Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: "Reflections"

Saturday, April 19, 2008

"Reflections"

"Reflections" is my newest painting released in print. This piece was done specifically for the 2008 Irish Setter Club National Specialty held in April in Arizona. The background photos were taken by a friend who was traveling in Sedona. There had been a bridge in the background which was eliminated and more water was added to the painting.

The dog that was the model lives in Georgia and several hundred photos were sent to me by his owners. I didn't know what pose I wanted him in so they sent me every pose they could think of. Once the pose of the dog was determined I build the composition around the dog.

We consulted a cacti specialist in Arizona to make sure the cactus I put in the painting was indigenous to the Sedona area. I took photos of my dog's reflection in our pool to make sure I captured the reflection of the dog anatomically correct. More hours were put into this painting than any other painting I have ever done. The original is sold and a record number of prints as well. Prints and artist proofs are available for sale on my website at http://www.dawnsecord.com/

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Pastel Painting in Progress - French Bulldog

Here is a painting in progress. The pastel paintings are done very much in the same way an oil painting is done. I start with a base color. Usually I work with a precolored surface. With oil painting I would lay in a foundation color so the white canvas wouldn't show through. So this is the same basis. Since I am right handed I work from left to right unless it is a landscape or still life in which case the entire surface is worked uniformly. With pet portraits, so I don't damage an area that is completed, the surface is worked from left to right. While working an area of the subject I lay in mid tone values first - then work light to dark. With pastels an artist can "fill the tooth" of the surface so it is important not to over work any areas. Once the entire subject is painted I go back and reinforce the lightest lights and darkest darks. My greatest area of interest is the eyes. If the eyes aren't right the entire painting will look odd. If the painting is about a sleeping animal it is important to convey the comfort of the animal.

Oil Painting in Process

The following pictures show an Oil Painting in process. The first images show my beginning sketch. I use a common pencil, ruler and an eraser. Once the beginning sketch is satisfactory the sketch is secured with a layer of black oil paint. When the first layer is dried I apply a base color over the entire canvas. I love working on a burnt sienna foundation. There are paintings where I start just working directly on the white canvas and there is no base layer or foundation. It really depends on the painting. From the base foundation I start layering colors. It is a slow process due to drying time. This is where it really becomes fun. I should really make a recording of my husband saying, "You're done - stop messing with it!" Thanks for taking a peek. This painting is of a cat named Lynxy!