Dalmatian (Magic) - watercolour

Ch Dvojica Voodoo - Watercolour on Saunders Waterford NOT 

16" x 20" (external mount measurement)

Today's painting is a portrait of the top winning bitch, Magic. Here is a list of some of her wins: 

She is the biggest winning Dalmatian in UK history and was Top Dalmatian in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. She is also the holder for the most amount of Best of Breeds at Crufts, and has won the most amount of Groups and Best in Show at Breed Club shows. She has also won the coveted titles of Dalmatian of the Year, for 2005 and 2009. 

Phew! 

More importantly though she is a much loved and loving pet.You can tell so much about the character of a dog by looking at its face and it is obvious from looking at her that Magic is sweet natured girl. What a doll!

If you would like to commission a painting, please email me or click on the commissions page of my site.

Cleo - Dalmatian oil painting

Cleo - 10" x 8" oil on hardboard/masonite

I do apologise to my friends for my sporadic posts of late - I promise to try and do better from now on (mind you notice I am only promising to try!!) 

I am pleased to present Cleo, one of the paintings from my charity drive. I must warn you all now that there is a preponderance of Dalmatians in this effort, but I think this is mainly due to the large number of Dalmatians friends I have on facebook. However, don't worry, other breeds are also represented!!

I am frequently requested by artists if I will critique their portraits and I am very happy to do this. Most wish this to be done privately and of course I understand this, but if there are any out there who would like their efforts to be included on this blog, please let me know - there are a lot of artists at the beginning of their careers who would thank you. I am asked many, many times, what is the most important aspect of pet portraits and I suppose I would give the same answer, whether it was for an animal or human portrait and that is that you need to portray the personality and spirit of the subject. I would rather see a rough and ready portrait which portrayed personality, rather than a polished painting which was bland and without spirit, any day. However, for me the aim is to paint a realistic portrait which is both lively and reveals the character of the subject. 

I would also add that I am quite often asked to paint human portraits. I used to paint these but stopped a while ago owing to, I suppose, a disillusionment with the human race. I might be persuaded to paint another human one of these days - who knows - but I cannot at the moment imagine how!

For now, if you would like a portrait of your beloved pet immortalised by me, email me at info@azpaintings.com 

and I will get to work for you.

Dalmatian (Blinken)

Blinken - 10" x 8" oil on hardboard/masonite

Here is my latest commission - or rather the latest finished one - of Louise Clement's handsome boy, Blinken. At Louise's request, I painted Blinken with a black background and his reflection as if he was lying on a shiny floor.

If you would like to commission a painting of your own pet, please email me at info@azpaintings.com or click on the menu above.

The Tiger

The Tiger
 oil on canvas (24" x 18")

I am pleased to show you a painting I have been working on for some months. It is the first in a series of larger works which I will be releasing. 

Both the original painting and a series of limited edition prints are available for purchase.

The original is now SOLD - prints are available

For details please click on 'Originals' above.

Shih Tzu watercolor painting (head study)

Violet - 20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford paper

Following my full body portrait of Violet, her owner was so pleased that she decided to commission me to paint a head study of Violet. It is always a pleasure to paint these little dogs - they are so confident of their own importance and you can see it in their expressions. Violet's owner tells me she is no exception and always expects to be the centre of attention (and she gets it!)

I thought you might also be interested to see a photo I took of the painting when I had reached my initial  'stage one' phase ie I had painted her eyes and nose - although neither of these finished - and a rough blocking in of the rest of her head.

If you have any questions, either about a painting technique you think I might be able to help you with, or about a painting you'd like to commission from me, just drop me a line at info@azpaintings.com 

Irish Setter

Irish Setter - Katie - 20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford paper

My latest commission is this pretty girl, Katie, an Irish or Red Setter. I did take a photo of her at the usual 'stage one' phase ie I had painted her eyes with a fair amount of detail and added tone to the rest of her but unfortunately it isn't very clear and so I decided not to show it here. 

Often I don't have the opportunity to meet the subjects of my paintings but sometimes I do and it's always a pleasure. I was fortunate enough to meet Coco - the German Shorthaired Pointer from my previous post - and I am hoping that Katie's owner will bring her along when she comes to collect the painting.

To commission a painting, please email me at info@azpaintings.com or feel free to ask any questions you may have.

