Jameson the Irish Setter

 

Years ago I painted a dog named Reilly. It was an amazing painting.  One of the greatest honors is when an art collector returns to me to paint for them again.   Reilly’s owner, Marsha, has another Irish Setter, Jameson, and I was able to meet him and photograph him for his painting.  I fell in love with him immediately – cooperative for the photos and a true sweetheart full of personality.  

Jameson’s official name is Kilkieran's Like Father Like Son.  Jameson is Marsha's first exposure in the world of dog shows.   This picture is taken from Jameson's first national specialty in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  

Reference photo of Jameson.   He was so precious laying on the floor looking up at Marsha.   How could she not choose this photo to use as our primary reference photo for his painting!

Thank you Marsha for having me paint your precious baby boy.

A painting of Prada, English Setter

I've painted for Prada's owner in the past.   A few years ago she showed me this breathtaking photo of Prada in the field.  It was taken by a professional photographer.   With permission of the photographer, Prada's owner commissioned me to paint her.   Prada is no longer with us and I understand she was immensely cherished by her owner's husband.   I would be painting Prada as a gift from wife to husband.

Those of you who know my painting, know I like to use photos as a road map while using artistic liberties to make the painting be a painting - not a photocopy of a photo.  With this painting, the photo was so fantastic that there was not much that I wanted to omit or adjust.  To keep Prada's coat as if it was illuminating and retain the "sun kissed" look (what her owner loves about the photo), I encapsulated some of the foliage with purples and blues.  These were the primary colors used in Prada's coat in addition to the obvious earth tones and I wanted the color in the composition to be bouncing and reflecting on and off all tangible items in the photo.  As mentioned, I did not want to gravitate from the photo, just soften the foliage around her and the shadows cast by her head over her shoulders.

The first picture is the painting I created of Prada.  The 2nd photo is a somewhat size ways view of the painting to show how dimensional the painting is.

I asked Prada's owner to tell us about Prada.   Following is what she said:

    

Prada..BOSS, GCH Monimar SeaIsland's The Devil Wears Spots, JH.

OFA CHIC The reference photo was taken by Joe Deese. Prada was 7 & 1/2 months old in the photo and had just found her first quail in the bird field. Prada was my foundation bitch, bred by Mary K. Iverson (Monimar ES). She loved to hunt and had beautiful style in the field. Never missed a bird. She was a great mother to her 12 puppies. She is the dam to multiple CH, GCH-GCHG, BISS, BOSS, Specialty WD, WB, BW, Group winning & group placing get. Dam to Top 5 & Westminster Select Dog (2022) Jake, BISS, GCHG Sea Island's Wrapped Up In Magic. Prada also has get with performance titles in several venues, Therapy dogs as well as Great family pets. Prada was a great house pet, loved my grandkids and they loved her. She was my sidekick, my Prada B, mainly shown by me. Prada helped raise the pups from my other litters, she loved puppies! Prada was the love of my husband, Kurt's life. she will always have a large piece of his heart. There will never be another girl like Prada, she was beautiful and sassy with so much attitude! Prada was pretty close to Perfect.

I was so excited to paint Prada.  A note of sincere appreciation to the photographer for allowing me to use his photo for reference.  Of course sincere appreciation for Prada's owner, Frazier, for choosing me to paint this truly special girl.

Here is the original reference photo used for the painting.

A painting of Rufus

This was a very special dog named Rufus.   Rufus was a much loved companion and his owner, Shirley, shared many fond memories of him with me.  The biggest part of Rufus that she wanted captured in his painting was his kind eyes which created his gentle expression.

Shirley had an assortment of photos of Rufus.  The one photo that really touched her heart was that of him sitting on a grooming table at a dog show.   The photo's environment was not ideal due to the lack of lighting at that show venue.   The photo was ideal in capturing the essence that Rufus' owner wanted reflected in his painting.  

