Rose, the Border Collie

"Rose"
14X11
Oil on Linen
Commissioned

Would tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you. This is a present for someone. Not saying who.

The photo has some glare from the wet paint...sorry about that. I will try to take a better photo when this dries.

I just realized after looking back at several previous posts that I have completely missed the comments on this blog. I apologize to all who took the time to comment here. I appreciate your thoughts more than you know.

Tess, Finished

"Tess"
14X11
Oil on Board
Commission

Finally had time to finish painting Tess today. She is really a charming little lady and I enjoyed painting her very much. White on White or Black on Black are always challenging fur colors to paint. You have to just put more color in there than you think you see in order to get the textures and the shadows. I really loved the soft green background and the red pillow bed she rests on with the whites and blacks of the dog and the foreground. It made for a really nice painting and I have to thank the owners for such a good photo from which to work.

This painting was a donation I made to the Cancer Society Auction. Tess' owners were so kind to bid and win, so this painting has a lot of meaning for everyone involved! Fun for me to do...good for them, and hopefully, someone somewhere will benefit from Cancer research.

Now on to the next one...still pondering what it will be. Stay tuned...

Longhair Dachsund

"Longhair Dachsund"
6X6
Oil on Gessoed Board
Available

Back to the dogs..our dear friends. I have committed to a donated painting for a fund-raising project to benefit the local Cancer Society. The event is an auction and will be happening the middle of March. Since that is soon, I thought I should start warming up to get myself back into the dogs...one of my very favorite subjects to paint. I'm looking forward to the commission and hope the auction works out great for all!

Stay tuned....and bless our dogs who comfort us in all circumstances.

"Jack Russell on a Red Rug"

"Jack Russell on a Red Rug"
5X7
Oil on Gessoed Masonite
Sold


I wanted to share with you this sample of what I can do regarding commissions of dog (or animal) portraits. The owner took this picture of his Jack Russell resting on their oriental rug and it just happened to be a terrific pose and photograph from which to do this painting. If you have really good photos, I can use them for painting. Believe me, the photo matters. I also work from my own photos by appointment and I like to do that locally, but the owner is in a unique position of capturing the dog (animal) in all kinds of circumstances that I would not necessarily see. If you are considering having a portrait made from your photos, get out that camera, keep it handy, and take lots and lots of photos to increase your odds of getting that perfect shot.

An oil painting of your pet is a keepsake to last for generations. It's really fun to have. Great for Christmas or Birthday presents, too! If you are thinking Christmas present, now is the time to schedule it. (please don't wait until a few weeks before Christmas) It's also fun to do a collection of favorite pets on the wall, as one of my clients has done with all of her white boxers that she has rescued. The collection is a treasure for her and for her family to enjoy from now on.

For pricing and more information, you can contact me at cpass@carolina.rr.com

"Buddies"

Buddies"
5X7
Oil on Gessoed Panel
NFS

Click on picture to enlarge the view.

As I look across, from the room where I sit typing away at my computer, this is the scene at the door to my backyard. These are the two studio buddies I love!! Lucy, the Chocolate Cocker Spaniel, actually belongs to my daughter, but when she goes away on trips we get to keep Lucy with us. Bosley, our adorable PBGV, loves having Lucy visit and they hang out together while I work. They are priceless buddies to us and to each other. Have a happy weekend!

"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!!

Daily Painting Dog Portrait, "Chipper"

"Chipper"
14X11
Oil on Canvas Panel
Commissioned by Owner

Finished! And now he will be drying before the final coat of varnish..and then the frame and then, and then, Christmas present for a happy wife!!! I'll post him over on Painted Plums, too.

There has been a long heavy discourse about the act of Daily Painting and Painting A Day over at the Google Groups....enough to make someone crazy actually. I consider myself among the Daily Painters. To me the term means discipline and refers to those, including myself, who are striving to achieve the highest quality paintings of mostly contemporary realism mixed with some expressionism and impressionism, and mostly of still life with some landscape thrown in for good measure. This discourse has had me wondering if I can count myself into this 'discipline' or 'movement.' The other day I thought I was just going to go away and slit my throat. (artists sometimes do feel that dramatic about their work.) Fortunately, I have decided I am very much a part of this discipline and will continue forward, striving to complete each painting in the spirit of Daily Painting, whether I finish one painting a day or not. I, frankly, don't wish to be drawn into a tug of war over what is and what isn't worthy for a particular movement. My discipline is internal and I love sharing my work with those who watch my blog and collect my paintings.

So enough about that....and onto the next painting. I am really happy about Chipper and hope his owners will enjoy owning this painting!!

Daily Painting Dog Portrait, "Chipper"

"Chipper" Prelim Drawing
9.5X7
Charcoal Pencil on Watercolor Paper

I have to be one of the luckiest people on earth. Well, nevermind that, but I do feel very lucky to have the privilege of doing what I love to do. Chipper is the next dog portrait. He's a Westie of special character and as you can see he is a happy little fellow. He sports a black sweater with a star on the front, not to mention that darling smile!

I am just getting started on his portrait. The painting will be 14X11. This is a smaller freehand drawing I did this afternoon, which I like to do to get the feel of the values, study the nuances, and generally give myself the deep breath treatment before I dive into the paints. Too much fun!!!
Stay tuned!!

"Mystery Dog"

"Name Pending"
9X12
Oil on Canvas
Commissioned

Click on each picture to enlarge.

Finished March 26th. Published, then unpublished, now published again. This guy has freckles and markings on his face that were really a bear to capture. The thing about portraiture is just this; capturing the character of the subject, no fudging around the details, precision is key. Unless of course you are doing something other than realism. Then you can play Picasso and put the nose on the navel if you want to.
I haven't met this fellow in person. Did the whole thing from photos. Which of course always gives me a heart attack on delivery, not knowing for sure if I managed to get his personality just right. In this case you paint what you see, throw in some imaginary emotional connections and just pray for the best. The recipients are a bride and groom and their dog is the beginning of their family life together. I hope they will enjoy this painting for a very long time.

Here he is framed. There is a little glare on this from the wet paint, and the color looks a bit darker. He is stunning on the wall. Really handsome! Not bad honors for a rescued dog from the animal shelter!

"Butte"

"Butte"
11X14
Oil on Linen Panel
Commissioned by the Owner

Butte is a mix between Golden Retriever and a Malamute, we think. He is adored by his owners. (oh, those blue eyes!!) And, I might add, a very nice fellow. The painting was a gift from a husband to his wife on her birthday. A birthday celebration and the unveiling of this portrait was enjoyed by friends, family, and this artist!!

This painting was done from one of the photographs supplied by the owners. Sometimes that works out well, assuming the photo has the right light and details. The jpeg emailed to me with this pose was actually a bit vague, so we had to get some other photos to give me more information. But it all worked out in the end. It is handsomely framed in a gold plein air style frame and looks great hanging in their craftsman style house.

"Bo"

"Bo"
11X14
Oil on Linen Panel
Commissioned by the Owner

As long as we are on a Cocker Spaniel roll, here is "Bo" McMillan. Bo was really good at posing, especially as his mistress held out treats for him. This was one of his favorite places to be cute, sitting on a leather chair and hanging his paws over the edge of the arm. He has a very erudite air about him. I really enjoyed doing this painting and hope it made his owner happy.