Ghoulish Green Monster Illustration

Here is the finished illustration of the ghoulish green monster which was created for the children's book I've written and illustrated.   I can't spoil things and tell you any more!

The illustration is based on my chickens - silkies.   You know, some people are afraid of chickens.  My husband actually has a chicken fear.  His fear is that I will get more of them - :)

The first illustration was done on my tablet digitally.  

 
The final illustration was done in pastel.   

https://twTitter.com/DawnSecord/status/1024373712181649408https://twitter.com/DawnSecord/status/1024373712181649408

A Painting of Mulligan

This is Mulligan.  A gentle soul gone too soon.   He was lost to a medical condition at the tender age of 7, a day shy of his 8th birthday.   Having lost a pet too early myself, the question always plagues us; is it better to have had these beloved pets for a fraction of their presumed lifespan or not?  For my husband and I, the answer is unequivocally - yes.

Mulligan was a dog that I had the pleasure of visiting in person on a number of times.   He loved me instantly and I him.   There was a gentleness about him that warmed your heart.

At the time we took photos of him for his painting, he hadn't been groomed.  The question was do "I" groom him in the painting or not?   His owner was on the fence.  However, her father (in his 80s) wanted this special boy groomed in the painting.   I've been grooming Irish Setters since 1984 - I know the jaw lines, the cheek bones, how the skin rests on the neck.  No groomed photos were necessary. 

His family now has a new boy to fill the void in their lives left by Mulligan.   And a friend for this new family member is on the horizon.  They've had two Irish Setters in the past, so a second dog is going to be ideal.  Our lives are so enriched by our pets.   As difficult as it is to bring in a new pet when we lose one, that new pet finds a special place in our hearts and brings their own joy for us to share.

Thank you to the family for having me paint Mulligan.  He was truly one of a kind.

Dani and Scorch - Litter Mates

Here is an original pastel painting of Dani and Scorch. 

I was working on this piece while at the National recently. Originally, I was only going to be painting Dani. Then Scorch's owner died and he was returned to his breeder, Diane. He was able to be reunited with his litter mate, Dani, which is bittersweet. 

I had photographed Dani a while back.    Currently, she is as gray in the face as Scorch. For their painting, I loved the contrast between the darker faced Dani and they graying face of Scorch. Diane agreed. We left the colors on the dogs painting as in the reference photos - rather than showing Dani as she is now, gray like Scorch. 

Below are the reference photos for the painting.   There were so many photos to chose from.  The fun angles of their heads jumped out at me immediately.   I knew these were the two reference photos for the painting, but would Diane agree.  And she did!    

Thank you to Diane for having me paint her babies. It was my honor.