Brown Burmese Cats

Feebee and Coco - 12" x 8" oil on hardboard/masonite

Sold commission

I almost want to say, no - don't faint - it's not a dog painting! Well I hope you enjoy this change of subject as much as I did. 

I'm not sure if I've mentioned the cat I owned as a child; he was a beautiful ginger and white and not once in all his life did he ever scratch me. He would knead his paws with pleasure when sitting on my lap but always made sure his claws were sheathed before they touched my skin. I cannot to this day talk about him without starting to cry and I will never own another cat. However, it's a pleasure for me being able to paint cats as then, like the dogs (and other animals) I paint, while I am working on them, for that time, they are mine! I suppose no-one other than the owner will ever know an animal as closely as an artist painting them. Thinking about it, I imagine that for an artist our brushes almost become an extension of our hands and when we paint, it is as if we are touching the animals. Ah, well, I think maybe I'd better stop talking before everyone decides  I am definitely a little odd!

To commission a portrait of your pet please email me at info@azpaintings.com - or indeed if you have any questions re painting.

Ditto (2) - Work In Progress by Anne Zoutsos

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

Well, here is Ditto again a little further on. I have done a lot more work on the dog and she is coming together nicely. You can now see how much work there is in the chair - I must admit not one of my favourite types of subject. Still, it will be an interesting challenge and I am actually quite looking forward to getting into it properly to watch it grow!

As I said in my previous post, once finished and sold a donation of 10% is being made to TBAR.

If you go to their website you will see they are in even more desperate need than usual (and they always need funds) owing to the rescue of 57 horses. I wonder if you will be as astonished as I was to read that although these horses have been removed from their previous owner's care that no charges have been filed. I wonder what you have to do to an animal to be charged with neglect and cruelty?
ADDENDUM - someone very kindly emailed me to let me know that the owner has now been charged and is at present in jail.

If you're not wanting to purchase a painting, please visit TBAR and think about making a donation - without donations nothing can be done to help these animals.

Sweet Girl by Anne Zoutsos

Sweet Girl by Anne Zoutsos - 6" x 6" oil on hardboard/masonite

I was delighted to recently have been given the opportunity to use the photographs in the website of Anne Stark's Piper whippets and dachshunds as reference for paintings. However, when I went on her site I was a little dismayed - there were so many lovely dogs that it was almost impossible to choose!

However, in the end I decided to paint Mable shown above; she was bred by Anne but is not owned by her. I was drawn to her (please excuse the pun!) as I fell in love with her sweet, kind expression and with her blue bandana, she looks dressed in her 'Sunday best'.

The donation from this painting will be going to another sighthound breed, the Salukis at STOLA.

SOLD

This painting is recently off the easel and will need a few days' drying time before it can be shipped.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Do You Hear What I Hear? - 7" x7" oil on hardboard/Masonite

A dog, once abandoned and unloved, now rescued and cherished. We know that dogs can hear things imperceptible to us - who knows just what they can hear?

10% from the profits of this painting to Old Dog Haven

If you don't wish to buy this painting, please consider making a donation direct to the charity. Thank you for helping dogs unable to ask for help themselves.

SOLD
Please visit my main website http://www.azpaintings.com/art.html for prints and greetings cards

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It's been a while since I've written anything in my blog, mainly because of pressure of work - I've been painting so much that I developed a twitching thumb! I will make a point though, of getting back to my blog on a more regular basis.

I recently had an email forwarded to me for signature to protest against a barbaric cruelty being carried out on puppies. There was a video attached which I wouldn't dream of watching, but as I was scrolling down to the bottom of the email to add my signature I accidentally read a short account of what was happening and the reaction of the puppies before their death. I have been totally traumatised by what I read and it has caused me a great deal of distress. I have not told anyone what was in this email as I don't want them to suffer in the way that I have. I wonder what to do in the future when I receive emails such as this? Much as I am ashamed to admit this, but I think I am going to have to delete them without reading them. Of course this means that I am not adding my voice to try and stop these atrocities, but I don't think I am strong enough to cope with the awful pictures conjured up. For myself, I believe that the best I can do is to continue to create my art and donate a portion of the profits to animal charities. The email I talk about above, appalled me so much that I was virtually unable to do anything - which of course is no good for me or for the animals. What do you think?