I Get By With a Little Help From My Glasses

I finally (FINALLY) got around to doing a painting of my parents' dog, Peppy.  Peppy passed away last year shortly before Christmas, and has been missed by everyone.  Everyone except Lucy :)

8 x 10 acrylic on canvas

I was a little late getting this done for Christmas...day one of the painting was on Dec. 23rd.  I didn't have my glasses with me and it was off to a horrible start.  So awful I wanted to cry and throw it out.  So awful that it was embarassing.  So awful that it was just too funny. 

I probably would have completed it in time for Christmas if not for feeling it was a lost cause but today I jumped back in and, for the most part, fixed it.  I'm still not thrilled with the muzzle area and want to tweak that, but it's tad better than it looked on Sunday:

Day One - UGH!

Day Two (detail)



Just Playin'

Having fun with colour and texture.  Drippy texture.

I've Been Avoiding Murphy

I forced myself to get back to him tonight.  He's coming along, although I'm worried that I'm overworking things.  Just trying to keep enjoying it all as a learning experience...


 

As of the end of today - hopefully not too much longer!

Murphy...Getting There

I've added some colour to make Murphy more fun.  At the last moment I added the golden yellow here and there and I'm wishing I hadn't.  Overall I'm happy with the way he's turning out, and hoping that he'll be done after my next visit to the studio.  Maybe the visit after the next visit...

Another Hour With Murphy

Not as productive as the first hour, in fact I had a really tough time just getting myself to put paint on the pallette...I didn't know how to get back into it even though I'd been looking forward to it all day!

 

I keep going back and forth on doing dark colours for the underneath, and then putting the lighter fur on top, and that's making it a bit fussy and muddy.  I think I need to hold back a bit and get all of the "under colours" done.  It's all a learning process, and I've got much to learn.

 

I've decided to get a bit more colourful with him.  His Mom has described him as quite the character, so I think he deserves to have a few fun splashes in there.  I just hope I can keep it loose and fun!

$2.3 Million Dollars Raised!

...and I'm proud to have been a part of it!

 

Last night was the 4th Annual True Patriot Love Foundation's Tribute Dinner.  I knew people who were at the event, and they sent me the photos below. 

 

His ears needed to be perked up a bit, but I like the way they tilted his head :)

 

My First Hour with Murphy

I started this one tonight...decided to take photos along the way:

 

 

 



Acrylic on canvas...20 x 20, I think





Then and Now

Here's something old: an unfinished piece from the late 80's.  I've got no desire to go back to it so I'm leaving it the way it is.  To me it's been finished for a long time now, and I'm actually very happy with it this way .

The Pony is my favourite part - still have him and the bear somewhere

Here's the promise I have for something new...the "Now".  I have big hopes for this.  It's a studio space that I'm renting for the winter to see if it will help me kick start myself to get painting in my spare time.  Much more than I have been.  I'm trying not to hope for miracles, but you never know...nothing wrong with having high hopes for yourself!

 

First things first though - I need to finish moving in...

I Can Hear Clearly Now, My Ears Are On

Done! 

Since starting this project I wondered how I could get 3D ears on this little guy, but nothing workable came to mind.  Papier mache, plastic, modelling clay...anything I thought of, I was better able to imagine how it wouldn't work: they would crack, be too heavy, tear easily, break/fall off.  Last night at the eleventh hour a friend suggested using fabric. 

Why hadnt I thought of that?!?!?  I'd been having such a difficult time painting them, and he looked so bald...it was the perfect solution!

I grabbed an old pair of jeans, and after figuring out the basic shape and size with paper, started cutting.  After that, I painted on a coat of white acrylic and shaped them as best as I could, then laid them out to dry overnight...hoping they would "set up" well enough to work.



Test run - tacked on before painting or gluing

Fortunately, they did, and so I carried on today adding coat after coat of paint, gluing them on with a glue gun and then a few coats of Mod Podge (love that stuff!)

Stuffed paper in ears to help them keep their form while drying



Now he's just hanging out to dry...upside down so help the ears keep from sagging down too much.  Fingers crossed he'll be okay to pack up and ship to True Patriot Love Foundation tomorrow for their 4th annual tribute dinner/fundraiser on November 1st!

Finished Face





The "collar" - at the back/base of the helmet



Now I just need to figure out the ears

Another Hour of Bullying

Here's my Bully with another hour of painting.
I'm about half done now...having some trouble figuring out how to do the ears/side and back of the head though...

 

 

 

 

 

Struggling with this side the most - need to figure out how to do a studded collar

 

Procrastinating. Again.

I should be painting my helmet but I'm struggling to get at it, so am just going to post a few things I've done over the past few years.
Just a few canvases with some colour on them.  Paintings that I thought were just the start of something that would turn into something else, yet they remain as they are ... and I'm happy with how they look where I've got them hanging so the way they are now is likely the way they shall remain.



8"x 8" acrylic on canvas



30"x 30" acrylic on canvas

 

24"x 24" acrylic on canvas

Finally Able to Add Photos Again!

Hoping to feel inspired to finish it this weekend.  Once I get at it I'm usually pretty good and can make some quick progress, but getting started...well that's another story!  Here's my "Nice Bully" so far:

Rough "sketch" - done several weeks ago (without reference photos)

Front - after about an hour of painting



Left side - may raise upper lip so that lower jaw/teeth can be added in

Nice Bully

I finally got my helmet started for this year's True Patriot Love Foundation dinner/silent auction:
Now if only Blogger would allow me to post my photos!  Grrr....

Two days later and I still can't find the icon for adding images...guess you'll just have to use your imagination until I can figure this out!

SOLD!

Yay - my chair sold on the first day (and I'm thrilled)!

Swing by the display at Sherway Gardens if you have a chance between now and Father's Day to check out the display.  There are some fantastic chairs up for auction this year...several that I would buy if I had a place to put them!!!

A Purrfect Day for a Picnic

Finished and delivered for the silent auction that starts
Friday, June 1st at Sherway Gardens.

Feels SO good to be done! 

 

...a 4-leaf clover for good luck...





Closing In on the Finish Line

 

I'm not sure about the stripes on Frank,
and I need to give Merle some toes...



...but I must admit I'm happy with the gingham effect