Boston Terrier Portrait on Red/Yellow Background

Wow, I'm on a roll! This is a little guy I just completed today. The same as the previous painting, I was attending a little art show in Corvallis, OR, around I think May 2. Again, I asked permission to photograph this boy so I could do a painting of him. So if this is your little guy down in Corvallis, here's his painting! I really, really enjoyed painting this one.

English Bulldog Looking Up

I think this little boy/girl is absolutely precious. I didn't get her/his name - I just asked permission to photograph him/her for a painting at a little show I attended recently. So if this is your little guy, I was at the Sunday Market in Hillsboro, OR, around May 10, I think. I don't even know if it's a male or female; but whatever it is, s/he is a sweetheart.

Alaskan Malamute Portrait

I just finished this painting last evening. Hope you like it. As usual, it's listed on my website, www.wildwildthings.com

Schipperke Profile Portrait

This is a handsome little schipperke, named Flash, whom I was allowed to photograph at a recent art show. His dad hasn't seen the painting yet, so I hope he sees this posting as I've lost his contact info!

It was a pleasure painting him, and he can also be seen, along with the pendants, etc., that I make, on my website, www.wildwildthings.com.

Black Flat-Coated Retriever

This is one of my all-time favorite paintings. I feel I really got this beauty pretty well, and I just love the soft coat of this breed. The original, 8x10", is still available on my website, as are my pendants and earrings.

I was also contacted today about doing a liver-colored flat-coated retriever, which I'll be doing in just a few more weeks, after I finish up some other commitments first. This breed was unknown to me until fairly recently, and I think it is an absolutely beautiful breed. I can't wait to see how the liver-colored one turns out.

My Own Rhodesian Ridgeback of Long Ago

This is a painting of my own precious, precious dog. It's even hard to this day for me to talk about her, so I won't say much at all. Her name was Labua, and she was one the sweetest dogs I've ever had the privilege to share a few years of my life. That's enough.

Borzoi Portrait

This is a painting I did of one of the borzoi's owned by a friend of mine. They're beautiful dogs, I think. I have another photo she sent me that I'll be doing before too long of one of her other pups, who's standing in a pond - a very elegant pose. I think it'll be on a large canvas, though.

Today I'm working on another cat: My cat, actually, whose name is Eliza Doolittle. She's a beautiful and very, very sweet slightly plump calico kitty, who's about five years old now. We adopted her when she was one, and she was so overweight at the time that when she lay on her side, her legs stuck out in the air. She's still "big-boned" but a much more reasonable weight now. She and our three little dogs all get along very well, except our pomeranian/pekingese mix torments her mercilessly, and she just complains and jumps out of his reach. What a sweetheart she is.

Well, I got way off the topic of the borzoi painting, but it was at the same time a reasonable segue in tomorrow's (or the next day's) painting, anyway.

"Furball," the Cat

I am sooooo proud of this painting! I was afraid to do cats because I thought they would be really difficult after all the dog paintings I've done - but believe it or not, it was actually easier! Probably because cats (well, this one anyway) have so much hair! Anyway, this cat is a donation for a fundraiser for the Feral Cat Coalition here in Portland - hope it raises lots of money for them. It was a cat I saw sitting on a porch in my neighborhood. I think s/he was enjoying the rare pretty day we were having that day. I'll have prints of it on pendants and earrings; and if you live around Portland, OR, and want to go bid on it, check with them and find out exactly when their auction is going to be - and let me know if you win it, too!

Bearded Collie Pup named Romeo

Isn't this one precious? His name is Romeo, and he's a bearded collie. He's sold, but you can get his image on my pendants or earrings (or clocks and prints, although I'll be phasing both of those out over time - just don't have time or space to make so many different items.)

Okay, a personal request: I have no idea how many people are reading my blog -- occasionally, I get a comment from someone, but it's a rare occurrence. Also, I'm a little internet-challenged sometimes, and I can't figure out how to include - easily - a "hit counter" on my blog. If you read it, look at the pics, etc., would you mind dropping me a note sometime to let me know that there are some of you out there reading my writings? I feel sometimes as if I'm speaking into a completely dark auditorium, and I don't know if there's anyone out there listening or if I'm just talking to an empty room. I love sharing what I know, what I'm doing, etc., but I don't want just to be talking for the sake of talking if no one is listening. Okay, nuf said.

Baby Goat

Okay, yes, it isn't a dog. But I do paint other things from time to time - and hope to do so more in the future. In fact, at this moment, I'm working on a painting of a cat that is going to be auctioned off to raise money for the Feral Cat Coalition here in Portland, to help these poor creatures out as much as can possibly be done.

This goat was another photo submitted to me, so I painted it! I think he's a pretty little guy, and the original of him is still for sale at my website if you're interested. He's another 8x10 on mdf wood, and I'll add the black 1.5" sides at no extra cost.

