Christmas Is Coming!

 

Christmas Is Coming! - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

If this painting seems rather familiar to some of you, it is because I only posted it on this blog fairly recently!

I am sure that the artists among you will understand how sometimes you complete a painting but it remains at the back of your mind as one you would like to make alterations to - well this was such a one. I felt that the face lacked a little definition before - not helped of course by the constant difficulty of getting a decent photograph.  In any event, I took the painting today and worked on the face quite a lot and then of course couldn't resist fiddling around with the background!

Anyway, here is the new version and I hope you like the alterations.

When this painting is sold, I will be making a 10% donation to Save the Dalmatians.

If you haven't visited their site yet, I would urge you to go along and have a look.

SOLD

German Shepherd Dog - Zac

Zac - Watercolour 20" x 16"

Here is one of my recent(ish) commissions.  I am told that the person for whom it was commissioned as a gift absolutely loved it - which I can assure you is very important for an artist :)

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

Merry Christmas

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my collectors and followers and all those who have supported my work over the past year, many of whom have become good friends.

Merry Christmas to everyone and a prosperous and fulfilling New Year and may all your pets be loved and cherished.

Anne

Lacy - (a West Highland White Terrier 'Westie')

Lacy - (a West Highland White Terrier 'Westie') - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

I apologize for the lack of posts recently but life has contrived to get in the way of my ability to complete any small paintings! I expect you can understand when I tell you that we have had our house carpeted throughout (well almost) and have had relatives visiting, not to mention decorating the house for Christmas - which has still got to be finished. Additionally, I have been completing commissions - one or two of which I will be posting on this blog. My next commission is one I started some while ago but which has had to be put to one side as it quite a large painting for me, and I need to have an adequate number of hours to properly get 'into' the painting without interruption. I am looking forward to getting back to it - in fact I am feeling very impatient to get going with it again!

Meanwhile, I have just slipped a small oil painting in amongst the mix.  This one features a West Highland White Terrier and the reference photo was once again supplied by the very successful breeder of  the Pipers whippets and miniature dachshunds, Anne Stark.

West Highland White Terriers not surprisingly originated in the Highlands of Scotland and were working terriers. They were required to follow fox, otter and badger over and under hard, rocky ground. For this work they had to be game, hardy, agile and sure-footed, able to spring from rock to rock.

My advice to anyone thinking to purchase a puppy, is to go to a reputable breeder (well you should always do that anyway) as they can have a tendency to skin problems. In fact if only everyone wanting to buy a puppy would go to a reputable breeder, the horrendous puppy farms would then cease to exist.

A 10% donation from the sale of this painting will be going to Noah's Bark. As Christmas is very near now, do you think you could make a special present this year and give a donation, however small?

SOLD

Please note that this painting is straight off the easel and will need several days to dry before it can be shipped and therefore WILL NOT be ready for Christmas.

If you have any questions, please email me at info@azpaintings.com

Back with a functioning computer

Just to let you all know that I am back with a fully functioning computer again and now have access to all correspondence and images. 

I apologise for the lack of new paintings - it's not that I haven't been painting, but I am busy with commissions and commissions take a great deal longer to complete than do my small oil paintings.

If I get permission from the owners, I will share some of the portraits with you.

I hope you're all better ahead with your Christmas preparations than I am!

Important Notice

This is just to let you all know that my computer has died and I have no access to emails received since January this year or photographs sent since that time.

If you are waiting for me to contact you, please email me at info@azpaintings.com.  I have access to my old (exceptionally slow!) computer so will be able to receive your emails.  I will eventually be able to retrieve the information at present inaccessible, but it may take some time.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my American friends :)

Christmas card - In The Purple

Christmas card from the original oil painting - In The Purple

Today's card features a champion saluki. She is owned by fellow artist and friend Cori Solomon, who kindly allowed her use as a model.

If you would like to purchase this card, you can do so here - http://azpaintings.com/xmas.html#18 or of course you can always email me at info@azpaintings.com.

The donation from this card will be going to STOLA - saluki rescue.

I hope you like it :)

Christmas card - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Christmas card from the original oil painting - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

If you would like to purchase this card please visit http://azpaintings.com/xmas.html#5 or of course you can always email me at info@azpaintings.com :)

If you're not looking to purchase any cards, I wonder if you would consider making a donation to charity? The charity I am thinking of is the one which will benefit by any sales from the card above, and that is Save the Dalmatians. You can click on the link to go to their website and any donation, however small, will be welcomed by them in the never ending job of rescuing members of this wonderful breed of dog.

