Meet Karl !  He's a Christmas commission, done just in the "St. Nick" of time!  (8X8 oil on canvas panel)
Merry Christmas, everyone!

Teddy, the Wonder Dog. Teddy is 13 yrs. old now and a bit grayer than this painting shows him. I've had some pictures of him for quite a while and spent a lot of time thinking about which one to use and how I wanted to paint him. I think he is a "Wonder Dog" because he has traveled far and wide, being the dog of an Air Force officer and his family. He was a gift to my son from his wife when they lived in Colorado. Teddy went to New Mexico after that, then was fostered for two years in North Carolina while my son and family were on assignment to South Korea. Next it was Alabama, then to D.C., then to Finland, then to the Netherlands, and now back to D.C. That's 7 moves in 13 yrs. And he lived through it all! To me, that's a wonder!

This portrait of Teddy is a Valentine gift for my son, his wife, and their children.
11X14 Oil on Linen Panel

Bosley's Garden Portrait   14X11  Oil on Linen Panel 

This is the third portrait I have painted of our dog, Bosley.  Yes, his hair is this messy and, yes, he sheds!  :-)  But he is a peach of a companion to us and we love him LOTS!  Contact me if you wish me to paint a portrait of your pet. 

Have you ever heard of a "Chiwienie?"  Sounds like something for lunch, eh?  It's a half Chihuahua and half Dachshund.  This one is a female named Bailey.  When you ask Bailey a question, she cocks her head over so quizzically and cute.  Her owner asked me to paint her for a Father's Day present for her husband.  Just finished today!  6X6  Oil on board. 

Casper the Friendly Maltese

"Casper" - 11X14 - Oil on Linen panel - Copyright Cheryl A. Pass  - Click on picture for larger view

I haven't posted for a long time....as I have been very very busy with family life and political issues this past year.  However, I am very happy to have painted this little fellow for a client this spring.  He's a tiny little fellow.  All of 5 lbs.  Painting Casper was like trying to paint a cotton ball on a snow bank on a glacier.  That white on white and the fineness of his fur was more challenging than I anticipated and caused me to start and stop quite a bit.  I'd paint for a while and then I would say...hmmm...this needs something..what is it?  Then I would paint some more, and step back and say the same thing. Another hold up was the background.  The photos did not give me the colors that the clients wanted, so I had to fictionalize the setting for him.   Consequently this took me much longer than I meant for it to take, but finally today I am giving him the thumbs up and "Finito" declaration. 

I hope all of my other painting friends are doing well!  And I hope those of you who stop by enjoy seeing Casper, one of another dog in my collection of dog portraits. 

Smiles to all!

Hobson

"Hobson"
12X9
Oil on Linen Panel
Commissioned

Click on image to enlarge the view.

So Hobson is finished and I am hoping my friend and collector, Bonnie, will like this rendition of him. Hobson is no longer with us, so this painting was done from older photos taken of him. The photos cut off one of his paws, so I had to be really creative and pretend I knew what his left paw looked like. He is so cute...and I'm glad to have preserved him for my "Bonnie" friend!

Oscar, Bella, and Odie

"Oscar, Bella, and Odie"
18X24
Oil on Canvas Panel
Commissioned


Click on image to enlarge the view.


I haven't posted on this site for quite a long time, so apologies for that. It has been a very busy year, to say the least. I have a couple more dog portraits under commission coming up so, hopefully, it won't be so long again until I post here.


This painting is of Oscar, at the top, Bella, on the left, and Odie on the right. Oscar is no longer with us, but the idea here was to celebrate the three treasured dogs of a sweet lady in Florida. Her mother commissioned this portrait for a Christmas present for her daughter...and I am shipping it off on Monday to get there in time for Christmas. All three of these dogs are rescue dogs. (Dog pound dogs, I guess you can say.) Pedigree doesn't matter when you love someone.....that's my philosophy anyway!


On to the next dogs...
Have a wonderful Christmas!!!

My Funny Valentine - Dog Portrait

"My Funny Valentine"
10X8
Oil on Linen Panel

Click on image to enlarge the view.

Every time I paint a dog portrait, when I get it finished, I think it is my favorite. If you look closely you will see a marking in the shape of a heart on this fellow's nose. I didn't notice it when I first fell in love with him, but when I studied the photo closer I saw it. Hence, the title,"My Funny Valentine." I started him before Valentine's Day, but just managed to get back to him the end of this week.

The local Cancer Society Auction is coming up and, like last year, I am donating a dog portrait to the effort. I thought maybe another example of my work would be beneficial to them.

Brutus - Finished

"Brutus"
9X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Commissioned
Click on picture to enlarge the view.

I used to have cats. Over the years I gave homes to Spooky, Muffin, Ruffles, Levi, Alfalfa, and Oliver. That was the first half of my adult life. Then I went to the dogs...pun intended!! (the dogs: Harrison, Bailey, and now Bosley.) LOL Anyway, I love our furry little friends and love to celebrate the joy they give to us!!! On Thanksgiving that is one of the things for which I am grateful!

So here is Brutus, a fun-loving cutie pie whose family loves him! I had a great time with this painting. The challenge was to make Brutus "pop" on the fabric designs of the chair and ottoman. But that was also what makes the painting interesting to me...that and the adorable pose with his left paw reaching toward the viewer and the light falling across his adorable nose. I want to feel as if I could just reach over and pet him or pick him up. At least that is what I wanted to convey. I hope he is as happy as he made me feel while painting him!!!

On to the next thing...stayed tuned!!

Brutus - Work in Progress - Stage 3

"Brutus - Work in Progress - Stage 3"
9X12
Oil on Linen

Commissioned

Still working on Brutus' fur, but I have finished the chair and ottoman upholstery and background for the most part. Now the fun begins to give his fur all the characteristics I can muster and make him "pop!"