When working with a photo like the one chosen, I am offered a true image of what I need to include in the painting.   However, without proper lighting, it will be more work on my part.  ( I do not mean that in a negative way whatsoever.)   It is my goal to add dimension to the painting that is lacking in the reference material due to the lighting.   I want the painting to show what is missing in the photo but reflect the essence of our main character - Rufus.   It is important that we see the bone structure of the dog.  This will allow the painting to be dimensional and not flat.   It allows the painting to look more realistic.   Lighting has everything to do making the painting feel like you can reach out and pet the dog.  It may take me longer to get the painting where I want it to be and that is okay.  The efforts are greatly rewarded emotionally when I am able to provide someone with a special painting that touches their heart.  A weaker photograph allows me to be more artistic.  I have to be creative.   As always, I don't want to be known as an artist who is copying a photograph.   I want to be known as the artist that uses creative liberties to create a real work of art and only used photos as a road map to the destination of that particular journey.  

For the background Shirley had some amazing photographs of her property.   She chose a photo that had amazing clouds on that given day.   The color was amazing.   As beautiful as it was in the photo, a balance was needed to not allow the background to overpower our main subject.  Another opportunity for me to be creative in the overall composition using artistic liberties.   One example of this is how I used the clouds as directional arrows (if you will) to direct the viewer to Rufus' eyes.   I followed the photo but yet I didn't.

Thank you to Shirley for having me paint your special boy.   Thank you for allowing me to be an artist and create a special painting for you.   I hope this painting touches your heart whenever you look at it.  With gratitude - Dawn.

A painting of Stevie

The dog in this painting is named Stevie.    Her owner approached me and wanted a painting of them together.   A quest ensued to find the perfect photos for the painting.    Diane sent me photos of her looking down to mix with photos of Stevie.  She sent photos of Stevie looking up.    I told her we had enough photos for me to accomplish the painting that was at hand.

On a whim, I decided to scroll through her Facebook photos.  Upon doing so, I found a candid photo of her reaching down to lovingly pet Stevie who was looking up at her.  It was perfect - it was natural and not staged.   So of course I contacted Diane about my "big find".    To make this even more perfect, that was the day Diane met Stevie.   Stevie came to her as an adult.

Of course, I changed the background.   The photo had challenges to work with.  It is an old photo with a very small resolution.   It took some time, going back and forth, trial and error, to create the detail I wanted in the painting without having the reference material to confirm my thoughts.

The painting is done, Diane is thrilled and my heart is full.   Stevie is now 12 1/5 and I know this painting will forever show the bond that started immediately between the two.

Painting of an Irish Setter

This painting was finished recently.   I need to do better about posting my paintings.   The dog in this painting was photographed at a show.  The photos were to provide me with reference material for his painting.   We were taking photos at the end of the day, on the last day of the show, while people packing up.  So many distractions were going on and it was hot outside.   Everything was going on that you don't want going on when you are photographing a dog.

With all that said, this boy did a stellar job during his photo shoot.   I isolated about 10 of my favorite photos of him for the painting.   Then I took those photos and paired them up with a head study and a stacked photo for his people to review.   His owners loved all the photos and ultimately gave me the artist liberty to choose the photos for his painting.   

In the main photo for his head study, I loved the angle of his head and the sunlight peeking through the trees.   Those dabs of light reflecting on his head and ears gave the painting a realistic outside feeling.   As always, I don't copy a photo exactly.  Light was added where needed, shadows were subdued or added where needed.  His ears were blowing so the hair was adjusted slightly.   A great deal of light and shadows were added to his muzzle.   My painting is an opportunity to give the art collector something truly unique and different from the photos they may have.   Not diminishing photos at all - they are a work of art as well.   As a fine artist, I want each painting to feel like a painting that was created using specific reference material so the likeness of the animal is captured correctly.   I want people to know it is an original piece of art - tangible - valuable - and something that was created specially as they ordered it and with the creativity of a true piece of real art that came alive as the artist sat at an easel.  I got my hands dirty with raw pigment, my clothes get dirty too, I used fine art materials, and I had to clean up the floor and easel around me when I was done.   Real art in process.  I so enjoyed painting this gorgeous boy.   Thank you to his people for choosing me to do so!

