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 

Save Lennox

Please watch this video and then I urge you to sign the petition to save an innocent dog's life. Just click here: Save Lennox

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

Rottweiler dog

"Dark Guardian" - 7" x 5" oil on hardboard/masonite

I may well not be working on many small paintings in the future as I am planning to concentrate on creating some larger wildlife paintings alongside my commissions. I've had this painting nearly completed for a while now and so just added the finishing touches to it yesterday.

Anne

info@azpaintings.com

Website down

Just a quick note to say that I see my website has gone down. It is too late to look into it tonight, so I shall have to leave it until tomorrow when I will hopefully get it back online. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Anne

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 #2

Dalmatian - Dyson 20" x 16" oil on canvas

Following on from yesterday's post about Dyson, you'll remember I said I had painted two portraits of him. Today I am showing you the full body portrait of this lovely boy. I hope you like it.

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!!

Merry Christmas!

I would like to wish everyone 

a Very Merry Christmas!

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.

Dalmatians - The Night Before Christmas (WIP)

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

As those of you who read my blog will know, after a hard day's work of painting portrait commissions, I like to relax in the evening by painting! This is my present painting - very much a work in progress at the moment and of course I can only work on it in the evenings. 

When the painting is finished it will be offered for sale and once sold I will make a donation from the profits to Dalmatian Rescue of Puget Sound. I have been very impressed indeed with this rescue and in fact all the Dalmatian rescues along the West Coast of the USA that I know of seem to co-ordinate very well in rescuing the, what appears to me, inordinately large number of abandoned Dalmatians. I hope you'll take the time to visit their site - although if you do, you'll probably get hopping mad as I do seeing the attitude so many people have towards their pets.  I must point out that the Dalmatians in this painting are much loved pets and belong to the photographer, Suzi Wahl who kindly gave me permission to use her photograph as reference for my painting.

Christmas is now very definitely in the air and as the Dogs Trust in the UK say - A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas!! (I would also like to add that the Dogs Trust never destroy a healthy dog - hooray!)

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

Christmas card - Dalmatian

Baby It's Cold Outside - Christmas cards 

As I can't post my present paintings as that is what they are - sorry for the pun; they are commissioned as Christmas presents - I will be posting a sample of Christmas cards instead and I hope they will get you in a Christmassy mood and maybe even spur you to getting your shopping done early this year. In this, I would say don't follow my example as I can every year be seen flying around the shops at the last possible moment but even so, enjoying the lovely decorations, Christmas music and hustle and bustle (actually I love it!)

If you want any further information (about paintings not shopping!!) please email me at info@azpaintings.com

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.

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