening were to draw me into the show, this is what I would look like. Not the best likeness of me, but certainly not the worst! Simpsonize yourself.
I dare you!

Chewie

This is my latest completed commission: a Pit Bull/Bull Mastiff mix named Chewie. If you look at my Dogs I've visited this summer post, you'll see the photo that inspired the painting. Mike, a good friend of ours, commissioned this portrait for his brother Ryan. I hope Ryan and his girlfriend Rachael—both really sweet people—like it. They just bought a new house, so hopefully hanging this painting in it will make them happy.....Thank you, Mike, for the commission and for being so supportive!

Westie

Here is the latest in my series of breed paintings: a West Highland White Terrier. The original painting and prints are for sale in my Etsy shop.

Since Linda of Abby Creek Art was so enthusiastically supportive of my card idea, I've got several dog cards in the works. I'll post them (hopefully) tomorrow. I've been having fun finding papers and trims to complement my paintings. Thanks, Linda!

The opening reception of the Biennial exhibit was wonderful. Thanks to all of you who came out for it, and to those who couldn't make it but sent congratulations/flowers/etc. It meant a lot!

Homemade cards

I really wanted to finish a painting today. REALLY. But with all that I had going on, it just couldn't happen. I had my scrapbooking supplies out so I decided to make some cards. The one pictured here features one of my portraits of Elwood the Chihuahua. I made it to thank and congratulate the chef of one of my favorite restaurants, The Tortilla Press. Kevin and I attended their most recent Farm to Fork dinner event, for which the restaurant teams up with a local farm and creates a menu that highlights the fresh produce that is in season. It was an amazing meal, and the chef was very accommodating to me and the other vegetarians. I could eat Mexican food every day.

Anyway, I enjoy making my own cards. I think I'm only going to send homemade cards from now on!

I'm currently working on two commissions: a pit bull mix and the cutest Yorkie you've ever seen in your life!

Buster

My friend Jill (mommy to Bosco, my buddy) commissioned me to paint Buster. Buster, a gorgeous Boxer, was Jill's family dog that held an extra special significance for Jill's brother Rob. This painting will be Rob's Christmas present from Jill. I feel so honored to paint Buster because I've heard so many wonderful things about him. Buster is now residing in canine heaven, so I feel privileged to create a tribute to him.

Boxers are one of my favorite breeds. I've had a lot of fun running and playing with Boxers; they are gentle giants.

Thank you, Jill, for this commission and for being such a great friend and supporter of this little business of mine.

Dogs I've visited this summer

So far this summer has been wonderful. I'm enjoying the break from teaching, and REALLY enjoying making my own hours. It has allowed me to visit with some friends (and their dogs). Above are the dogs I've hung out with in the last month or so.

In the upper left we have Quincy, a mixed breed that belongs to my friends Tara and Vlad. I am currently doing sketches of Quincy, as he is the star of a children's book that Tara (a fantastic writer) and I are creating. To Quincy's right is Chewie, a very sweet Pit Bull mix, who was my buddy on the 4th of July. He belongs to Ryan and Rachel. And finally we have little Jake. You've seen my paintings of Jake in earlier posts, and here he is in photograph form. I recently designed something for Jake's mommy, Sharon. As I was working on my laptop, Jake found his way to my lap and nestled his head in the crook of my arm. SO CUTE!

I've got several canvases in the works that I'm very excited about. Two are commissions and five are for my breed series. I'm headed to the beach for two days but after that, I'll be painting like a fool!

A goal realized

One day, two summers ago, my boyfriend and I took a stroll through the Noyes Museum of Art. We happened to be there during their biennial exhibit, which featured the work of South Jersey artists. I set a goal that day: to have my work shown in the next biennial, which would be in the summer of 2007. Fast-forward two years, to this May. I created a painting, submitted my entry, and prayed that the exhibition jury would accept it. And guess what??? They did! I'm thrilled.

This past Tuesday, I dropped off my painting ("Pearl," which can be found in an earlier post) at the museum. The next time I'll see it will be at the opening reception. I think this calls for a new outfit, don't you? Yay!

Carly

This is Carly, an adorable Shih Tzu. Carly belongs to a little girl named Olivia and her family. My sister was a nanny for many years and most recently worked for Olivia's family. Nowadays my sister dogsits Carly from time to time. When I first encountered Carly, I had to lie down on the floor and look under the bed, for that's where she would hide when visitors came to the house. By now, she is totally acclimated to my sister's home and she LOVES to play with Georgia. The last time I saw Carly, I didn't have to peek under the bed; she was in my lap! She is so affectionate and cute, I just had to photograph her. Then I liked the photos so much that I had to paint one. (Thank you, Janet, for buying the painting. Enjoy it!)

