Border Collie - Play!

Border Collie - Play! - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

Another summery painting! As I look out into my garden - or yard as my American friends will insist on calling it :) - the view is stunning at this time of year. The blossom on the plum tree is over but the tree is now in full leaf. The pear tree (a wall trained tree) still has some blossom left but the old Bramley apple tree is magnificent, covered in pink blossom as is the ornamental cherry - beautiful and the wall trained apple too! Add some flowering shrubs into the mix, together with some spring flowers and the result is just superb - even the sun has made an appearance! No wonder then that I am enjoying painting 'summer' paintings.

Once this painting is sold the donation of 10% from the profits will be going to Noah's Bark pet rescue

SOLD

If you would like any further information please email me at info@azpaintings.com

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped

My thanks to kate.gardiner at Flickr for providing the reference photograph

Labrador Expression

Labrador Expression - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

As well as summer mode, I seem to be in Labrador mode at the moment! There's no particular reason for this; in the instance above, I thought the dog had such a sweet, appealing expression, that I just had to paint him. 

I check in on facebook more or less daily as I have quite a few friends on there and it's nice to see what's going on with them. However, some of my contacts on fb are very involved with dog rescue, and frequently I am reduced to tears by what I see - indeed I tend to try and glance quickly at their posts, as, if their stories are too awful, I don't read them. Yes, I know, this is something to be ashamed of - and I am - but perhaps we who care, need to do what we can. I cannot cope with the shocking details of cruelty meted out by my fellow man, but I can help raise funds to help the efforts of the rescuers and this I do as well as I am able.

The donation from this painting once sold is again going to Save The Dalmatians - they are in real need of funds and so I am concentrating on them at the moment, although I will move on to some other charities soon.

SOLD

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped

My thanks to jespahjoy at Flickr for the reference photograph

A Question

I wonder if I might ask my followers and anyone else interested a question? It is regarding whether to allow uncensored comments on my blog. 

As a general rule, I am not hugely in favour of censorship. I have put my settings for this blog so that anyone can make comments on any of my posts but I am having a problem with comments which are merely advertising. Most of these, although not exclusively, are Chinese and advertise porn or drugs or some just other forms of advertising. I am notified through my email when these are posted, and so I come here as soon as I can and delete them but I am thinking perhaps I should change my settings so that no comments can be posted until I approve them. Frankly it goes against my principles but perhaps I am being silly and I would very much like to hear what you all have to say.

Labrador Beach

Labrador Beach - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

Our lovely sunny weather has been continuing although it is still very chilly in the evenings. It has been making me long for the hot, sunny days of summer and this seems to continually be reflected in my paintings!

As a breed Labrador Retrievers love the water and need very little excuse to take the plunge. The dog in this painting is having a whale (sorry for the pun!) of a time and is keeping cool while playing on the beach and in the sea.

Once sold, I will make a donation of 10% from the profits to Save The Dalmatians

SOLD

This painting is straight off the easel and will need several days to dry before it can be shipped

My thanks to alexhealing at Flickr for the reference photograph

Jack Russell Terrier In The Shade

Jack Russell Terrier In The Shade - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

I think my next painting should be of an airoplane as I am beginning to miss seeing them in the sky since the volcano erupted in Iceland and spread its ash over the UK! We have been having lovely sunny days since the eruption and when I look up into the clear blue skies, it's hard to believe there is ash in the atmosphere. 

At the moment, with all the trees gaining their leaves and flowers seemingly to grow by several inches daily I feel in the mood to paint 'summery' paintings. The dog shown here is resting away from the sun in the cool shade and looks very comfortable indeed!

Once sold, I will make a donation of 10% to Save The Dalmatians

SOLD

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped


My thanks to Salvadonica, Chianti, Tuscany at Flickr for the reference photograph

Happy Birthday Hazel!

Happy Birthday Hazel - 11 today! 

Here is my Hazel having just received her birthday toy - a squeaky, fluffy lamb. She's having a lovely day with extra walks, extra special food and as usual, lots of love. Many happy returns sweetheart.

Golden Against Wisconsin Sky

Golden Against Wisconsin Sky - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

One of the advantages of being involved in the work that I do is the number of lovely people I meet - albeit mostly indirectly through the internet. I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise, but it has done really, that collectors of dog art are such a lovely bunch of people.

The dog above is owned by the enormously talented professional photographer Lisa Husar at teamhusar.com who kindly gave me permission to use her lovely photograph of Bear (her golden retriever not a bear!!) - thank you Lisa :)

Once sold, I will be donating 10% of the profits to Save The Dalmatians

SOLD

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped

Back In Black

Back In Black - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

There is no doubt to my mind that, just as in humans, there are some dogs who are more photogenic than others. I have used the dog featured today in a previous painting - A Black Dog. His owner MarilynJane at Flickr has kindly allowed his photo to be used as reference and it has been a pleasure to paint this grand fellow once more.

Once sold I will make a donation of 10% from the profits to Noah's Bark whose work is probably best followed on their facebook page  

SOLD

For further information please email me at info@azpaintings.com

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped

Border Collie Beach

Border Collie Beach - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

After a long, cold spring I feel more and more that I want to paint summer scenes and so while painting, enjoy the feeling of the sunshine warming me! I decided to paint this border collie running through the surf on a glorious summer day beside a sea of azure blue - ah lovely!

As with many of my paintings, once sold I will make a donation of 10% from the profits to charity. On this occasion I will be donating to Old Dog Haven (http://olddoghaven.org). I always feel so dreadfully sad for elderly dogs who lose their homes, often incredibly just because their owners can no longer be bothered with them. Those of us who have been blessed to own elderly dogs know of the very special bond which develops and it is a priviledge to be able to help in the efforts of these rescuers.

SOLD

If you would like further information please email me at info@azpaintings.com

This painting is straight off the easel and so will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped

My thanks to Kyknoord at Flickr for the reference photograph

Stripes - Dalmatian Fashion

Stripes - Dalmatian Fashion - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

The challenge on Daily Painters International Art Gallery this time was "Stripes" - the painting could be about and featuring any subject, but it had to be striped. Well, obviously I immediately thought of a Dalmatian!! 

The model for this painting is once again my own Angel and actually in this painting she was sitting at the top of the stairs sunbathing. As I think may be obvious from the painting, we have a blind on the window overlooking the stairs and it is the shadow from this which is falling on her. The actual painting is slightly warmer in tone but I've not yet been able to get an accurate photo - if I manage to get a better one I will post it. Taking accurate photos of my paintings is the bane of my life!

SOLD

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped

A Black Dog

A Black Dog - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

My third labrador in almost as many days! I decided to paint another lab as the other two sold very quickly and I was hoping to get a labrador on ebay for auction. However, since I have heard from a previous customer that they are interesting in possibly purchasing a labrador painting, I'm not sure how long this one will last - time will tell!

SOLD

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped

My thanks to MarilynJane at Flickr for the reference photograph

Yellow Labrador

Yellow Labrador - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

As the last labrador I put on ebay only lasted an hour or so, being changed to a 'buy it now' listing on request, I decided that I would make my next listing a lab again. The last labrador was a black, so this one is a yellow! I like the attitude of this dog - resting but watchful. 

I will put it on ebay later today as I am now going to take my own dogs out for a walk as the rain has stopped and the weather looks almost bright!

.........Back online now and the painting is listed on ebay - if you would like to bid, or see further details, please click here

SOLD

The donation from the profits of this painting will be 10% towards Old Dog Haven

If you would like further information please email me at info@azpaintings.com

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before it can be shipped