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.

Rusty and Ruby - Mini painting

This mini painting is of two Irish setters when they were pups.   The painting was done last Christmas and for a special touch, a Christmas tree is in the background (gently implied).  It always touches my heart to paint dogs when they were puppies.  Our puppies come into our lives and we have no idea what our futures with them will hold.  When we look back, years gone by, we see those precious little faces and can celebrate our lives together.   I always say, when they are pups, we can not wait for them to grow up.  Then, in a vapor of time, those pups are veterans and we would give anything for them to be pups again.

From Donna - a little bit about the pups in the painting.

 Rusty and Ruby were our foster failures from the humane society.  They were our introduction into Irish Setters and the loves of our lives.  Rusty was a very sickly puppy but went on to become one of the most titled Irish Setters in history.  He excelled at agility and loved his reading to rover role.  In his later years, he became well known for his wagon walks where he stole the hearts of everyone that knew him.  Rusty left us in September of 2021 at the ripe old age of over 14 1/2.

 Ruby was our dog that had it all.  Brains, beauty and athlete all in one package.  Ruby went on to become the highest achieving MACH Irish Setter by earning 12 MACHs before her life was cut short by Osteosarcoma at the age of 9.   She was the most confident dog we have ever loved.

 This dynamic duo showed the world what Irish Setters are capable of and we are forever grateful to have had them in our lives.  They continue to live on in our hearts and will never be forgotten.

 Thank you Dawn for painting this gorgeous portrait of them in their puppyhood.  We had no idea at the time what a memorable ride they would take us on❤️.

Thank you to Donna and Jeff - it is always an honor to paint for you.

Portrait of an Irish Setter pup by Dawn Secord

 This is a portrait painted in pastel of an Irish Setter puppy named Killesandra.    The portrait was commissioned by a daughter for her parents.  In the reference photo used, her ear was tucked under the edge of the coffee table.   I changed the ear in the painting to show the ear folded out and resting on the top of the table.  Thankfully artists are not limited by what they see or don't see.  

Killie, as she was affectionately called, was less than a year old when her life was cut short.    During that time, she had a profound impact on her family and is dearly missed.   Losing a dog at any age is horrific to those who love them.   Their lives are just not long enough.   Losing a young dog is especially difficult.

Here is a poem written by one of her family members.

KILLESHANDRA

You joined our family as a wee little one

Another Irish lass full of fun

We planned on taking you to dog shows

And soon were reminded that’s not how life goes

Your energy levels were hard to contain

From catching rodents, you would not refrain

You jumped really high, almost clearing the fence

We put up a screen to act as defense

You loved to run and loved to chase

The rest your head with an adorable face

We hoped to breed you to your big brother Row

And watch your puppies run to and fro

Then one day we saw something amiss

You were sick, but still had such bliss

A doggie doc said the news was not great

A shorter life would be your fate

We confirmed with our local pet vet

Knowing ten months was the best we would get

As so, with tears in our eyes we let your go

To cross the bridge colored in rainbow

You went to play with our pups in the past

Being sure for eternity you would have a blast

Losing a pet is always hard it is true

But always know we will forever love you.

Painting of Rocky - a White German Shepherd

I've been so negligent in posting finished paintings the last few years.  Not all those who commission my work want their painting posted.  Paintings of our special pets touch our hearts and I totally understand how some people would prefer for their painting to be kept private.   With that said, I don't post any paintings until I've spoken with the parties involved with the painting and know their wishes.  

This is a painting of Rocky.  He had the most amazing personality.   He never met a dog he didn't like.  He had a full life and crossed over the rainbow bridge at 15 years old.

