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.

Art - The Gift of Giving to a Dog Lover - a Magical Experience

Something magical happens each time I paint a pet's portrait. It was no different with this painting of Licorice.



I experienced such pleasure in getting to know Licorice and in painting him.
I had first met this vivacious dog of 12 yrs. running through the hallway to greet me. Licorice, a black yorkshire terrier / poodle mix has a huge heart and in spite of his small size, his energy is that of a young dog. I noted those saturated, vibrant colors that are reflected in the owner's love for modern american southwest art and knew that I would incorporate those expressive colors of turquoise, purple, rusty orange and brilliant yellows in my painting.

While painting , I couldn't help but feel Licorice's strong upbeat personality, so tangible... almost as if he was in the room with me. Such a moving experience that it brought tears to my eyes. It was in that second that I remembered why I love to paint animals. Their spirit and their unique personality really speak to me; and to be able to transfer this moment into something tangible is a miracle. To pass this on to a pet's owner is a gift to me.

One of the greatest satisfactions that an artist can have is seeing the utter joy in a client. After unwrapping Licorice's portrait, his owner jumped up and down in delight. As an artist, I can't tell you just how much that means to me, for it is an experience that truly lasts forever.
An added bonus, was when I had helped to hang Licorice's portrait only to discover that the room had been painted recently AND that this new colour of was exactly the same as one of the background colours in the portrait. It couldn't have been a better match.

Now that I have finished this portrait it is back to the studio to start on some commissioned drawings, all to be gifts ready in time for Christmas.
It is not to late to order a gift for the dog lover in your family. I use the most dependable shippers that can get your gift to your friend or loved one in time for Christmas.

Nina Otulakowski
The Canvas Dog Studio
http://www.theCanvasDog.com