Oscar and Pearl Pet Portrait Commission

 Oscar and Pearl pastel portrait 50x60cm

Oscar and Pearl Detail

I am back from my holiday at the beach and the Oscar and Pearl pastel portrait has been presented to the client so I can now post it in full. Oscar is a Maltese Shitzu and Pearl is a Maltese Poodle. I think these breeds are sometimes referred to as designer dogs. Osacr very sadly passed away at only six years old and his family now have the very beautiful Pearl. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Portrait Complete and off to the beach!

I finished the dog portrait a week ago, collected it yesterday from the framer and delivered it to the client. It will be presented as a gift on Sunday the 19th so until then I can only post a tiny little detail of it to keep you all guessing. My husband and I are taking off today to spend a week up at Noosa just reading and relaxing then we are home for a couple of days before sailing around the bay on our boat Lion Rampant. I hope to have lots of time to practice my watercolour and to take some reference photos as well. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Horse and Rider Commission

Duchess and Melissa Pastel Portrait Detail

Duchess and Melissa (Pastel Portrait 60x70cm)

Early this year I was working on a commission which was to be a Birthday surprise gift and I have been unable to post it on the web until now because the gift was given last Saturday. The horse is Duchess and her rider is Melissa of Westbury, Tasmania, Australia. Duchess (a very special family member) is an ex-race horse who was re-trained to show jump when her racing career ended. She now has an ongoing foot injury and is no longer able to jump or be ridden anymore so this portrait was commissioned so that Melissa would have a lasting memory of show jumping and riding with Duchess.
I have just begun another commission today of two georgeous little dogs but this also is to be a surprise gift in September so again I cannot post it here yet.If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Studio Update

The top painting on the easel is a pastel I am re-doing and the paintings below are my first watercolour attempts. I have a way to go yet!

Just keeping you up-to-date with my studio activities. I am really enjoying weekly watercolour classes with artist Maria Field. Watercolour is so different to oil and pastel painting as rather than going from dark to light you work from light to dark. I am also currently studying a course in Workplace Assessment and Training. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Update! What I am Up To!

I am not doing nothing! I am currently doing some study as well as watercolour classes and pastel boat paintings. My pastel "Gilded Quills was recently a finalist in the Lethbridge Gallery 10000 Exhibition and was sold at the exhibition. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Bighorn Sheep Finished!

Here is the Bighorn Sheep pastel Portrait finally finished. It has taken way longer than it was meant to due to other activities going on around me at the moment. Thankyou to Gary Kemig for supplying the photo and the challenge to paint this magnificent beast. See Gary's art here http://www.wildernessartchallenge.blogspot.com/ . I now have a boat pastel to start and an exhibition to plan and I will keep you posted on the progress of these. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is w.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Bighorn Sheep WIP 2

Alot has been happening in the last few weeks so it is only today that I have finally got back to working on this magnificent Bighorn Sheep. Still have along way to go but at least I have now covered all the paper!! If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

TV Video Clip from Channel 9's Today Show

Above is a video of me as I appeared last week on Channel 9's Today Show in a segment they did on gifts to Pamper Your Pooch! I have also added it to my website but I have yet to convert it to a format which my website will support. One of those I HATE COMPUTERS moments!! If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

TV Star!!

If you are in Australia and watch Channel Nine's "Today Show" at 7:20 am tomorrow morning Friday the 30th you may see me painting in my studio as part of a story about different gifts which are available to dog owners. Hope I do not look too "Dorky". If I like what I see I will include it as a video on my website home page. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Life

Life in the last week has been a little hectic so I have not done any more on the Bighorn! Monday involved a film shoot for Channel Nines 'Today' Show. They filmed me painting in my studio; interveiwed me and then filmed me and a client receiving her portrait. Let's hope it looks ok when it hits the TV screens!!! I have sent the horse and rider pastel to the client who is very happy and the oil painting of blue heeler maddie is currently at the framers. The rest of this week I have been doing some relief work for a school where students need help with Literacy! If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Maddie Finished

Here is Maddie finished unless I have to make any fnal adjustments. I am now going to have a sleep as I welcomed a couple of sailing friends in at the finish of the Solo Trans Tasman Yacht race last night and I have only had two hours sleep. They would be feeling alot more sleep deprived than me however since they have been at sea for just over a week. Bighorn coming up!!If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Maddie WIP 7

The oil painting pet portrait of Maddie the blue heeler dog is nearly finished. I have to finish her feet when today's paint is dry and I have started the grass around her (not shown here) which I also need to dry before I can add the finishing highlights without the paint turning to 'mud'. I will then go over the completed painting and adjust things until I am satisfied that I can not make further improvements. I will then begin work on the bighorn sheep again to get it finished and start a new pastel of boats. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Happy Easter