White animals and black animals can be the most challenging to capture in a painting.  The lights and darks are already the color of the animals.  When creating highlights and shadows on animals that are black or white, I use a variety of colors - yellows, blues, purples and turquoise (subtly) to enhance the paintings.   I'll also make some areas darker than the photograph and some areas lighter.   While it is often referred to as artist liberty, it is a balance of instinct and composition.  Usually, the collar is removed from pets unless the owners prefer the collars to be left on.  With Rocky's painting, the darkness of his nose and mouth really set his face in front of his body.   Very little creative shadowing was necessary to define the distance.

He was a sweet soul and loved dearly.   I'd spent time with him in person and he was truly a special dog.  Below is the reference photo I'd taken of him for the painting.

Commission to paint logos on an antique truck

This truck is going to be in a parade in Texas on December 3rd.  The owner of the truck has a construction business as well as a wonderful store in Whitewright, Texas.  The store has the coolest decorating items and some furniture.  

The store, Small Town Store and Decor, reminds me of the store in Waco, Texas started by Chip and Joanna, Magnolia Farms.   We've purchased items from both stores for our remodel when we moved back to Texas.   Waco has some the BEST cupcakes on their Magnolia Farms property.   Hum, maybe the store in Whitewright could add some cupcakes too.  

Getting back on track, for this truck logo painting commission, my goal was to make the signage look old and weathered to match the antique truck.  This is video # 2 of the door painting demos.  

Please remember to subscribe to my U-Tube channel to see more videos.   To see my artwork or children's book series, here are the websites:    DawnSecord.com and aDogBling.com

Antique Truck - Painting logo on doors - in progress (video # 2) - YouTube

Best Friends - an Oil Painting by Dawn Secord

 This painting was finished earlier this year.  It measures 40" x 48" and is oil on canvas.

The painting was allowed to dry in our barn resting on the top of our truck bed

The reference photo was taken years ago with a non professional camera using black and white film.    It was a magical photo and the amateur photographer has quite the eye.  It was an honor to be asked to paint it.   Though I had an 8 x 10 photo to work from, due to the age and quality of the photo, there was quite a lot of detail unavailable.   I scanned the photo into my computer and worked from the scan.  The scan gave me more detail, but not the detail available when working with a digital photo.   I wanted to be able to capture the emotion of the photo and not leave out detail that was unavailable in the photo.  The fencing was an interesting part of the puzzle.   It was important not to take over as the main subject - it was dark in front of the lighter background.   Using lost and found edges would be paramount to not create the fencing as a focal point.

Searching through my collection of reference photos I was able to find horse photos and glean much needed detail from them.  For the rider, I had additional photos from which to work.   The painting was to be as the photo - monochromatic - black and white.   I have a lovely collection of gray paint from different companies.  It is always interesting how the various manufacturers create different versions of the same colors.  

The background was a series of layered paint beginning with an under painting of burnt umber (which I let bleed through in places).   When painting the leaves, the background was layered.  The first layer was allowed to almost dry and then wet paint was applied over the almost dry paint.   I then took a dry brush and scumbled the layers together creating a depth in the leaves that I was hoping to create.   You know what they say - the best laid plans do not always work out.  In this case, they worked out just as envisioned.

When I was commissioned to create this painting, I was thrilled.  I haven't done a monochromatic painting in many years.   It was awesome to create one again.

Holly - a pastel painting of an Irish Setter by Dawn Secord

 This is a painting of "Holly" - Meadow Run Walk of Fame.

I met Holly years ago in Southern California.   She was a lovely girl.  I always knew she was competition for my girls when I showed against her.  Some dogs just stick in your mind.   Holly was one of those.   She was really a beautiful dog and I always loved her gentle expression.

When her owner contacted me to inquire about commissioning me to paint her, I was thrilled.   We set about getting reference photos from her owner emailed to me.   As much as I really don't like computers, they are a great assistance when getting photos back and forth.  I remember earlier days - 20+ years ago when I had to take photos of a painting, have the film developed, and then mail the photo of the painting to the person who commissioned me.  Email is my friend!

