Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: May 2010

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Sleeping boys

So much for watching a frightening movie last night. I had no support from Drew or Rich!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

This is my girl, Jewel. I was searching through my photo reference library for a photo of a puppy for a painting. In this quest a photo of three of my dogs sleeping together on my grandmother's old antique day bed was found. Jewel was sleeping in the middle of the dogs and I just fell in love with it and had to paint her.

The painting was going to be for sale. Hum. I'm not so sure I can part with it now. I'm calling the painting "Sleeping Beauty".

For information on my paintings - please go to my website at http://www.dawnsecord.com/galleryhome.html

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Our first travel trailer

This is the "desilu". We purchased this trailer for $300 back in 1990 ish. We spent a lot of time in it at the beach with our dogs. There are some extremely fond memories with that trailer. It took very little time to clean too!!! It was a classic!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Irish Setter girls - four generations

This is a recent commission of four Irish Setters of direct heritage from Scarlly Setters. From left to right is CH Scarlly's Up Front ROM (Chrissy), CH Scarlly's My Sky ROM (Mi Mi), CH Rendition Irish Inspiration ROM (Irish), CH Scarlly's Sweet Success ROM (Sweetnin).

It was such an honor to paint these beautiful girls! To contact Scarlly Irish Setters - Penny Nunnally please go to http://www.pennynunnally.prudentialgeorgia.com/

Thanks for peeking at my work.

Dawn Secord

website: http://www.dawnsecord.com/

blog: http://www.artofthedog.blogspot.com/

commission information: http://www.dawnsecord.com/commissioninformation.htnl

prints for sale: http://http//www.dawnsecord.com/printsforsale.html

Expecting Irish Setter Puppies!

We've bred Monet and Drew ---- looking forward to red puppies in July.

Pictures of Monet and Drew are on the Rendition web site. http://www.dawnsecord.com/renditionirishsetters.html if you want to take a peek.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Bad Kitty Abstract Painting

Hum.........maybe I can sell this as an abstract painting. She can be my "ghost painter".... ha ha.

Who's Been Sleeping in my Bed?

I left my studio for just a minute. All I needed was a Dr. Pepper on ice. Upon my return I found evidence of "Someone Sleeping in my Bed" so to speak......

The naughty kitty has been caught. Naturally Lacey had to be put under the sink to turn her blue/pink/green/purple paws back to her Siamese colors. Somehow she ended up with a peach belly too.

Friday, May 14, 2010

CH Rusticwood Spellbound CGC "Monet"

Monet has won another Best of Opposite Sex. This makes her fourth BOS in four shows. I'm so proud of her as a special.

To see more pictures of Monet or her pedigree for our planned litter go to http://www.dawnsecord.com/renditionirishsetters.html

Good girl Monet!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Rendition Irish Setters

The Rendition Irish Setter website has been started. To view it please go to my website and look for the link or click here: http://www.dawnsecord.com/renditionirishsetters.html

Monday, May 3, 2010

Irish Setter

This is Teagan. She is quite a lovely girl. Her owner commissioned her portrait while my husband and I were traveling back east. It was a delight to meet her in real life.

When I photographed her for this painting she posed like she had been doing it for years. Where ever I asked her to look she gently set her gaze.

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!

Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord