Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Pet portraits for the holidays

"Zoey"
14"x18" Acrylic on Canvas

It's been a furry business around here lately. Two dog portraits are off to their new homes and a pair of cute cats are at the framer! I've taken up stitching as well, after sending my cross stitched Torah panel off to Canada. It feels good to keep my hands busy with so many creative activities.

Zoey the portrait next to her photo

Zoey is a German Shepherd and my first portrait of that breed. There seems to be a lot of Shih Tsu's in my life, but painting this large, muscular dog with her regal fur and sweet expression was simply a joy. Norm's friend Paul commissioned this portrait and we discussed many things for her, such as the background, the size of the dog, and the special markings that make her unique. A German Shepherd's fur is a rich blend of black, brown and white hair and was as important to get right as the twinkle in her eyes and the white dot on her nose! Zoey is a much-loved member of her family and I hope her portrait brings them joy for many years.


"Bear"
18x24, Acrylic on canvas

My last portrait of a dog named Bear is on his way to my friend Ruth who commissioned him for her dear friend, Phyllis. Bear is an adorable pup, an also much-loved member of his family. Doesn't he look so smart in his bandana? That detail on the canvas makes it a very striking portrait. I can't wait to hear what they think of him once he gets to his forever home! Thank you for giving me the honor of working on him, Ruth.



I never owned or painted a cat before. I never even pet a cat before! Here are a couple of cute cats I was commissioned to paint. I figured fur is fur but this was a learning curve for sure. Their cute expressions, so typical of young kittens and so very different from puppies, simply captured my heart. Now I know why my friend Lisa is so enamored with them. This portrait is at the framer but I have to find out their names. A portrait is not complete unless it has a name (or two).




And finally, keeping with the theme of animals here is my Torah panel created for Torah Stitch by Stitch, an international stitching project I participated in. After asking for a translation of my verse, I was delighted to learn that my panel had to do with an animal. So I designed my donkey in cross stitch and added him walking proudly along a road. No animal of mine will be made a fool of!

Torah Stitch by Stitch is a project started in Canada and completed by stitchers all over the world. I hope the exhibit goes on tour so I can see my panel again one day. There will be almost 1500 panels joined together as a full Torah scroll. So exciting!

I am just as excited to see my portraits framed and signed in the home of someone who loves them. Commissions are open! Contact me for details.

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