There was this lovely gentle photo of Holly on the edge of a sofa looking down.   It was her owner's favorite and I loved it instantly.   In the photo, Holly was bunched up a bit in a corner.  For the painting, I took that out and had Holly's head, neck and shoulder only.   She was to pretty to look bunched up.  The head and expression in the reference photo were perfect.  Nothing was changed there.   It is my job, as the artist,

to see what to include from a photo and what not to include for the painting.

I asked Holly's owner to share a little bit about Holly and this is what she told me:

   I always said she was an easy keeper.  Laidback and easy to live with.  Rare.

Thank you to Holly's owner for having me paint her beautiful
girl.   She was a special girl and we all loved her.

After Dinner Walk in Manhattan

 

After Dinner Walk in Manhattan is a visual story of a couple taking an evening stroll under the magical city lights in the iconic city of Manhattan.

I was commissioned to create the painting using a reference photo taken by a family member.   The completed oil painting measures 6’ tall by 4’ wide.  

When working with a reference photo, it is easy for the viewing audience to assume the artist did their very best to capture the exact likeness of the photo.   Nothing could be further from the truth.   As an artist, I endeavored to capture the essence of the moment that made this photo so beloved by the individuals in the scene.

 Let’s begin with what I did not want to capture in the painting:

·        Objects in the reference photo not needed in the painting:  the shopping bag hanging between the couple, the discarded paper on the sidewalk, the bright red spot reflected off the side of the building to the right of the husband’s shoulder or the bright reddish brown vertical reflected lines on the buildings that ran between the couple from the top of the painting down towards their shoulders. 

What should be adjusted in the painting but not removed:

·        Effects to be adjusted (compositionally) in the painting:  The actual cement breaks in the sidewalk added detail in the lower half of the photograph balancing with the detail in the upper section of the photograph.  The breaks would be much stronger if they were more of a diagonal direction.   The silver blue gray reflective lighting on the building, to the right of the husband, could be extended up towards the top of the painting and down to the husband’s arm creating some interest in those dark empty spaces.  Reducing the width of the vertical red brown reflective lighting on the buildings as well as subduing their brilliance as seen in the photos was needed.  These shapes and vividness of color actually separate the couple by placing a distraction of color between them.   There is a hint of the street light casting a lighter value on the sidewalk in front of the couple.   This will be the most important change.  I have emphasized the street light in front of the couple by giving it a little more detail and ground reflection than seen in the photo.  This last change allows me to push the illusion of depth even more.    The light adds an enhanced warmth to the moment.

What I wanted to see in the painting that did not exist or was almost insignificant in the photo:

·        Effects to be added that do not exist in the reference photo:  The bottom half of the painting, being a middle to lighter value actually draws the viewer out of the painting.  This lighting effect was created by the flash of the camera taking the photo.   Compositionally, we do not want the viewing audience to exit the bottom of the painting but rather find a way to be led back into the painting to find new and enticing artistic shapes, colors or subjects to rest their eyes upon.  To do so, I’ve made the bottom of the painting darker to strategically guide the eye back upwards.   For color harmony, I’ll be adding more red browns (burnt sienna) to the sidewalk to tie into the reflective light bouncing off the buildings.    I’ll also be adding some gray blues, blues, and a few splashes of turquoise to balance the color throughout the painting for color harmony.

Getting Started:

When I begin a large oil painting, I create a graph on the canvas using a pencil or vine charcoal.   For this painting, I chose to use a pencil.   Once the graph is measured out on the canvas, I begin the pencil sketch.  It is a simple sketch and not a great amount of detail.  This sketch will be used as my map to keep the perspective correct.

The second step is to take black oil paint and cover my sketch.  As the painting begins, I will not lose the lines of my initial sketch once they are protected with the oil paint.   This oil paint sketch is then allowed to dry thoroughly.  The next step is to apply an underpainting.  My color of choice is burnt sienna using a wide brush.   The brush strokes are varied, as is the thickness of the paint, to give depth and a slight color change later in places I may choose to let the underpainting remain visible.   Often times, but not always, I will choose to let some of the under painting show through in the finished painting.   The underpainting affect can play a big role in the painting.   Letting the black oil sketch dry thoroughly will eliminate the black paint from being smeared by the burnt sienna when the underpainting layer is being applied during the underpainting phase of the process.