Wishing you all a very happy Easter holiday break! My husband and I are taking our boat out on the bay for a few days which should be wonderfully peaceful. I might try my hand at watercolour out there. So far I am not happy with my attempts at this medium. I have finished the pastel of the horse and rider but I will not be able to post a picture until August since this is when it is being given as a gift. The recipient is young and computer savy and we do not want to spoil the surprise!! I have been working on the oil pet portrait of Maddie the blue heeler today but I will post a picture late on Tuesday next week when I have more to show. I also plan on doing more work on the Bighorn Sheep but Maddie takes prioity unless I need drying time for the oil painting. I am wanting to enter a few competition/exhibitions and so I will be starting a pastel of boats soon using a reference photo I took in Tasmania last year. There is also a 'Fabulous Fakes' competition which I would be very excited to enter but the exhibition is at The Entrance in NSW and the painting has to be delivered in person so an entry from me may not be practical. I would love to attempt a copy of a Renoir who I think may be my favourite grand master. I love his use of colour!! And lastly we have put our plans on getting a puppy/ies on hold for the moment because the fencing was going to be very pricey and we are away on our boat allot. There are not many places in our sailing neighborhood where you can take a dog ashore for calls of nature!! If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Bighorn Sheep

Here is a work in progress of the Bighorn Sheep which artist Gary Keimig www.gary-keimig.blogspot.com photographed. He has very kindly challenged his blog visitors to use it as a reference photo for drawing or painting. I could not resist. The pastel is very thin at this stage and as I work over it the colours will become stronger and have more depth. Progress is slow as I am working on commissions at the same time. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Maddie Dog Pet Portrait in Oils WIP 5

Here is an update of what I did yesterday. I have done a little more on the mouth; started work on the lighter fur layer (there is more to do here and it will be finer); Worked a little on the feet, the collar, and adjusted the eye. Still work to be done all over especially the sandy coloured fur, the ears, the nose, the eyes, the mouth and the feet. Then of course the grass!! If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Maddie Pet Portrait WIP 3 and 4

Here is Maddie Dog Pet Portrait in Oils so far. I have really still a long way to go as most of the portrait is still only undercoat. I have also been working on my Bighorn Sheep pastel but I am not ready to post it yet. My Horse and rider commission is approaching completion. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Maddie WIP 2

Here is where I am up to with the oil Dog Pet Portrait of Maddie the Blue Heeler so far. I have given the background a second coat and very roughly underpainted most of Maddie. This underpainting is a guide for when I work over it with the next layers of paint, colour and detail. As I paint I adjust paint colours etc. as I go. The grass around Maddie's feet will be added very last of all. Still working on the Horse and Rider pastel and have begun my pastel of a Bighorn Sheep. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

WIP Update

Just a short blog to let you all know that although I have no pictures to post today it does not mean that I am not hard at work at my easel!! The pastel of the horse and rider is coming along slowly but nicely. I have a fair bit more to do before it is finished such as the face and bridle of the horse and the rider needs alot more work. I then have to go over the whole portrait adjusting colour and tonal values. Can't wait to show you all my WIP pics at a later date! Today I have given the background of Maddie a final coat of oil paint and this should dry over the weekend and I will then be able to begin work on Maddie herself next week. I am also begining a new pastel which I will post soon. I would also like to add that my husband and I have decided it is time to get another pet and that this time it will be a dog or two dogs which we can take out on our boat. I am doing my homework before plunging in but the breed we are interested in at the moment is Scottish Terrier. We have to have part of our garden fenced off first and then we will have to wait for an available litter at a breeder. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Maddie WIP 1

Here I have just done an undercoat for the background. Once it is dry I will apply another layer before beginning Maddie herself. The colours in this photo appear a little darker than they are actually. Maddie will have undercolour applied before I progressively add layers of detail with drying periods in between. Will be working on the pastel horse and rider commission this afternoon. If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Blue Heeler Pet Portrait Commission

Here is a photograph of Maddie the blue heeler who I will be doing an oil pet portrait of. I have already prepared the canvas and sketched the out line ready to paint in the background. I will be painting in the points of both ears and a grassy surround for her to sit on. I will post a photo of the sketch once I have better light to photograph it as it is dark and rainy today.If you enjoyed this post please consider becoming a follower of my blog. See the Followers section down the right side of my blog. You may like to add me to you own blog. If So my link is www.portraitsthatbite.blogspot.com/atom.xml