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 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.

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.   

Liz

This is a painting of Liz.  She is no longer with us, but definitely she is there in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

I asked her owner to share a little bit about Liz.  Here is what she told me:
       
    She is the sister to BIS Sh Ch. Quinniver's Old Time Rock N Roll.  The best "girlfriend" ever!     I miss her terribly.


It is always a heart tugger for me to paint a dog that is no longer with us.   It is an honor and so very important to give the dog's owner a special painting that will touch their hearts in a personal and tender way.   Having lost dogs myself over the years, it is an unspoken bond I hold with the dog's owner.   The pain can take your breath away and time stands still.   For me, the pain doesn't lesson with time, I simply learn to deal with it.   There are times, years after losing a dog, unexpectedly I break out in tears.    When a person asks me to paint their dog that has passed, it is personal for me.

Thank you Pam for having me paint your special girl.

A portrait of Oscar

This is Oscar.   His official name is GCHB CH American/Canadian Ramblin’ Red Brisbane.   His owner and I talked about painting him a few years ago.  He was young at that time and she thought it would be best to wait a few years until he grew up.   A few years later, here is his painting.   He is an amazing dog with a prize personality.  

I’d asked his owner to share a little bit about him.  Here is what she shared:

            Oscar was among the Top 20 Irish Setters and qualified for the Irish Setter Club of America’s Health Foundation Top 20 competition in 2016.  He was the winner of the OVASA of Canada CA, Irish Setter Division.  He was bred by Peter, Anne Marie and Randy Kubacz.  (Pendoric Reign of Fire out of Ramblin’ Red Special Agent Starling).   He is owned, cared for , and loved by Nancy Salmon and Peter Kubacz; handled and conditioned by Peter.  Oscar is the 5^th Ramblin’ Red Irish Setter owned and loved by Nancy.   As she concludes, “Each has owned My heart.”

Thank you Nancy for having me paint your special boy.   

Following are the main two reference photos used for the painting.

A painting of Reilly - Celebrating his lifetime ranging from a puppy to a veteran

When Marsha first approached me to paint Reilly I was excited.  Her love of this dog flowed through her every word.   After several discussions, Marsha decided for the painting to reflect her life with Reilly.  The painting would show Reilly as a pup, as a 5 year old dog and lastly as he is today - 13 years old.

Marsha began sending me photos of Reilly which were compiled in a folder as I do with each commission.   She had some really wonderful photos.   Many of our conversations were on line via email and one day I decided to go to her Facebook page.  While enjoying her photos of Reilly I came across one Marsha had taken of her new puppy, Bentley.  In the front of this photo was Reilly - and I began laughing out loud - Reilly had actually photo bombed the photo of Bentley.  

There is something special when you are moved by a photo like I was of the Reilly photo bombing.   My wheels started spinning and I thought, heck, why not use the photo bomb photo in the painting! So, I assembled a collage of photos for Marsha to consider for the painting I was creating to celebrate the life of Reilly.   She LOVED the photo bomb idea - much to my delight.  

I asked Marsha if she would like to share a little bit about Reilly with me and this is what she told me:
     Reilly is the gentlest, happiest setter soul I every had or have known - from the time he was a pup through today as a senior dog.   He drew a lot of attention because of these traits and made a lot of friends where we lived in LA and Atlanta.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, knew him.   He just has a way to rein you in.  I think it is his gentle soul which is reflected in his eyes.   Some of the neighbors refer to him as the neighborhood ambassador - people I don't know!

Having lost a dog myself that lived to almost 13 in the past few years, this painting of Reilly really touched my heart.   How is it that one day they are this precious bubbly bundle of puppy joy and the next day this white face looks loving you in your eyes.  Time is truly but a vapor.  Enjoy every day with your dogs as the days fly by far too quickly.

Painting of Bebe

This is Bebe.  She is an English Setter.   I've always loved English Setters.  As a young girl, I just thought the setters were like Siamese cats and came in different colors.  At that time, I wanted a setter in every color.   It is fun to look back at how we viewed life as children.   Embarrassingly I must admit, I also thought a Flat Coated Retriever was a black Irish setter.  