From there the fun starts.   I begin painting in layers.   Some areas may only have one layer allowing more transparency to show the under painting.   Layers are applied until the desired affect is achieved.   I don’t know what is going to be done until I start the painting.  I pray before each painting is started.   My paintings happen as I paint.   I do not plan the layers or how much time will go into the layer.  I simply go with what feels right and let the painting evolve.

Compositionally, we hear of the “Rules of 3”.    Very seldom do I sit down and plan the rules of 3.  It happens intuitively.  With this painting, there are 3 areas leading directly towards our main subjects.  The lines in the sidewalk were painted so they lead you up into the painting and subjects.   The reflective lights on the upper left corner were slanted down towards the subjects.  The vertical lines in the center and to the right of the subjects brought us to the subjects.  The vertical lines of the sidewalk intersecting the building also created a “stop” to keep the viewer from leaving the painting when gazing down vertically.  Aside from the rules of 3, at the bottom of the painting, the darkened values create a directional change to bring the viewer back up into the painting.

The street light gave me an amazing opportunity to create a space of light in front of the couple allowing the viewer to look through and around the couple and ultimately, out in front of them.  This effect greatly enhanced the feeling of depth in the painting.   I brought the reflected ground light out on the left side of the couple significantly to break up the feeling of the vertical lines of building reflections about the couple.  This rounded area of light enveloped where the couple was walking.   We do not know where they were headed, but we do know it is warm and inviting. 

The camera reflection from the back of the couple made the couple look like they were floating.   In the painting, I added shadows under the couple’s feet to eliminate that floating feeling.  Their feet are established on the sidewalk and the shadows provide us with a feeling of forward movement.

For the husband’s hat, I applied a number of coats as well as a scumbling of the paint using a dry brush to create a thick fabric texture that was true to the hat.  I had the hat on hand for authenticity.

This was a wonderful journey from beginning to end.   

Belgian Malinois Part 4 - Oil Painting Demonstration by Dawn Secord

Above is video 4 of 5 - a large Belgian Malinois oil painting in process. Click on the photo of the computer screen to see the video.

If you enjoy this demo, please subscribe to my Utube channel for more videos - here is a link to the channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIlWrXDcpSaNJs7vQeuBdqw

Clooney - The Very Best Dog in the World

This is a painting of Clooney.   His owner described him below as the very best dog in the world.   Isn't that how we all feel about our beloved dogs?   Isn't that what we want for each dog - to know that dog is thought of as the very best dog in the world?   Clooney was a wonderful dog and had a wonderful life.   I can vouch, to his family, he was undoubtedly the very best dog in the world.  

I remember the first time I saw a photo of baby Clooney like it was yesterday.  What I remember was seeing a stacked photo of this pup in front of a gorgeous boat.   All I saw was the most breathtaking puppy ever.   Here we are years later and I've had the honor to paint him.  I've asked his owner to share a little bit about Clooney.  Following is her story about Clooney:

Clooney went on his first boating vacation at the tender age of 10 weeks.  It was so rough crossing the Straits into Canada that I donned my life jacket and sat on the salon floor with him while Patrick took the helm and shook his fist at Mother Nature.  Cloo slept through it all.  I remember cautioning Patrick, “You don’t spit into the wind and you don’t let the puppy walk on the inflated tubes of the skiff when you’re underway unless you’re prepared to go in after him.”  PJ’s wallet and its contents spent the awhile spread out on the dining table – drying. 

Cloo blossomed into a lovely adult who finished his Championship quickly and easily.  Peter Kubacz handled him to his first huge win, a BOS at the 2010 National.  There is simply no way to describe what it was like to be having Thanksgiving Day dinner with the family the following November, celebrating our 43^rd Anniversary and watching our dog go Best In Show on national TV!  Peter took Cloo to #1 All-Breed points, #2 Breed points in 2011. 