German Shorthaired Pointer - Coco

German Shorthaired Pointer - Coco - 20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford paper

Here is the finished portrait of Coco. Following on from the last stage shown in my previous post, I next worked on her eyes again until they were almost as shown here. I could then get down to all the detailed work on the rest of her. As I've mentioned previously, I don't paint individual hairs with a fine brush as I prefer what I feel is a more natural look, achieved by splaying out a round sable brush. This is a technique which does require a fair bit of practice and will also involve careful lifting of colour in certain areas and blending in others. My aim is to paint a realistic portrait which doesn't look like a photo but looks more than a photo - I want - well what do I want? I want to make the dog live!

I am pleased to tell you that Coco is alive and well and a very loved family member. Her mum burst into tears when she saw the painting - and I can assure you it wasn't from disappointment! Apparently the painting is now hanging on the wall for all to admire :)

To commission a painting please email me at info@azpaintings.com or visit my commissions pages.

Coco - German Shorthaired Pointer (work in progress)

Coco - 20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford paper (WIP)

This is my latest commission which I have just recently finished. Here I am showing the first completed stage. The drawing has been done and the background wash has been laid down - as usual a watery mixture onto stretched, dry paper. I paint with the board at a slight angle so the paint, when watery, will run down. I start with a darker mixture at the very top of the paper (in fact this part will eventually be covered with a mount) and gradually add more and more clear water to the brush so that the mixture becomes lighter as it nears the dog's head. Once past the ears, I add the more of the water/paint mixture to the very edges, to bring more colour into the painting and then add a strip of darker paint at the bottom. I then quickly add more clear water so that the background mixes in with the bottom of the dog's neck. I hope that makes sense. All this is done as quickly as I possibly can and as I said in a previous post, I can't stop for anything when laying in this wash as otherwise it would leave ugly hard edges wherever the paint was allowed to dry. 

As is usual, I painted Coco's eyes in first so that we could develop a 'relationship' and then her nose. The rest of her head, neck and ears followed gradually and what you see here is in fact not one layer of paint, but already several laid into each other. You'll notice some hard edges on her forehead and a few other places. As the painting progressed I eventually softened these by scrubbing at the area with an old half inch square edged brush and clear water. I have had this particular 'scrubbing' brush for ages now and hope it lasts for ever as I know it would take ages to break a new one in. I'll try and remember to take a photograph of it one day and show you. I will post the finished painting tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Jules!! (Coco's mum)

To commission a painting please email me at info@azpaintings.com

Dalmatian watercolour - completed

Dalmatian - Ch Dvojica Voulez Vous (Frida)

20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford 100% cotton rag paper

Well, here is the finished painting, many, many hours later. I am pleased to report that her owner is thrilled with the portrait of his lovely Frida :)

If you have any questions, or would like to commission a painting please either visit the commissions page of my website, or email me at info@azpaintings.com

Dalmatian Watercolour (work in progress)

Dalmatian Ch Dvojica Voulez Vous (Frida) - work in progress

20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford 100% cotton rag paper

I thought it might be of interest to show the completed first stage of a watercolour painting. At this point in the procedure, I have painted in the background wash. This wash is made from a mixture of lamp black, burnt sienna and a dash of raw umber and is a very watery mixture. I don't dampen my paper first but lay this wash in as quickly as I possibly can with a 1" wide flat brush. If the phone rings or someone comes to the door when I am doing this part of the painting, I don't answer. I simply can't stop during the laying in of the wash or it will dry leaving horrid hard edges and would need to be thrown away. I don't paint over the dog's head although I don't worry if I overlap a little here and there but I make sure to touch every part of the outline or there would be a noticeable white gap which can't be filled in without it noticing.

As this wash is laid onto dry paper, it doesn't take very long to dry so there's just time for a short coffee break usually! The next area to be worked on is the eyes as I very much dislike looking at a 'dead' dog while I paint. So, for the eyes, I do enough work to enable the dog to look back at me. I usually then paint the nose in but with less detail than the eyes. After these two important areas are finished, I then start to lay in washes of tone and this is the same whether the dog is long or short coated. As these toned areas start to develop it is possible to 'feel' the shape of the dog and model it - in my head I imagine touching that part of the dog which helps to ensure accuracy. As this painting is of a Dalmatian, the spots come next. In fact some of the spots here are a little darker than I prefer and I did lift a little of the colour with clear water before putting in the detail. Although in the final painting it will barely notice, it will just add a touch of depth to the painting.

I will show the completed painting tomorrow with more details about it's creation.

If you have any questions, or would like to commission a painting please either visit the commissions page of my website, or email me at info@azpaintings.com

Shih Tzu painting

Shih Tzu - "Violet" - 20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford paper

Here is my latest commission - a very pretty Shih Tzu called Violet. I've always found these little dogs absolutely full of character, seeming to consider themselves much larger dogs.  They do think they are important as can be seen from Violet's expression!