Isn't this photo great? My sister lives in a beach town and so the occasional turtle will walk through her back yard. On this particular day, both Georgia and Carly were there to witness it. Here they are doing what dogs do. That poor turtle!

Nina

One of my students, when she learned that I paint dogs, lent me a photo of Nina, her Siberian Husky. She wasn't commissioning me; she was just showing off her dog. I knew right away that I had to paint her. I've always thought Siberian Huskies were beautiful and I've never met one I didn't like. It was a fun experience to paint her, the latest in my series of breed paintings which are on sale in my Etsy shop.

Oh...lest anyone think I'm a meanie, I'll be giving a print of the painting to my student on the first day of school in September. [Thanks, Christy!!]

Jake (2 of 2)

This is it: the fourth of four paintings for my friend Sharon. This is Jake the Chihuahua. I featured a bigger painting of him a month ago (exactly a month ago, actually), and two paintings of his brother three weeks prior. After creating two paintings each of Sharon's two Chihuahuas, I feel like I know them. But I have yet to meet Jake and Elwood. I'll be getting together with Sharon soon, so I'll meet the boys then.

The other day, my friend Tara's dog Quincy saw one of my Chihuahua paintings and started barking at it. I guess I should take that as a compliment!

Butter & Tosh

I've been working so long on this project that I am so excited to post it. This is a ceramic tile mosaic of two English Cocker Spaniels named Butter and Tosh. My client, Carol Ann, commissioned this portrait as a gift to her son, who owns the dogs. Carol Ann speaks so highly of these dogs (both rescued from a shelter), that I can't wait to see her reaction when I hand the mosaic to her.

In between commissions, I'm working on a series of small (8" x 10") breed paintings, which will be for sale on my newly created Etsy store. I couldn't resist using one of these dogs for such a painting!

We've got gorgeous weather here in New Jersey. Hope the sun is shining where you are!

Daisy the Dachshund

I got this idea to paint the dogs from my childhood and my mother's childhood. I dug up her old photo albums and scanned several great pictures. Among them was this—a picture of me and our Dachshund named Daisy, circa 1975. My parents tell me that I used to follow her around and imitate her every move.

As for the artwork, I'm almost finished a mosaic of two English Cocker Spaniels. I can't wait to grout that baby! It will be posted soon...

Cozmo

I was commissioned by a dear friend of the family to paint her dog Cozmo. This little cutie, a Pomeranian/Eskimo mix, recently passed on. He meant the world to his family and so I feel honored to paint him. This was my first all-white dog painting. White fur presents interesting painting challenges, which I enjoy. Good thing, because I have a Westie painting in progress.

14 years later...

I just dug up this etching I did in college. It's called "Frustration," dated 1993. I absolutely love love love printmaking. Something about scratching into a zinc plate is so mesmerizing. And dunking the plate in acid is fun, too. Sniff; I miss it.

I'm not sure how I got the idea for this design, but I remember that it cracked me up. If anyone told me then that 14 years later—at at age 33—I'd be making a (partial) living out of drawing dogs, I never would've believed them. Funny how life surprises you.

Pearl

The aforementioned non-dog painting is finished and this is it, titled "Pearl." For about two years now, I've had this idea in my head for a painting series and I finally, FINALLY, got started with it. I draw countless parallels between fruit and the female body—both aesthetically and metaphorically. I'm exploring cross-sections of fruit, painted larger-than-life. Avocados are at the top of my list of My Favorite Fruit. The juxtaposition of the convex and concave—one half has the pit and the other half doesn't—is particularly symbolic, as I just had a huge thyroid cyst removed from my neck. No more bump! And, speaking of bumps, my sister's stomache is getting bigger and bigger as the twins grow.

Sitting on my easel, waiting for paint, is a portrait of a Pomeranian/Eskimo mix. And sitting on my drafting table, waiting for tile and grout, is a portrait of two English Cocker Spaniels. I'm eager to complete these portraits. But, I must say, the avocados provided a fun departure.

WOO HOO! This just in: This painting was selected to hang in this summer's juried biennial exhibition at the Noyes Museum of Art in Oceanville, NJ. I'm so excited!!

Not a dog

I'm currently working on several pieces, and one of them isn't a dog. It's been a while since my subject matter wasn't canine, so I dug up this pic of a rose painting I did a few years ago. I need to get back into the zone of painting a texture that is totally different than fur. I love (and miss) this painting. It was a wedding present for a friend whose last name is Bloom. Get it?