When Bebe's owner contacted me to paint Bebe I was thrilled.  The painting was to be a gift for her husband.   So....we could have no Internet contact, no Facebook contact - we were in a stealth mode because Jennifer's husband could figure just about everything out.   She paid me with cashier's checks.....all stealth.   It is interesting how she handled my waiting list time frame.  Jennifer told her husband that the gift was on back order - ingenious!  Seems like nowadays, everything is on back order.Now, one has to ask, who is the more clever of the two??  This was the first time Jennifer was able to fully surprise Norman!! A win win for both of them.

To my delight, Jennifer's husband, Norman, called me in person to talk about his gift once it was received.   What a great guy.   He talked about how special dogs were to his family and how the painting brought forth some tears.   Seems like the true gift recipient in this painting was me.   I never expected to meet all the fine people I have through my paintings.

I'd asked Jennifer and Norman to share a little bit about Bebe and this is what they told me:

Bebe is a wonderful 8 year old English Setter.  After a lifetime of dog ownership, she has become my husband's all time favorite. We got Bebe when she was a year old from a breeder. She was shy and immediately took to my husband as her protector. A few weeks after asking Dawn if I could get on her waiting list to do a portrait, within 48 hours, Bebe became totally blind due to SARDS (Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome). It has been a difficult adjustment, but Bebe is doing very well. She is totally spoiled and has trained my husband to make her toast for breakfast every morning! Dawn has truly captured her essence and beauty.

Thank you Jennifer (and Norman) for the honor of painting your special girl!

Autumn Splendor

This is the first painting in my newest series, the Seasons Series. It is the "fall" season. There were several background photos used for the painting taken at different times in the year.

For the painting to really have the feel of fall and for color harmony in the painting, a great deal of warm reds and yellows were incorporated into the background that were not in the reference photos.

The model for this painting I had met several times over the years and is a Best In Show winner. When in Wisconsin a few years ago his owner had commissioned me to paint his portrait. During the photo session, something in the pine trees caught his attention and he swung his head around to look at the distraction. One thing led to another and this painting, Autumn Splendor came to be. Prints are for sale on my website at http://www.dawnsecord.com/printsforsale.html

Drew in the Field

Rich wants to put a junior hunting title on Drew. Several weeks ago Rich took Drew to join some friends who were hunting locally. Everyone said Drew was a natural and had a blast.

Jumping three weeks later, everyone wanted to take Drew out again and let him actually find a bird. Of course, this was a great photo opportunity for me to take some additional reference material for future paintings.

We met up with our friends at 7 AM and it was the most beautiful day. The hunting fields are about ten minutes from our house. We've had a great deal of rain lately here in Southern California so the grass is very green. The skies were clear and gave us a beautiful view of some of the mountains.

Drew did find his bird. It was amazing to see how he found it and pointed it. This was my first time in the field and seeing a dog work naturally. Thank you to Dave and Cathy for taking us along and working with Drew!

Krista: Gordon Setter

This is Krista. Her painting has been in process for awhile. Krista passed away a number of years ago and her owner had been trying to find more pictures of her for reference material.

Her photos were before the "digital" camera age so most of the photos were small snap shots. Krista was also blind so many of the photos did not show her true eye color. Her owner was not quite sure how the eyes would turn out.

Krista was a fun and comical dog. There were some conventional photos of Krista that showed what one would expect for a head shot portrait. However, the reference photo chosen allowed us to see the side of Krista that was so special to her owners.

When she came to pick up the painting in Palm Springs, she was teary eyed. She told me the painting looked just like Krista and the eyes were correct. It is always such a humbling experience to paint someone's beloved pet. Thank you to Krista's owners for this honor.

Golden Retriever Puppy

This is another one of my mini paintings. The subject is a young golden retriever pup. He is probably about 12 or so weeks old.

When I was photographing him he was romping around as any pup should. Then he ran out of steam and fell asleep in the middle of the floor. Who couldn't enjoy spending time with such an adorable subject.

Check on my blog for videos of me working on this painting.