That following spring we moved to a waterfront home and it was perfect except for one thing - It was time to bring Clooney home to enjoy it with us.  Cloo spent the ensuing years working with our son, Michael in the field, trialing with me in Obedience and Rally, running the beaches, swimming, boating and riding around in the skiff with Patrick.  We were fortunate to have him in excellent health to the end.  Sometimes I would hide so Cloo had to find me, then he would trot away ahead of me, down the long hallway to the cookie jar in the kitchen.  It always made me smile as I watched him going away – dead true to the last.  How I wish I could follow him down the hall one more time and tell him again that he was the very best dog in the whole world! 

Where do I begin?? It is all about the love from a dog....Maggie's story

Where do I begin?   I guess it starts back when I was showing Monet (GCH Rusticwood Spellbound CGC) - Bling's mama dog.   Monet was gorgeous.   She just didn't enjoy showing.   At one show in Palm Springs, a well known judge (whom I'd never shown to before) said to me quietly, "She is gorgeous, can you get her to move out for me?"   I shook my head no.  "Not today,"  I replied.  I understood Monet and loved her with every breath I had.  I loved her independence.  I laughed at her "I only do what I want" attitude.   I shrugged my shoulders the time she was excused from the ring when she tried to fake limping.   She was a smart dog; as beautiful as the day was long.   She was one unique and special girl.

Back to my story....I was showing Monet at a specialty at the Irish Setter Club of Southern California's summer show.  In our class, standing behind us, was a woman with the most fabulous mane of blonde hair and a beautiful Irish Setter named Maggie.  I thought to myself, that is a beautiful dog.   I am not sure we can defeat her in this show.   If Monet wanted to show, we had a chance.   What caught my attention the most was how much fun Maggie was having - how much she loved her mom.   They were a special team with a special bond.   Years later, the two were standing in my front yard so I could photograph Maggie for her painting.

On that day, taking the pictures, the vibrant Maggie with a white speckled sugar face still looked up at her mom glowing.   We were laughing and having a grand time taking the photos.   Maggie was healthy given her age.   Both her mom and I knew that her days were fleeting as time will rob us of memories the future could hold.  They say with an Irish Setter, or any large dog for that matter, any time past their 10th year is a gift.   We were in Maggie's gift time.   

Maggie would pass a year later.   We sat outside the home while the vet went inside to help Maggie on to rest.   We were there for Maggie's mom.   After Maggie passed, it took Maggie's mom a few years to be able to look at the photos again for the painting.  There was no rush.   It would happen when the time was right.    A few months ago it was time.    We had gone through the photos while Maggie was still with us and made notes of favorites.   When it came time to choose the primary reference photo, though there were many wonderful candidates, one jumped out.   The one that jumped out was Maggie looking up at her mom...that look of love I'd seen so many years ago when Maggie and Monet were youngsters.

I hope Maggie and Monet are once again young; I hope they are jumping around chasing butterflies and waiting for their moms to play with them again when those days come.  You see our love for our dogs never dies.   Our love is always in our hearts and when we close our eyes, we see those priceless memories that will keep us together until we meet at the rainbow bridge.

A painting of Tallie - Irish Setter

 It is always so special when an existing art collector returns for another painting.   I have painted for her twice and now, Tallie is the third dog painted.

Her owner, Julia, and I were going back and forth on photos of Tallie for the painting and none of the photos reflected the true Tallie.   We all know our dogs and though some photos may be gorgeous, they simply do not reflect the personality of the dog.   The reference photo we used was a quickie cellphone photo taken by a friend who had just groomed Tallie.   The photo was put on Facebook.  I happened across it by fate and contacted Julia immediately.   We have our photo I told her.   She thought about it and agreed.   Tallie lives in another state and I've not met her.  From Julia's descriptions of Tallie, I knew we had the photo.

Here is joyful and rollicking Tallie; the ever smart and obedient girl who is filled with love...and who is forever giving kisses.  I hope you enjoy viewing the painting as much as I enjoyed painting her.   Thank you to Julia for the honor of painting your special girl.

