Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: River

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

River - a rescue Chihuahua

This is a painting of River. She is a Chihuahua or Chihuahua mix and is a rescue dog. She was abandoned in an area not safe for such a small dog. I'd venture to say, she was abandoned in an area that would be devastating for such a small dog. However, things were going to turn for the better for this little girl.

A group of friends had met at the river for a day of fun. They spotted the small dog - frightened and malnourished. Being animal lovers, these friends just couldn't leave the little dog there. The little girl went home with one of them and never left. She was named "River" appropriately. She has a loving family and a great home. She is loved and safe with a full tummy.

Thank you to her owner for having me paint your special girl. Your kindness and loving for dogs warms the hearts of dog lovers.

Above is the collage of photos that were considerations for River's painting. The bottom left was chosen as the primary reference photo. The owner wanted her ear set a little higher so I used the ears from the upper right photo and the coloring from the upper left photo. This is a great example of how multiple photos help me to create a commissioned painting.

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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!