If you are interested in me doing a mini portrait please feel free to email me for information. My email address is fff@linkline.com

Elk River - Hunting with a view

Jewel (red collar) and Drew had a blast hunting from the comfort of Victoria's living room!

Elk River, Minnesota

Here we are at our friends', John and Victoria, home in Elk River, Minnesota. They live on three acres in a heavily wooded area.

It was pure heaven to be here. The dogs haven't had a yard to run in since June 3, 2010. The three were running around and hunting and playing.

It was so awesome to be here in real life. John and Victoria visit us frequently when they are in California for Victoria's art exhibits. However, we've never had the pleasure to visit their home.

Hope you enjoy the pictures of our 'Hunters"!

Irish Setter Art

I'm working on an Irish Setter commission and this dog has the most beautiful eyes. I had so much fun painting them. Here is a peak!

Irish Setter Puppy: Nike

This is Nike and she is an Irish Setter puppy. I met her on the East Coast and she had recently been flown in from Australia.

The amazing thing about Nike was how calm and relaxed she was. She was in a new Country, with a new family, and at a dog show with an incredible amount of activity going on around her. She just sat there willing to pose and was an angel.

I hope I get to see Nike again as an adult to see how she has matured. She will most certainly grow into quite a beauty!

If you are interested in commissioning a portrait of your pet please contact me. There is more information on my web site at http://www.dawnsecord.com/!

Thank you for taking a peek at my work.

Palm Springs Kennel Club

Monet in the Show Ring

Drew in the Art Booth

"Monet" Rusticwood Spellbound Free-stacking

I showed my girl, Monet, at Palm Springs this past weekend. The weather was awesome - no wind - no rain. Lots of sunshine and a gentle breeze.

It is so much fun to show our dogs. They get to enjoy being out of the house, visiting people and getting lots of treats. Monet was also my official greeter in my art booth. Drew and Jewel also helped in the booth. Family Fun!!!

Monet is learning people in dress clothes usually have really great "stuff" in their pockets.

Ho Ho Ho from the Secord Pets

Here are two of my pets.....Monet who is an Irish Setter and Cash who is a blue point Siamese Cat. Monet is about 15 months old in these photos and Cash was about three years old. It is two years since those photos were taken and oh my gosh how time flies!

Hope you enjoy the photos. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Dawn Secord

http://www.dawnsecord.com/

Annie - Ch Jewelset's Special Attraction ROM

I first met Annie in Rhode Island in 2005 at the Irish Setter National Specialty. Her owner approached me to photograph her for a painting. This painting was to be a gift to another party.

For the past five years I've admired Annie at the various National Specialties. Once again (to my excitement) I was asked to paint Annie. This time it would be for Annie's human mom to keep and not to be a gift. The same original photograph taken in Rhode Island was used. The only changes were to add the graying to her muzzle that had come in with age. Additional photos were supplied and the painting was started.

Anie is a regal ageless beauty and thank you so much for the opportunity to paint her and her kids. To see more of my work please go to my website at http://www.dawnsecord.com/.

Ready & Waiting Greeting Cards

A number of people have asked me to restock this Irish Setter greeting card. Until now, all greeting cards have been sold until that particular card sells out and then I pick a new image to put on to cards.

The model for this card is my girl, Jewel. She was a real stinker and kept spitting the leash out of her mouth. It was all quite fun and each time I look at these cards I picture her pitiful face pleading with me to just take her for a walk and to quit messing around like some crazy paparazzi!

The greeting cards can be purchased directly from my website by clicking here or feel free to call me or email me! 866-393-7111 or fff@linkline.com. The image is also available in limited edition signed prints - click here to go to my prints for sale web page.

Thanks for taking a peek at my work!

Drew sleeping on Jewel's Thrown

Jewel on her Thrown in the Studio

Drew taking over Jewel's thrown......

Our dogs keep me in stitches. There is a leather chaise near my easel and Jewel is usually on it watching me. She lays there like the little princess she is. Then there is Drew - our typical "teenage" male Irish Setter. He just turned 19 months old.

I was painting and looked over to see the pretty delicate face of Jewel perched on her thrown only to see Drew laying about like such a boy! It was so funny - just had to share it.