Coming soon: several new dog commissions, including a mosaic. Yay!

Jake (1 of 2)

This is Sharon's other Chihuahua, Jake. (I featured his brother Elwood in an earlier post.) Jake is the shorter, heftier of the two brothers and he's super cute. This painting is one of two of Jake that I'm doing for Sharon. Three chihuahua paintings down, one to go...

The In Living Pink auction went well and my painting received several bids and earned a nice little chunk of money towards the Young Survival Coalition, so I'm thrilled.

Gigi

A few months ago, my friend Dina and I visited Jen and her new baby. Dina spent the afternoon cooing at the baby, while I spent the afternoon photographing the dog. Ha ha ha. Quite telling!! Anyway, the photos inspired this painting. Rendering the cute Pottery Barn rug from Jen's living room took a loooong time.

I just saw Jen yesterday and casually blurted out, "I painted your dog"....turns out, she was planning on commissioning me anyway. Ah, serendipity! So this painting will be sold soon. I hope you like it, Jen!!

Bo

I miss my friend Kim. This is a mosaic of Bo, her Akita. I was in Kim and Brian's wedding and this mosaic was my present to them. Kim's birthday is coming up and mine just passed. Time for cocktails...

Elwood

My friend Sharon has two adorable Chihuahuas, Jake and Elwood (a gold star to anyone who gets the reference to those names). These two paintings are of Elwood. Jake's portraits are coming soon.

Finishing my second portrait of Elwood (green background) proved to be very therapeutic. A week ago I had surgery and I've been recovering (horizontally) ever since. Today I felt up to painting and three hours later I finally feel like me again. Woo hoo! This painting will be displayed at a silent auction, to which I will be donating a custom dog portrait. The event, called In Living Pink, benefits the Young Survival Coalition, an organization dedicated to breast cancer awareness--specifically the occurrence of breast cancer in women under age 40.

(Sharon I hope you like it!!)

Move over, Georgia!

For three years now I've been the proud aunt to a Brittany named Georgia. This is my painting of her. Georgia is quite the princess.

Georgia doesn't know it yet, but her world is about to turn upside down. Georgia's mommy (my sister) is now expecting not one, but TWO babies! Of course I am thrilled about becoming an aunt to actual humans, but I'm worried about Georgia. My boyfriend is psyched because he loves to dogsit, and he has a pretty strong feeling we'll be asked to do that A LOT once the babies arrive.

This whole scenario will be excellent research for me, as I'm working with a friend on a children's book about this very topic.

Weekend at Bosco's

My friends Jill and Marc have the coolest Boston Terrier in the world. His name is Bosco. I did this mosaic of Bosco for Jill and Marc's wedding present.

Saturday, I spent some time at their house, so I got to visit them.....and my mosaic. I enjoy visiting houses where my artwork lives because I don't hang my art in my own house. Is that weird? Hmm...

Anyway, I had SO MUCH FUN playing with that little cutie patootie. He's my buddy.

Marc is a fantastic photographer, so I used one of his Bosco photos as a reference for my first Boston painting (above). Thanks, Marc! [This painting is now for sale in my Etsy shop.]

I finally shipped "Fisher"

Before I was struck with the idea to do pet portraits for real, I had only done two dogs, both in mosaic tile. I decided I needed a picture of the perfect dog to paint in oils. Enter Fisher–the sweetest dog in Alexandria, VA.

Fisher belongs to my friend Lisa. Prior to meeting Fisher, I wasn't big on Weimaraners (due to a childhood memory, I won't bore you with the details). Well, after spending a weekend at Lisa's house and hanging out with Fisher, I was converted to a Weim fan (now I appreciate William Wegman's work even more)! I took some pictures of Fisher that weekend, one of which was the inspiration for my first dog painting.

I held on to this painting for months. Waiting for the paint to dry, waiting to scan it, waiting to apply temporary varnish.....I think I was also reluctant to let it go. But yesterday I finally wrapped it up and shipped it to Lisa. It was time. Hee hee.

I actually painted a cat!

If you know me, you know that I REALLY don't like cats. Don't hate me; I have my reasons. I am an animal lover and a vegetarian. I just don't like cats. Most artists are cat people, but I am not.

However, as a thank-you to my friend Brad who gave me his old easel, I painted his cat, Moo. Moo is now in feline heaven. Despite my lack of cat love, I was happy and honored to paint Moo for Brad and his wife Alicia.

Through this process, I've come to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of cats. So I'd paint one again, certainly. I just don't want any cats near me. Achoo.