Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: Under Sun, Stars and Sails written by Marsha Hall Brown, Illustrated by Dawn Secord

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Under Sun, Stars and Sails written by Marsha Hall Brown, Illustrated by Dawn Secord

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:

https://youtu.be/FTvj_y6rsbA

To order the book, click on the following link:

http://www.spinnerpub.com/Under_Sun_Stars_and_Sails.html

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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!