February 17, 2012 New leaping Dog
The more I paint, the more I paint. I’m loving winter. It’s quiet. There is time to think and enjoy the quiet of leafless trees and no yard work to do. The new pup and I can spend lots of time in my studio and we both can walk out into the seemingly lifeless back yard. Before long, there will be all that comes with spring. Meanwhile, here is a new canvas called “leaping dog”. I think it is an expression of joy. The joy is not about anything or anybody….just that feeling that arrives out of nowhere for no particular reason!
Tags: acrylic painting, acrylic painting process, art and rescued dog meet and create, dog artist, pick up the brush, rescued dog painter
February 16, 2012 Painting Small
I’ve created a couple of small (12X12) paintings of our dogs….just head shots. You’d think that painting small would be easier…or faster…but nothing really is easy or fast….I’ve placed two examples of this kind of painting on our website, http://www.bellacompany.com ….great price and hopefully a kind of painting that will replace the “luna Toon” idea for a custom portrait.
small canvas portrait of Dot
February 14, 2012 Painting in Winter
I’m working on some smaller canvas and enjoying the process. New painting, The Dog House, size 24X30″ acrylic on canvas.
I also got to thinking about my inspiration and who really taught me to paint in the first place. My grandmother was creative in the garden and she made her own lovely hats too. She also painted a great watercolor that I’ve kept in spite of all the moving I’ve done in my life. When I moved to Corvallis Oregon, I took some painting classes at OSU. The art department was terrific! Nelson Sandgren taught watercolor and he also painted in oils. His studio was an open place to visit and it was there I to learned how to make a painting. I was reminded of him today as I finished another small acrylic painting….I think he would have liked this work.
Tags: acrylic painting, dog house, new painting, snow tomorrow
February 9, 2012 puppy inspiration
Not everyone can adopt a young dog and then enjoy the many moments…We are lucky. Pictured…first painting inspired by Lola!
enjoy
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- Posted under A Dogs Life, paintinging on paper, rescued dog artist, Rescued Dog Artist
February 9, 2012 Energy to paint
It takes a lot of energy to paint….what can I say more than that. I have a winter cold…and the weather is not winter, not spring….not freezing, cold, warm, …..
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- Posted under A Dogs Life
February 8, 2012 Transporting Work
Today, the show at the Gladstone Community Center was disassembled and transported to the Strecker Nelson Gallery in Manhattan Kansas. It’s always stressful to move art….so much can go wrong. But all went well and much of the show that was was on exhibit in Gladstone will find a new viewing spot in the great gallery in Manhattan! Paintings are sort of like children…it’s hard to let them go…one has to keep track of their every movement and I worry about damage in every transition…All is well and will be on view at the Strecker!
Some of the paper pieces I did for the “give me that dog” project will be on view there including “Matties Vacation”….
I have many unpainted stories from that project that I did last year….I need to revisit the stories to see what else I might paint from the many great stories I received….
February 4, 2012 Cloud Chasers
I’ve been working on some slightly smaller canvases these days and enjoying it as well. I’ve completed a couple of “head shots” of our dogs, Noodle and Dot and have more blank canvas waiting for paint! Adopting a puppy does slow down the wheels of progress!
My latest canvas is called Cloud Chasers ….enjoy
February 4, 2012 Another Great Reason to be in the Studio
Life is indeed a journey of discovery. Each day brings some new event into our lives. Sometimes, I can sit back and think,….get back to work on a painting. Sometimes I can’t sit back! We just adopted a great pup from the Safe Harbor program in Lansing, Kansas.(http://safeharborprisondogs.com) Three dogs just seems wrong somehow, and we felt we needed another large dog to keep us company and to tell us when strangers were around!
Everybody knows that puppies are not easy, but we’ve been through this routine a few times and always survive! …the dog turns out great and they
Lola, our new rescue pup
We’ve been greatly impressed with what the new pup knows already from the work an inmate has already done. Of course we have accidents, and some growling (from our established pack)…but, we
are making it through and all of our brains are getting bigger!
Another plus to this is that my studio makes a great training room! The backyard is just one step out the back door of my studio. I can paint…or at least think of painting while keeping an eye on the new pup.
Tags: artist studio time, dog painter, large dog, rescued, safe Harbor program
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- Posted under A Dogs Life, dog painting, rescued dog artist, Rescued Dog Artist
January 26, 2012 Cat in Winter
The best part of winter is the great collection of continuous long cold dark days (sans snow this year) when much of life (ie gardening) slows to a snails pace and I have more time to focus on painting!
The frenzy will soon be overtaken by spring, but in the meantime…..More paintings. This painting “Cat in Winter” is inspired by our cats who have endless fun with anything they can find in our home while we are working hard in our office on Bellacompany designs and a spring craft show in Weston.
this painting is 30X24 acrylic on canvas.
Tags: cat painting, cat portrait, cats at home, rescued dog painter, winter cats
January 25, 2012 Painting Large, Painting Small
It’s great to have the time to experiment with a new idea. One thing that winter allows more of is time to think about where we might be headed and what new paths we might explore. When I say “we”, I mean a blend of my art and Bellacompany.com which features my art on t-shirts. I’ve been growing this business for about 14 years and it certainly has expanded and evolved. We have lots of faithful followers who enjoy the t-shirts and also my art. I’ve just been thinking that I would like to reduce the t-shirt sales and increase the art sales. I’m not sure if folks would like a small “head shot” of their dog or not, but it’s certainly worth a try! The small portraits would be more expensive than a “Luna Toon”, but less expensive than a full scale portrait! Doing only head shots also will relieve me from the concern about the “landscape” around a full dog as well. The examples posted are of our two dogs, Noodle and Dot. I will also do at least one cat portrait as well so that my style will be apparent to all. Enjoy and comment if you would!
Tags: art sales, canvas portraits, cat portrait, dog painting, dog portraits, head shots, painting dogs and cats