Christmas card - All I Want For Christmas Is You

 

Christmas card from the original oil painting - All I Want For Christmas Is You

And isn't that the truth............. :)

To purchase this card please visit http://azpaintings.com/xmas.html

 

The donation will be going to Save The Dalmatians

Have a good weekend everyone - if I get time I will post a new card every night - or day if I was more organised but that's unlikely!

Christmas card - Black Beauty

Christmas card from the original oil painting - Black Beauty

The donation from this card will be going to Noah's Bark who do a really fantastic job. 

The reference photo for the painting was taken by Meneer Zjeroen and the lab shown was found on a site selling used goods and animals!!!!!!!!!! Now a beloved pet of the photographer.

The card can be seen and purchased here http://azpaintings.com/xmas.html#16

Please email me at info@azpaintings.com if you have any questions.

Christmas card - Mine All Mine

Christmas card based on the original oil painting - Mine All Mine

This card features a liver-spotted Dalmatian - something of a rarity in Christmas cards.

The original of this painting (which of course doesn't include the Christmas greetings) is available for sale for £67 plus postage - it can be seen and purchased here http://azpaintings.com/originals.html#3

The Christmas cards can be purchased here: http://azpaintings.com/xmas.html#15

Both the original painting and the cards carry a donation to Save The Dalmatians - a wonderful organisation doing fantastic work helping this lovely breed.

If you require any information please email me at info@azpaintings.com

Christmas card - Little Friend With Bells On

Little Friend With Bells on - Christmas card from the original oil painting

This is, as you can all see, another of my Dalmatian Christmas cards.  The 'Little Friend' in the painting isn't just a pretty toy - it can talk and move.  Well sort of - if you press its paw, its ears rotate and make the bells jingle very prettily and it barks out a series of little Christmas songs - with really quite a nice singing voice for a dog!

The donation from this card will be going to Save The Dalmatians and it can be seen and purchased here

http://azpaintings.com/xmas.html#8 or you can email me at info@azpaintings.com for more information.

Christmas Cards - Do You Hear What I Hear?

Christmas Cards from the original oil painting - Do You Hear What I Hear?

Although the majority of my Christmas cards feature Dalmatians, I do have a few others!  The card above comes from a painting of a lurcher. For those who don't know, lurchers are usually crosses between a sighthound ie greyhound, saluki etc and a collie type of dog; the aim of which is to produce a dog capable of great speed when hunting, but also a little more obedience than a pure-bred sighthound.

The dog in this painting was unwanted and abandoned but has been fortunate enough to have been adopted by a loving family.

The donation from this card will be going to Old Dog Haven.  This charity does invaluable work helping find homes for dogs in their golden years.  It always seems incredible to me that anyone can own a dog for many years and then dispose of it when it becomes elderly - amazing and extremely distressing.

Please visit http://azpaintings.com/xmas.html#3 to purchase this card or email me at info@azpaintings.com for any more information.

All Was Calm All Was Bright Christmas Card

Peace At Christmas - card taken from the original oil painting - All Was Calm All Was Bright

Well, I had planned on showing a Christmas card a day but as usual life has conspired to get in the way! However, here, a little later than planned, is my next featured Christmas card.  I love the sense of serene calmness in this painting and so the painting seemed to name itself.

I hope you enjoy it - I certainly had great pleasure painting it :)

This Christmas card, along with a few others, is available to purchase at http://www.azpaintings.com/xmas.html

or if you would like to email me, my address is info@azpaintings.com

I nearly forgot to say, this card's donation will be going to Save The Dalmatians, one of my favourite charities.

Christmas cards

Christmas card from the original oil painting - Silent Night

I thought I would just post a reminder that I have a selection of Christmas cards available for sale.  They all carry a donation to a small selection of animal charities - this one's donation will be going to Save the Dalmatians.

If you have any queries - please email me at info@azpaintings.com

Spencer - an English Setter

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

It's difficult at this time of year to be able to complete many small paintings, as naturally enough we artists are always busy painting commissions, so I thought you might like to see one of these. 

It is particularly flattering when a fellow artist buys a painting and I have been very lucky enough recently to have sold one of my small paintings to a very talented artist friend of mine and the painting above was commissioned by an equally talented artist friend - a real honour. 

I hope I have done justice to this lovely boy, with his kind and honest expression - his sweetness shone through for me while I was painting and his owner knows I was very sorry to see the painting go! A lucky owner indeed to have been blessed by owning such a gentle, loving dog.

SOLD

Drum roll please.........................

Drum roll you might ask? My website is finished!!!

