Over a year ago a book came out written by well-known
author, Marsha Hall Brown (retired AKC dog judge), and illustrated by me (the
new illustrations - there are historical illustrations and paintings in the book
as well). The title is Under Sun, Stars and Sails. The cover
illustration is one of my pieces. With
the craziness of the past almost 2 years, the publicity for the book was impacted. The book is an amazing historical story. I am so glad efforts are underway to proceed
with the publicity of the book.
The illustration process was more than fascinating. I created several maps, pencil
illustrations, pastel illustrations as well as the cover painting. The book follows a sea captain, Joseph
Marshall who was a master mariner, and his family from 1851 thru 1861 on their voyage
at sea from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Mind you, at that time, there was no Panama
Canal. Their voyage took them ashore too. Their trek across the Isthmus of Panama was
by train and mule. The research required
to create the illustrations and maps was a journey in and of itself. I also worked from photos of artifacts and of
individuals. It was an honor to work on
a project with Mrs. Brown again. She
is a wealth of information. She is
humble about her background, not only in dogs but as a descendant of the
founding families of Nantucket. Did you
know Macy’s founders were from Nantucket?
Nantucket played such a tremendous role in the 1800s whaling
industry. The book is a must read for American
history buffs. The book is filled with actual
photos and inserts of historical letters.
It is a must read for those wanting to experience a true-life adventure.
Mrs. Brown just released a captivating book trailer for Under
Sun Stars and Sails that I am more than proud to share. Under Sun, Stars and Sails was
published by Spinner Publications, Inc. of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
To see the trailer, click on the following link:
To order the book, click on the following link:
http://www.spinnerpub.com/Under_Sun_Stars_and_Sails.html
Mia is an Irish Setter I had long admired on Facebook. She was a beautiful dog. Everything about her was lovely.
The time came when Mia passed. It was heartbreaking news for those who knew and loved her.
When her owner contacted me to paint her, I was thrilled. It is always such an honor to paint someone's special animal. This was no exception.
Do you have little children who love hearing bedtime stories? I am starting a story time video series on my dog, Bling's Utube channel. Here is our first video, Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein. If you haven't read the story to your children or grandchildren, you all are in for a treat. If you just want a distraction for you little ones for a few minutes, this video might be exactly what you need. Interrupting Chicken is a fun and clever story with amazing illustrations. Please consider subscribing to Bling's Utube channel so you don't miss our next video. Hugs and Wags, Dawn Secord and Bling
To get Bling's picture book, No Ghoulish Green Monsters Here, go to her website at aDogBling.com
#adogbling, #storytime, #childrensliterature,#childrensbooks, #bedtimestory, #NoGhoulishGreenMonstersHere
This is a painting of Billy. He is formally known as CH Bellary Ride Cowboy Ride BN, RI, SWN, CGC, TKN, ATT.
I've known him since he was a pup and painted a mini painting of him at that time. Now it is ...gosh....5 years later and that pup has grown into a beautiful dog. I was thrilled to be able to paint him again. With this painting we used a photo his owner had taken. It was a lovely pose of him. The only draw back was the lighting. The lighting made the darker areas too dark and the lighter areas too light. To get the proper coloring, I relied on a number of other photos. There was one photo where his owner held his ear in her hand so I could see the coloring compared to the skin tone of a person. My goal is never to copy a photo. The photo is only the roadmap to keep the likeness to that specific animal accurate. My job as an artist is to create something special.
My art has opened up the opportunity to get to know so many people and I am blessed to be able to call them friends. When I paint landscapes or wildlife (etc) the paintings are not as personal. When I am painting someone's beloved animal
Thank you to Rita for having me paint her boy. It is always an honor.
