Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: June 2019

Saturday, June 8, 2019

A painting of Roxie - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Roxie is the first Cavalier that I have painted. It is a breed I've long wanted to paint. They are such an adorable dog. This is a breed we've talked about owning when we get older and find an Irish Setter may be too much to handle. Time will tell.

It was exciting to receive the commission. The painting was a gift and I had no idea what breed of dog the gift recipient had. It was exciting when the photos were emailed. The primary reference photo is the favored photo of the beloved Roxie. This photo was more or less a black and white photo. Therefore, additional reference photos were needed to clarify her coat colors.

Roxie is 14 years old. It is tough when our pets reach the age that we worry all the time about time. How much time do we have left with them. What are we going to do with ourselves when that time comes? Is their remaining time going to be quality? Hopefully, Roxie has many more years with her family.

Each painting I do for others is precious to me. Each painting I create is an opportunity to give families the gift of having a special tribute to their cherished family members for many years.

Thank you for having me paint the lovely Roxie.

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

If you are interested in having me paint for you, please click on the reference photo above and you'll be redirected to my website.

Best wishes,

Dawn Secord

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!