Lucy and her pups - a family affair

 This is a painting of Lucy and her two pups, Kate and Emmy (who are from Lucy's two litters).

It was so much fun to paint the girls.   I've known all three dogs for many years.   Lucy is no longer with us, but lives on through her pups.   

Lucy and my Monet were similar in age and were shown against each other in the dog show ring.   The girls knew each other.   Both Lucy and Monet are now gone as difficult as that is to comprehend.

Lucy's first litter produced Kate.   Kate and my girl, Baby Faith, were two months apart in age and were shown against each other and knew each other.  Gosh - the girls are 11  years old now.  Time is a vapor.

Emmy is from Lucy's second litter.  Emmy is almost a year younger than my Bling.  And yes, they showed against each other, stayed in hotels together and went on many walks together.   Emmy and Bling look so much alike that Emmy's owner once took Bling for a long walk in Palm Springs thinking he had Emmy.   Imagine my fright when I found Bling's crate empty....  Bling had a long walk and I had to take a tranquilizer.   (not really but I do stress when my girls are out of my sight)....   We all had a good laugh.   Bling is days away from turning 9 and Emmy is 8.   

It is nice to know the dogs that I paint.   The interesting thing though is that I truly get to know the dogs I am painting if I don't know them beforehand.   The owners or family members who have commissioned the art tell me stories about the dogs that helps me get to know the dog (or other pets) that I am painting.   I know if the animal was bold, sensitive, quiet, outgoing and that information goes into my painting.   The painting process allows me to gaze into their eyes for many hours.   The relationship is formed and by the time the painting is completed, I know the pet I have just painted.

I hope you gave enjoyed the little walk down memory lane.   As said earlier, time is but a vapor.  Our pets come into our lives and though they are never with us long enough (no matter how long that is) they leave their pawprints on our hearts.   

Art Studio Tour with Dawn Secord

 Hi Friends,

I have finally finished a project that I've been working on for some time - a studio tour of my new studio.   The video is on my Utube channel.  The channel address is Utube Bling Secord and I hope you will subscribe to it.

My goal with the Utube channel is to be more active with video logs of me providing art demonstrations, paintings in progress and recording book readings with Bling at libraries.  Lots of fun stuff!  Below is the link to my studio tour video.  It is 11 minutes long.  You may want to pause it and return if you don't have time to watch all at one time.   Warmly,  Dawn Secord 

https://youtu.be/9JIbloKwCTA

Painting of Killian - an Irish Setter

I had known Killian since he was a pup.   I watched him mature into a beautiful dog who graced the show ring as well as excel into a highly respected dog in the field.   I watched his muzzle develop the gray hairs that disclosed he is older than young.   While we don't want to think about our dogs aging, we don't really want to see it either.   The whiter faces on the Irish Setter are so heartwarming.    They also make us think of time....the dreaded time that passes like a vaper.   We don't see it but yet we do.

After Killian passed, When Killian's owner asked for a painting of Killian as a gift for his wife (Killian's human mom) I was thrilled.    For his painting, I used a number of photos to assist in the project.   There was a primary reference photo which showed his lovely head.  It was a bit shadowed so other photos were of paramount assistance with his coat and eye coloring.  It was an honor to paint him.

I asked Jen if she would share a little bit about Killian.   This is what she said:

Killian was an incredible hunting dog.      We know that this is what the Irish setter is bred to do and Killian did it with style and perfection.

We still think of him when we are with dogs in the field and a bird is “there somewhere” but the other dogs can’t find it.   

“Send Killian, he will !” 

 Killian at home was the rollicking, sweet, gentle Irish we all talk of as being the best characteristics of the breed.   Killian was sensitive; not in a timid way but in his connections.   He knew what each of the family members (humans and animals) wanted/needed, and was generous enough to give his best to all of us!

This painting is a very special gift to me.   CH Roclyn Killians Red MHA, 

With me always!🐾❤️