To commission a painting please either visit the commissions page of my website or email me at info@azpaintings.com

Lurcher oil painting

Santa - 12" x 8" oil on hardboard/masonite

Here is my latest commission - this painting being of a lurcher. When you look at this bitch's expressive, sensitive face, it is hard to accept that she was a rescue case suffering from a severe injury when her new family took her on. She blossomed and thrived in their care and has been a very happy family pet and number one dog for many years now.

If you would like to commission a portrait of your pet, please click on the navigation bar above - either 'Commissions' for basic information or 'Commissions in detail' for more information about the process. You can also email me at info@azpaintings.com and I will be happy to help and answer any questions you may have.

Cocker Spaniel Champion

Sh Ch Wiljana Waterfall - 20" x 16" watercolour on Saunders Waterford paper

This is another of my Christmas commissions - well not strictly Christmas as it wasn't a present but a painting to honour the memory of a much loved girl who lived a full life and to a very good age. A top winner, she achieved the fantastic win of Reserve Best In Show at the world famous Crufts Dog Show in 2000. 

This photo isn't as good as I would have wished as it was taken as the light was getting low but hopefully it is good enough for the detail to be seen - and also for it to be obvious what a very beautiful girl she was.

To commission a painting or purchase an original or print, please visit my main website or email me at info@azpaintings.com

Dalmatian - Dyson

Dyson - 10" x 8" oil on hardboard

This next Christmas commission consists of two paintings - a head study and a full body portrait - a double rememberance of a dog who died at far too early an age and is desperately missed by his owners. I am showing the head study today. 

These were difficult paintings for me, not technically, but emotionally. One of the reference photographs sent, while not suitable for the pose of either painting, was a very close up shot and one I looked at often to really get to know Dyson - he was obviously a lovely dog and I can totally understand his owners' heartbreak.

Dyson's owner let his wife into the secret (they had been planned as a surprise Christmas present for her) after he had seen emails of the paintings and I know that when they were received, it was both with joy and heartache. I am glad that they have now plucked up the courage and hung them, so that Dyson can in a small way still be with them. On a brighter note, I am very pleased indeed to report that they now share their lives with a Dalmatian puppy named Ditto who has brought laughter back into their lives.

To commission a painting or purchase an original or print, please either visit my main website or email me at info@azpaintings.com

Champion Welsh Springer Spaniel

Welsh Springer Spaniel - Sh Ch Glenbrows Picture This JW ShCM (Luka) - 20" x 16" oils on canvas

Here is another of my Christmas commissions - this time complicated by Luka's owner's wife having access to his emails through her phone, hence the need for surreptitious text messages between us! I think around Christmas time I must walk around constantly looking shifty as I am always keeping so many secrets!

When this painting was finished there was the added complication of unheard of early snowfalls in the UK and on the day I was due to take Luka's painting for framing, I wasn't sure how I was going to get to the framer. As it was the journey was very scary - not that the snow was too deep, but the roads were very slippery with snow and ice. Anyway, we got there in our tank - old Volvo 240 - and my wonderful framer sorted it all out for me, including arranging the courier to collect and deliver the painting. I breathed a sigh of relief when I knew that Luka had arrived safely at his home in time for Christmas! I am pleased to report that the painting takes price of place in Luka's home - well I suppose second place after the gorgeous Luka himself!

If you would like to commission a painting or buy an original or a print or cards, please either visit my main website or email me at info@azpaintings.com

(It occurred to me that some people might not know what the initials before and after Luka's show name mean - Sh Ch stands for Show Champion and ShCM means Show Certificate of Merit)

Dalmatian Head Study

Ch Camargue Gucci Envy (Lola) - 16" x 20" watercolour on Saunders Waterford watercolour paper

As many of you will know, I was busy before Christmas completing commissions which were to be given as Christmas presents and couldn't therefore be shared with you. The first of these paintings, a head study of a Dalmatian, which I am now showing you, was actually planned as a birthday present to be given in February, but when it arrived shortly after Christmas, her owner couldn't resist giving the painting to his wife - and so now has to find another present for her!

I actually managed to take a work in progress photo of this painting and here it is:

As you can see, I have painted all the spots in and started adding colour to her eyes and some shadings on the head and neck. The shaded areas are made in a couple of different ways; one method is to drop colour into pools of clear water previously painted on the surface, and the other is to paint using a very watery colour and then soften the edges with clear water. If you leave hard edges they can be the very devil to get rid of - so I don't leave them! I think you can just see that I have also put in a few strokes to indicate the lay of the coat and if you look at the spots you will see that their edges also indicate which way the fur is lying. I like to get the eyes of the dog painted as soon as possible in any of my paintings, as I totally detest looking at them without eyes as they seem 'dead' and I want them alive as soon as I can manage it!

