An oil painting of Cinder - an Irish Setter

This is a painting of Cinder.  I've been sitting on it for about a week evaluating the finished painting.   This is quite the norm for me.  I like to step away from a finished painting to give myself time away from looking at it daily.   If I still don't see anything that needs an adjustment, I know my job is done.

I am so glad Cinder's owner chose the reference photo she did for this painting.   The expression in his eyes is mesmerizing.   There is a softness that just warms the heart of the viewer.    At the bottom of this post - look for a link of a video of me finishing the painting - utube video.

I asked her if she could share a little bit about Cinder for those who enjoy viewing my art.  Here is what she shared:

Thank you for having me paint your special boy.  There is no greater honor than to paint for someone.   

Enjoy this Utube video of me finishing the painting:   https://youtu.be/9mGMicIBruk

A pastel painting of Roody - Irish Setter

This is a painting of Roody.  He is a young male Irish Setter that I had been following on Facebook.  It was so exciting to receive an email from his owner that she would like to commission me to paint him.  We were both going to be in North Carolina in May of 2024.  We set up an appointment for me meet them along with Roody to take reference photos of him. 

It was so fun to meet Roody and his owners in person.   He was such a great dog to photograph for reference material.   I have to say, he was a great sport.  There was so much going on around us while we were taking the photos.   The chaos (with zip lines overhead etc) didn't affect him at all.  He took it all in stride.   A true Irish!  There were so many great photos that we could have used.  His owners chose a photo that was soft and showed the endearing side of this lovely dog.   

The reference photo of Roody used for his painting.  Thank you to his owners for having me paint your special boy.   

A painting of Charley - A Standard Poodle

 It was so exciting to get this commission.   Painting a breed of dog that has curly hair is always exciting.  All those curves - the curls - the waves the fur makes.   It is like playing to correctly capture the depth and to almost feel the soft texture of the dog's coat.   It is time consuming.   It can not be rushed.

I always add blues and purples when a black or white animal is being painted.   The human eye may not see the colors in photos, but in real life, the colors are here.

Multiple photos of Charley were sent to me.  To assist Charley's owner in deciding upon the primary reference photo that I would use as my roadmap to create Charley's painting, our favorite photos were placed on a collage.  That way, we could look at all the photos at once.  Once Charley's owner identified her favorite, I went to work.

Charley's owner shared the following about Charley:

He is lovingly called Charley Bob.  When he sits up straight and tall or is minding his manners, we call him Charles Robert.   He loves his walks along the Kerrville River Trail along he Guadalupe River.  He is very popular with he regular walkers and cyclists on the trail, and they say Hi to him before they even acknowledge us!  He practices Yoga, and is proficient i three poses: meditation, upward dog and downward dog.  He is young and rambunctious but is trying really hard to connect with his kinder, gentler side.  He's smart and fun; he's a keeper!

Reference photo of Charley to create his painting.   

Jackson - a portrait of an Irish Setter

This is a painting of Jackson - (GCHG Ramblin' Red Slamdunk Buckpasser MH RN DN CGCA TKA)

I have watched him grow on line and at shows since he was a pup.   It was exciting to receive a call from his owner, Gerry, asking me to paint his portrait.   When I hear people talk about Jackson, I always hear "He is such a fun dog."   Beauty and brains with personality.  Who can ask for more.

Here are some words his main person shared with me:

Jackson loves everyone!  He is a versatile dog that excels in having a job to do whether hunting, rally or conformation.   He has the sweetest personality.  He has his Master Hunter title thus the nod to the pheasant in the background of his painting.   He has also had many achievements in the show ring with his breeder/co-owner Peter Kubacz most notably Best of Breed at the 2024 ISCA National Specialty, Best in Show and Multiple Best in Specialty shows.   As he enters his senior years, I am seriously considering therapy dog training so he can make visits to our local nursing home and share his love.

It has been an honor to paint him.  Thank you Gerry!

Thunder and Wizard - Two Irish Setter dogs: Artist, Dawn Secord

This is a painting of Thunder and Wizzard.  The original photo was taken in a "landscape" orientation. 

When planning this painting, I thought painting the dogs in a "portrait" orientation would allow the dogs to become the focus of the painting.   In the original photo, my eye saw a beautiful landscape scene with two dogs in it.   Changing the painting's orientation made the focal point the dogs with the background being a landscape.   I discussed this with the dogs' owner and she fully agreed and gave me the go ahead to change the orientation for the painting.

