Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord

Saturday, December 20, 2014

This is a painting of Tori, CH Jewelset What Dreams R Made Of, ROM.

The painting was to be a surprise Christmas present for Tori's family. I asked the person who commissioned the painting to give me some background on their relationship with Tori's owners. Here is a glimpse of what she told me:

"Through Julie and Kim, I discovered the excitement of going to dog shows and I've met so many nice people, I've held newborn puppies for the first time in my life, I've share victories and championships with them, they took me to my first National in Ohio, and have had more fun than I ever thought possible. I knew Tori was very special to Julie and Kim and I hoped with all my heart that this gift would bring them as much joy and happiness as they have given to me. Thank you, Dawn, for helping me do this... XOXO"

It is always a joy to paint for people. There is something special about painting an animal for someone, that as an artist, I never expected. It is almost impossible to put into words. I can tell you, my heart skips a beat when I'm finished with the painting and hand it over to those who commissioned the work. I had the same feeling when we had our puppies and handed the puppies over to their new families. You have something you love in your hands that you are letting go of, but you know it is going to the home where it is supposed to be. In that moment - there is warmness in my heart.

I hope you enjoy viewing the painting as much as I did painting it. Thank you to Pat for allowing me to be part of your surprise. Merry Christmas to all!

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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!