Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: December 2016

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Enya - painting of a Shar-Pei

This is Enya. Some dear friends of her owners commissioned me to paint her as a Christmas gift.

The painting has been received so it is okay for me to share the painting.

The photo used for the primary pose was a bit hazy. I'm guessing the photo was taken using a cell phone. Cell phones with cameras are our best friends at times. They can help us catch those special moments that would otherwise be lost if we had to run and get the real cameras. It was clear that the color of Enya was off in the photo. Thankfully, other reference photos were supplied so true values of her coat, eye and nose color were available for the painting.

Enya had a special window installed for her to view out of the house.   The parties giving the gift had asked if we could incorporate "her window" into the painting. Of course we could!

To make the painting not too busy or confusing, the bed Enya was laying on had to be eliminated.   When all said was said and done, it worked. Enya, our main subject was not overpowered by an overly done background and she remained our primary focal point.

It is always such an honor to be commissioned to paint for another party. Sometimes I just want to say "pinch me".   How can I have such an awesome job?   It sure would have been wonderful to meet Enya.   She passed away last year.   I hope this painting gives her family a little piece of her to keep closely tucked in their hearts.

http://www.dawnsecord.com/InTheNews.html

http://www.dawnsecord.com/commissioninformation.html

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

So excited to share that my work is on the cover of JAVMA - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

They contacted me earlier this year to inquire about using one of my paintings on the cover of the January 1, 2017 issue.

What a great way to start the new year! Thank you AVMA!

Happy New Year to all!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Kerry Blue Terrier - Schmokie

This is Schmokie, a Kerry Blue Terrier. I'm quite fond of Kerry Blues. I actually have a family history with the breed.

My maternal grandparents (Nana & Bapoo) bred and showed them. My grandmother was the groomer and my grandfather was the exhibitor. According to my mother, my grandmother was too bashful to run around the ring. I was too young to remember them showing any dogs, but I do remember the dog "lingo". I remember like it was yesterday my grandmother calling her dog a B****. In my young mind, I couldn't believe my Nana was swearing and getting away with it. No, neither Mom or Bapoo said anything about washing HER

mouth out with soap. Could never figure that one out - fond memories for sure. I still have one of Nana's slicker brushes.   They don't make brushes like they used to!

The painting of Schmokie is a mini 6 x 6 painting and is the result of a Christmas gift.   I LOVE doing surprise paintings.   Such a thrill to be part of that magic - the gift of giving.

When it was time to paint Schmokie, a number of reference photos were supplied.   It was had to choose - he was such an attractive dog.   His owner and I agreed on a given photo.   About a month later, with fresh eyes, I revisited the photos.   The one used jumped out at me.   There was something about the direct eye contact that was captivating. So, an email was sent to his owner asking her to revisit the photos and give this one consideration. She agreed and we had a new reference photo.

Thank you to everyone involved.   It was a joy to create this painting!

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!