AZPaintings is finally revamped and while there are a few things which need tweaking, basically it is there - hooray! :)

If you get a chance, do pay it a visit - accessible through the navigation bar above. I hope you will like it and find it easy to find your way around. Also, if you do notice any mistakes, please let me know!

Right, back to painting :) :) :)

Through The Eyes Of A Dog

Through The Eyes Of A Dog - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

This young dog was a stray - hard to believe of such a beautiful pup.  Now he is happy and safe in a loving home. Perhaps it is just as well dogs can't speak; I wonder what tales he would tell of the things he has seen  - and then I know I would rather not hear them.

When this painting is sold, a donation of 10% will be made to Noah's Bark. 

SOLD

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

My thanks to JDurham at Morguefile for the reference photograph

Christmas Is Coming!

Christmas Is Coming! by Anne Zoutsos - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

I don't think it will surprise those who know me that at Christmas time we hang stockings on the mantlepiece for our dogs!  Admittedly we don't leave them alone overnight with the dogs.........  In the painting here, Angel looks as though she is deciding what to put on her list for Father Christmas.  This particular stocking is one of my favourites - surprise, surprise! It is gorgeous and soft and Angel always wants to play with it, but as with a couple of other special Christmas Dalmatians, she is only allowed a gentle play under close supervision.

Look carefully at the top of the mantlepiece and see if you can 'spot' anything there.

This painting comes as a reminder that Christmas is rapidly approaching - especially for artists like myself for whom it is the busiest time of year, so if you are thinking about commissioning a painting, it will have to be soon!

My new website is nearly ready, so do check it out often as there will be a selection of prints and cards available to purchase.

SOLD

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

Reflections On The Peke Of Perfection

Reflections On The Peke Of Perfection - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

It's been difficult to find time for my 'daily' paintings lately owing to commissions and the fact that I'm updating my website.  However, I decided I had to make time to paint this sweet little expression and then have fun with the reflection and the title of the painting!  I hope you enjoy it.

When sold a donation of 10% will be made to Old Dog Haven from the profits

SOLD

Based on a photograph by Blackangel - http://www.flickr.com/photos/photo_blackangel/

German Shepherd portrait by Anne Zoutsos

Aspects  of Love at Jasueter- watercolour 16" x 20"

I expect some of you may wonder where I am when I am not posting any new paintings; well I'm painting commissioned works - that's right - I never stop painting!

Here is one which was sent off last week and I'm of course very happy that the owner is thrilled with it - well more than happy, I'm thrilled too :)  My paintings are my 'babies' and I only want them going to homes where they will be loved as much as I have loved creating them.

Sophie, featured above, was a much loved pet who also became a champion and foundation for the successful Jasueter German Shepherd Dogs and whose passing has left a great gap.

The Watcher In The Sun (Jack Russell Terrier)

The Watcher In The Sun (Jack Russell Terrier) - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

I think this painting gives a feeling of peace but not a sleepy sort of quiet but a watchful waiting for the return of a beloved owner.  I know that when I have been out for several hours without my dogs (not a frequent occurrence), when I get home, far from being rested, they are very tired. I know that they are not noisy when I am out so must presume that they are like the dog in this painting, patiently waiting and watching for my return.

What then of dogs who wait and whose owners never return?  I hate to think what they must go through.

When this painting is sold, a 10% donation from the profits will be made to Old Dog Haven whose website is well worth a visit.

SOLD

(as usual it hasn't been possible to get a totally accurate photo of the colours and tones in the painting but it is as accurate as I can get it!)


Based on the photograph by *etoile at Flickr

Reappearing Followers

Well I woke up this morning to find all your smiling faces back - hooray - nice to see you all again! 

Disappearing Followers

This is a note to my followers.

When I go to my dashboard, it tells me that I have 14 followers - hello all!  Unfortunately when I click on the link it is blank, just as it is on my page. 

I am sorry - I don't know the reason for it but on googling to try and find out why such a thing should happen, I found that it seems a very common problem.  I hope that it will maybe sort itself out but meanwhile I am thinking of switching over to Wordpress so we will have to see what happens.

If you can leave any comments, please do so :)

Shadow And Reflection Of A Jack Russell Terrier

Shadow And Reflection Of A Jack Russell Terrier - 7" x 5" (approx) oil on hardboard/masonite

More fun with shadows and reflections! Well, it is such a lovely sunny day here in Surrey, that it seemed only right that I should create a lovely sunny painting and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.

10% donation to Old Dog Haven - once sold

SOLD

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


Painting inspired by a photograph by Adventures of Pam & Frank at flickr