"Marbles," a Mixed Breed Beauty

Oh, my, where has the time gone??? I can't believe I've been so terribly remiss at posting my latest paintings on my blog. Well, I'll try to make up for lost time. Please excuse me if I mistakenly repeat a few posts as I'm trying to catch up. I'll try not to, though.

This painting was of a dog someone submitted to me and which I couldn't resist painting, even if I probably would never sell a single print - or original - of it. The person who submitted the photo chose to buy just a pendant, which was fine.

Anyway, it was a pleasure painting her, and her original is still available at my website.

Shih Tzu Cream and Pekingese Puppy

A couple of new paintings today, although one was finished yesterday.

Both paintings were created from photos submitted to me by customers. As usual, they were under no obligation to buy anything at all, and I was under no obligation to them, either. However, I created the paintings, notified them, and they may buy whatever they wish, or nothing. I, on the other hand, have two new wonderful paintings to sell and use the images for the other items I make and sell from my original paintings (such as prints, clocks, pendants, earrings, etc.)

Another Dog Painting I just Finished - a Corgi - with a Ferret!

This is a commissioned dog painting I just finished right before Christmas. It was a Christmas present from a client for his wife. It includes both their beloved corgi and one of their several also beloved pet ferrets. It was such a pleasure to do this painting - and difficult, too! I had no idea how tiny little ferret's feet were! Obviously, it's already sold, but I wanted to show it off anyway.
I've mentioned it before, and I'll do so again. If you don't feel you can afford a commissioned painting, I do have another option. I don't promise you that I'll paint your pet; but if you want to take a chance, send me very good, clear, well-lit, etc., photos of your pet; and if it's something I like and think I can sell prints of as either a print alone or as an image on a clock or on my very popular pendants and earrings, send the images to me, along with a letter, giving your pet's name, age, and any other important information. When - and if -- I paint your pet, I will email you when the painting is finished and published on my website and on this blog. Most all paintings done in this manner are 8x10's, and the original sells for $100 plus shipping. After I notify you, you have one week in which to purchase the original if you wish. But you have no obligation to purchase anything at all, though -- nada, nothing, rien -- well, you get the idea. The upside for you, obviously, is you can buy a really low-cost original painting of your pet, or a print, or a clock or a pendant, or nothing, but can see your pet's painting online anytime you wish. The downside is that I can't promise you I'll do a painting of your pet (but I really, really try to get to them all), and I give you nothing free in return. The upside for me is that I get to paint yet another beautiful animal and then I also own all rights to the painting once I've painted it. You're more likely to get your pet painted if: number one, it's a dog; number two, it's a specific dog breed; number three, the photos are clear enough for me to use; it's a popular breed of dog; it's a really, really cute pose of your dog, etc. I think you get the idea. If you're interested and need more info, just email me at dottie@wildwildthings.com and I'll give you even more info. If you want just to take a chance, then send me your photos to me at that email address (at least 100Kb, by the way, each). I promise you I'll email you when the painting is done. Okay, nuf said. Hope everyone is having a wonderful, wonderful Holiday Season. I know I am!!

American Bulldog with Yellow Ball

This is a sweet little painting I did yesterday for someone who submitted her photo, hoping I would find the time to do a painting of her dog. I did. And it was a pleasure to do so. I do try to paint all the images submitted to me, and I let the person who submitted the photo(s) know when I've finished the painting and it's listed on my website. Of course, I make paintings of those photos that, one, are very well composed; two, have an adorable dog (or cat or whatever) in them; and, three, (sorry, but I have to make a living) those that I think I'll sell either the original, prints, clocks, or prints on my pendants/earrings. If you wish to submit photos to me, keep those three thoughts in mind. There's no obligation either to you -- or to me, but again, I do my very best to make paintings of as many of the photos submitted as I can. This little pup's image is on my website, www.wildwildthings.com, available as either an original, a print, a clock, or on a pendant or earrings.

Black and White Chihuahua - "Roo"

This is one of my favorite paintings in a while -- well, I say that pretty often, don't I. There was something about this one, though; it almost painted itself. It didn't hurt that the dog, Roo, is absolutely perfect. Anyway, I did him for a customer, so he's already sold.

I love my "work" more and more every day. And when I'm not painting, I'm thinking about whatever painting(s) I have in progress. I don't "just paint." I plan, look at problematic areas and search for solutions and study, study, study my subject. Some might say too much, but it's how I function. This little fellow, I did several drawings of him first, including one where I studied only broad value areas, using the several different photos sent to me by his adoptive mom. He seems to me to be quite shy, judging from his interactions with people in the photos, so I wanted to convey that shyness, too, in the painting. ---- Well, I'm going on a bit. I'll just say again, he was a great pleasure to paint!