It is never my goal to copy a photo - that doesn't take as much thought or creativity.   My goal is to use a photo as road map to my paintings to make sure that the essence of the dog(s) that I've been commissioned to paint is kept true.   As an artist, I need to see what is worthy to be kept from the photo and what needs to be removed or strengthened.  Are shadows to strong or too weak?  Do the eyes look tired or concerned rather than relaxed and happy?   Does the background steal the show by being the focal point?   

Photos are fabulous and I am in awe of how photographers do what they do.   However, as an artist, I have an opportunity to change things and it is always my quest to paint something special - something unique - that those commissioning my work will cherish.

A painting of Holly - Irish Setter

This is a painting of a dog named Holly (Woodglen Holly My Valentine CD, RE, RATS, CGCA).   I was so excited when the commission came in.  Holly's owner wanted a painting showing Holly at her different stages of life.  In the painting, images of her include a puppy photo, competing in a dog event and as a senior dog.  For the background, I was sent images of oak trees in her yard.

Before, during and after painting Holly, I was overwhelmed by how much this dog is loved.   Dogs are such a major part of our lives - our family.

Thank you to Holly's family for having me paint her.  It was an honor.

A Painting of Samantha

 I was at a dog show recently talking to a friend about my art.   It is fun to look back at where my journey with dog art began.   Back in the 90's, my work was hanging in a wild life gallery in Laguna, California.  My husband and I had lost our first Irish Setter and had found a new pup from a breeder.  We'd set out to get a pet quality female and ended up with a show quality male.   That was before the internet and it was difficult for people not in the show world to find pups.

We decided to try showing and my world to new friends opened up.   I painted a friend's dog as a gift for her helping me with my pup and his training.   Thus began my entrance into painting dogs.

Here it is, almost 30 years later and one of my greatest joys is painting people's animals for them.   When I was commissioned to paint Samantha, my heart was heavy.   I knew that Samantha had passed and she was very special to her human family.  When emotions are involved, my work is more of a mission than a journey.   My goal was for the painting to give the family a piece of their Samantha to hang in their home and warm their hearts.

I asked Samantha's owner, Katie, to share a few words about Samantha.   Here is what she shared:

    Samantha was the love of my life.   My best friend.  It was a privilege and great honor to have her at my side for 12 years.  Sam was up for the challenge with any venue and gave it her all.  Such a gentle, and loving soul.  Until we meet at the bridge.   Dawn thank you for creating such a beautiful portrait of my Samantha.

Katie's kind words make every moment I spent painting Samantha timeless.  Thank you for the honor Katie.

An Irish Setter and her handler

 Every time a painting is completed, I say, "I loved painting this."   And... yes, I LOVED painting this.

The painting features a dog that I knew many years ago with her handler and her handler's daughter.

Funny thing - reminiscing, this very same handler helped me in a pinch in 2000 with a young Irish I was showing named Jewel.   She was a junior handler at the time.  She was such a sweet young lady and so professional considering her tender age.   Jumping ahead many years later, I remember sitting across a restaurant table with her discussing the name of her unborn child.

The dog in the painting was named Lucy.   Lucy was the same age as my girl, Monet.  We showed against each other more times than I can count and always enjoyed our time together.

When the commission came in to create this painting I was beyond excited.  The primary reference photo showed Lucy giving kisses and reaching up with her paw to the then toddler.   A different photo of Lucy was used in the painting - a better head shot of her.   I decided to make Lucy closer to the people in the painting than she was in the reference photo.   I also have the toddler reaching up and petting Lucy instead of her little hands in her lap.

It is so important to me not to copy a photo.  I absolutely need reference photos to guide me to capturing the subjects correctly.   All the while, I can not be held captive to copying a photo.  I look for ways to make each painting stronger than the reference photos.   It can be a balancing act deciding how much to deviate from the reference material.  Of course, there are times when the reference material is perfect - exactly what needs to be painted.

This painting was creating using soft pastels and measures 11 x 14.  It was an honor to paint all the subjects.  The painting was a commission - a gift from one friend to another.   I truly hope those involved in this project enjoy the final product as much as I enjoyed painting it.