If you have any questions, either about commissioning a painting or purchasing an original painting, print or card, please email me at info@azpaintings.com. Also if you have any art related questions, please email me and I will be happy to help. I will do this in confidence if you prefer or if you'd like to share your journey with other readers, that could be fun - so let me know.

Lastly but not least...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Dalmatians (The Night Before Christmas)

The Night Before Christmas - 10" x 8" oil on hardboard/masonite

Here is The Night Before Christmas; I have enjoyed this painting and I hope you like seeing it.

A lot of people consider my paintings to be rather emotional - in a good way! I think this painting fits into that category and I know that many have put different interpretations on it and I love to hear people's different views. As for me, what do I see in it? Well, I'm not sure I should say and wonder if that would spoil everyone's enjoyment? Perhaps for now I should keep silent and see what others think.

SOLD

Once sold, I will be donating 10% of the profits to Dalmatian Rescue of Puget Sound.

This painting is straight off the easel and will need to dry for several days before shipping

My thanks to Suzi Wahl for allowing me use the photo of her dogs as reference.

Cocker Spaniel painting

Sh Ch Lujesa Happy Too - 20" x 16" watercolour

Yes, another Cocker Spaniel (okay for my American friends, English Cocker Spaniel). This painting was a gift and so I could not show it at the time it was painted. These dogs have such sweet and appealing faces it's hard to remember sometimes that they are energetic and talented gundogs. Over the years, I have met very many of these dogs and have found them to be as affectionate as their sweet faces would imply! If you are an artist contemplating painting one of this breed, I can only say to make sure you get their meltingly sweet expressions just right!

I hope you enjoy viewing this painting as much as I enjoyed painting it. If you would like to commission a painting of your pet, please email me at info@azpaintings.com

Cocker Spaniel portrait

Cocker Spaniel - Sh Ch Dillonpark Ambrogina - 20" x 16" watercolour

My apologies for lack of posts recently but back to normal now.  Unfortunately I can't show you some completed paintings as they are gifts and I wouldn't be very popular if I spoiled the surprise! 

However, here is a painting I can show you; the cocker spaniel - or as my American friends would call her - English cocker spaniel - Show Champion Dillonpark Ambrogina. I will have to check with her owner when I next speak to him but I believe I am right in saying she is the all time top-winning black cocker spaniel bitch in the UK and as you can see is a very beautiful girl.

I did manage to take one work in progress photo. I have done a lot of work on her eyes even at this stage as I always find it helps to build a relationship with the subject. (I think maybe it's a good thing that artists have a reputation as being a little 'odd'!!)

The ears show the first layers of paint which just mark out areas of shade and start to build form and there is no attempt at detail. However, you can see I have been putting in the coat and much more detail in her head, although this too is at a very early stage. 

If you have any questions or would like to commission a painting of your pet, please email me at info@azpaintings.com or you can click on the Commissioning a Painting tab above.

Looking To The Light (Dalmatian painting)

Looking To The Light - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

SOLD

Here is the finished portrait of little Sydney who I wrote about a couple of posts ago. I feel a bit tearful now she is finished and in a way am reluctant to stop working on her. I suppose that maybe it is the close relationship an artist feels with her/his subject which is the reason for this - I feel now I am letting her go.

On a practical note, I hope you can see the amount of work which has been put into her eye since the WIP - I sometimes think I spend as much time on eyes as on the rest of a painting! To those who wonder how such a small area can take such a long time, I can only say that I keep altering the expression until I feel it fits the dog. As I explained in the Charleigh Bear Boxer portrait, this means that it will not always be the same as in the reference photograph, or even if the same, some parts will be exaggerated and others played down. I would also point out to would-be dog portrait artists, that you should take note of the eye shape - it is so important and so frequently got wrong and remember not all dogs of the same breed will have identical eye shape. After all, breed standards, which are blueprints as to the ideal of a particular breed of dog, are very open to interpretation and of course mongrels or mixed breed dogs will have a huge variety of eye shapes.

Sydney was rescued by Dalmatian Rescue of Southwest Virginia 

My thanks once again to Diana Morgan Crush in whose home Sydney was loved and who took the reference photograph.

If you would like to contact me please email me at info@azpaintings.com