Art of the Dog: Dawn Secord: July 2024

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

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!

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!