Mugz the Wonderdog, the finished painting

A perfect situation for an artist is when your client has complete faith in you and allows you the creative freedom to trust your own vision.... 

Mugz the Wonderdog, Acrylic on canvas, 48" x 48"

We had talked about what Mugz loved initially when Mugz's people first enquired about getting his portrait painted.  So working from a few photographs, I made sure that these elements were part of the painting. Give this labrador retriever a ball and water and he couldn't be happier. 

However I was a little nervous when Mugz's people came to pick up their portrait of Mugz. You see they had wanted to be surprised (and not see the painting midway) so while I was painting I had to remind myself:  have faith in yourself and your creativity and all will be well. This mantra paid off... as they stood in front of it for a few moments they were speechless. Then their smiles just grew and grew. "It is Mugz and you have captured him completely!"

From time to time I get little emails saying that they "are sitting in front of Mugz and are so happy" or "Mugz greets me whenever I walk into the room".

Goodbye Mugz! We miss you...

Mugz the Wonderdog

Ink Drawing of a Mugz, Yellow Labrador Retriever

This is a tribute to Mugz the Wonder Dog, who died a few months ago, just shy of his 16 years.

This hardy labrador retreiver emigrated all the way from South Africa when he was just a wee thing. Some say that he would be ancient, almost unheard of however I think his strength and vitality is testament to his hardy South African line.

Mugz had four passions. His people, squeaky toys, tennis balls... and water!

I met Mugz a few years ago. Mugz was always full of vim and vigour, a gentle soul always happy to meet you, yet he became a dog with jaws of steel with any ball or squeaky toy.

Although Mugz had arthritis, typical of a dog of his age, it rarely slowed him down. He could almost outrun you at the beach, to claim any toy in sight as his own. Onlookers would shout "Watch out, here comes Mugz!"

Mugz, we all love you and dearly miss you.

To find out more about having a portrait done of your dog, visit the Canvas Dog Studio.

Dog Portrait Artist in today's news!

Featured in the Toronto Star Article, "Good Boy, Now Sit for a Portrait" - April 2, 2009

I met with a great reporter, Francine Kopun, a few weeks ago to be interviewed for a feature article that she was writing about dog portrait paintings.

Although I knew that it would be in print within a week, I opened my email today and received congratulations from friends who were kind enough to tell me that they had already bought me few copies, as the Toronto Star is one of the most read newspapers in Ontario.

Kopun writes not only about contemporary dog paintings and dog portraitists, but also includes a bit of history of dogs in art.

This portrait of Winston, an English Bulldog, was featured in the article. It is painted in acrylic on stretched canvas 12 x 16 and available as a limited edition print from www.thecanvasdog.com

Here is an excerpt:

An artist since she was old enough to hold a spoon and draw pictures in her oatmeal, Nina Otulakowski began her career after deciding to paint her own Australian shepherd. Since then, animal portraiture has become the focus of her artistic life.

Before she paints, Otulakowski likes to spend an hour or two in the company of the dog and its owner to find out whether her subject likes treading water or curling up on a cushion.

"What does the dog like to do? Does the dog have other dog friends? What does the dog mean to the owner?" These are some of the questions she likes to answer.

My Blue-eyed Wonder Dog: Australian Shepherd - Pet Portrait Painting

What stares us in the face sometimes goes unnoticed but not this morning. This is a portrait of my dog Cisco, a lively 9 yr old australian shepherd. I love his enthusiasm and his smarts.

Cisco is full of beans and insists that I play tug of war with his leash while we are at the beach. Against my better judgement, I turned his leash into a spontaneous toy... now with aussies being so smart he learned that one very quickly.

This portrait of Cisco is painted in acrylic on stretched canvas, 20 inches square. It is based on a photograph shot last week by my friend Mike W. (Thanks Mike!)

Check back later this week and see the progress.

Painting a Pet Portrait - the process of Jax and Holland

Lately I was asked to show the steps of painting a pet portrait. Interviewed in January in the Snap Beaches Newspaper about the process, I thought it's great to share it with you.

This is from an earlier painting, the portrait of Jax and Holland, commissioned as a birthday gift. They are both black shepherd mixed breeds who were adopted into a loving home.

I had assembled a collage of photographs of Jax and Holland. After discussing with owner the importance of creating the relationship of the two dogs in this portrait, I have placed the older dog in front as he is always on guard overlooking everything that is happening. Always eager to play, the younger dog is looking at us with an excited look on his face.

Using a soft pencil, I have lightly sketched directly onto a stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches.

I begin with the underpainting in black acrylic. It is very loose and light with the texture of the fur. This is a quality that I want to keep.

Next, I paint the eyes, which I feel is the soul of the dog. Then I paint the background. I continue building up the layers, much like I do when creating a sculpture, giving the dogs more dimension.

This is the final painting of the two dogs, Jax and Holland. As art lovers, the owners were ecstatic. In it are captured the qualities that they love... the colour blue, the effect of water over rocks in the background, and most of all the love of the two dogs and the everlasting bond between their owners.

the Canvas Dog Studio Featured in Snap

Thanks to SNAP newspaper, the Canvas Dog Studio is featured in their January issue. The article follows the process of the painting of Jax and Holland, two shepherd mixes.
"Nina's Dog Portrait in Progress"

As a birthday gift for his wife, the client shared information about not only the relationship of the two dogs but also of Sally's loving bond with her canine buddies. The importance of water was an element that the painting incorporates in the background of this dog portrait.

Gifts for Dog Lovers At Christmas

At this time of year, many of us are busy playing Santa's Elves as we are putting the finishing touches on our paintings - commissioned pet portraits to be ready in time for Christmas.

For those of you who have last minute plans, this is exactly when a Gift Certificate or a Limited Edition Print can be a saving grace. Find out how the Canvas Dog can help you find the perfect gift for the dog lover in your life.

Gift certificates are ideal... they be for any amount. Gift Certificates can be for a custom drawing or custom portrait or a dog print.

Limited Edition Prints start at $25; Drawings from $185, a custom painting start at $500.


If you have any specific question feel free to call me or email me or visit the Canvas Dog Website

That's it for today! Keep warm... it's cold outside.