"Garden Store Dog"

"Garden Store Dog"
14X11
Oil on Linen Panel
Available


It was an adorable scene that day. My daughter and I were at Pike Nursery in Charlotte, picking out plants for her yard, when a lady was pushing her cart with this great little Cairn Terrier in the basket. After asking about him, we found out his name is Frasier. He smiled nearly the whole time we talked ...I wonder if he knew we were saying the nicest things about him. I took several pictures of him and then a bit later, as I looked across the aisle in the store I saw this one and snapped another picture. I think this one is my favorite.

You never know where inspiration will find you....I thought I was going to be taking pictures of flowers...instead I came home with pictures of this happy little fellow!!

"Garden Store Dog" In Progress

"Garden Store Dog" In Progress
14X11
Oil on Linen Panel

As I am wading my way through the leaves and details, I am asking myself if I should have cropped this further and just painted our little fellow in the cart. But the idea might have been lost in that case, since I really wanted a sense of place. Atmosphere means something to me, giving a subject a place to be in this case especially, getting the feeling of a good and patient dog sitting in a place unlikely for a dog, yet good as gold just waiting for his owner to finish shopping. So while I would have found it easier to paint less of the scene, to me, the scene contributes so much to the feeling of this one.

From here out, I am going to be working on the bottom third and working the whole painting in a way that, hopefully, won't lose the dog in the landscape. All paintings are about values...but this one is killing me with values...how much dark, how much light, how many shades of green .....oh my gosh. Very challenging.