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!
