Leaping Belgian Malinois

I love this painting! It was a commission I just finished, so the original is sold. But, as usual, I have the image on other items at my website, www.wildwildthings.com.

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.

"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.)

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.

West Highland White Terrier Westie Dog

Well, I'm back to painting daily again -- and it feels good! Getting more confidence in my painting. This is a Westie, or West Highland White Terrier. I see why it's affectionately called a Westie with a long name like that! Anyway, it's acrylic on an 11x14x3/4" canvas, with the sides painted red, and is wired and ready to hang -- or frame if you wish. It's $200 plus shipping and is now available on my website, www.dottiedracos.com. I'm working on a couple of yorkies that'll be listed tomorrow and the next day.

Fergie

Meet Fergie. She's an English Springer Spaniel, and she's getting up in years but wearing them well. She'll be 13 this August. Her painting was a commission, so she's already sold; but I wanted to show her off because I really enjoyed painting her.

Schnauzer profile 8x10x1.5 inch Original Dog Art Painting by Dottie Dracos

I love this painting. Hey, I'm actually getting better -- I think! This painting was spontaneous, not a slavish copy of the photograph from which I painted it. I photoed the dog, whose name is Smoke, some months ago and finally got around to getting it painted. I've done a couple of paintings of Smoke before, but I think this is definitely my favorite. He's 8x10x1.5" acrylic on hardboard, $150. This painting has sold. http://www.dottiedracos.com/.

Cocker Spaniel Dog Art 8x10 Original Painting by Dottie Dracos

This painting -- finally -- is a composite of several photographs I've taken of a few cocker spaniels who come to visit me at Portland Saturday Market (I've become quite the popular one for dogs to visit. Honestly, I think they tell their parents that they want to come to visit me!) Anyway, I love this painting. My work is getting looser in one way and tighter in another. I like the direction I'm going -- for now, at least. There's one thing that bothers me a bit, though, that has nothing to do with my painting; rather, it's the base on which I'm painting, mdf wood. I love the texture of it and how transportable it is, but I have the feeling that it's sapping brightness from my paintings. Maybe it's just me and I need to work with brighter, warmer colors, but I get the feeling that I put the colors on brightly, and in an hour or two, they've lost a lot of their brilliance. The painting I'm doing today, an English bulldog portrait, I'm also using the wood, but this time I sealed it with a very fine coating of varnish between the pencil drawing and the initial color "laydown." (Is that a word????) We'll see if that makes a difference. Anyway, this painting, as usual, is for sale on my website. It's an 8x10x1.5 on wood, with painted wood sides, and it sells for $150.00. I also have clocks available, as usual.

Australian Shepherd Painting - Blue Merle

Well, I did get this painting finished today. I really, really enjoyed doing this one. It's again 8x10 acrylic paint on wood, with 1" black sides. It's for sale on my website for $150 plus shipping. www.dottiedracos.com

German Shorthaired Pointer painting

This is another painting I finished this past week. It's also 8x10x1.5 on wood, sides painted black. I think these are some of the most beautiful dogs to exist. And from having one of the best friends of my life be at least part GSP, I know what loving, intelligent dogs they are, too. This painting is available on my website, http://www.dottiedracos.com/, and sells for $150.00. Clocks are also available.

Australian Shepherd Painting - Tan

This is an Australian Shepherd that I just finished. I'm also working on a blue merle Australian shepherd that I should finish sometime today and will list just as soon as it's finished. This painting is an 8x10 with 1.5" black sides, acrylic painted on wood, and is available on my website for $150, plus shipping. Obviously, as usual, it's also available as a clock on my website, www.dottiedracos.com.

On another subject, does anyone read my blog??? If you do, please leave a comment just so I know someone is reading it. Sometimes I feel that I'm just writing a personal diary, one of those that no one else ever gets to read. But that's not the purpose of my blog. Its purpose is to share my artwork, try to make a living as a full-time artist, get feedback on my work, etc.

Affenpinscher Portrait

This is an affenpinscher, which from research I did, is probably of German origin, and means something like "monkey face," and AKC says its face ought to be somewhat "monkey-like," or words similar to that. I don't see it myself. I think it's just a really pretty little dog with a very cute little bottom lip. Anyway, it's 8x10 on hardboard, with 1.5" black inset sides added for hanging. It sells for $150 and is available on my website.

A really, really special beagle painting

I loooove this painting! Sometimes paintings just don't seem to work for me. This one was an exception; the paint just jumped from the brush to the canvas! It's 24x36" acrylic on canvas, 1"-deep black lath-framed, and sells for $500.00, plus shipping. I've also attached a copy of one of my clocks that I make from prints of my paintings. All my clocks are $20 each, plus shipping. All my items are for sale on my website, http://www.dottiedracos.com/.

Rottweiler and Tennis Ball

This is a painting I recently finished and really enjoyed. It's not for sale except as a clock because I painted it simply on heavy paper. It was a difficult painting for me, but I think I learned a great deal by doing it. Hope you enjoy it.

Boston Terrier

I love this one! I just finished it last night. It's for sale, so here are the details on it. It's 24x30x3/4" acrylic on canvas, with the image extending around the sides, so a frame is not necessary if you don't want one. It's $400.00 plus $12.00 shipping.

A Mighty Bright Corgi Portrait

Here's one of the brightest paintings I've done of a Corgi named Pun'kin. She was a commission so is already sold. She's 9x12" acrylic on canvas, and she's available as a print or as a clock on my website, www.dottiedracos.com.

A recently completed commission - Bowzer

Here's Bowzer, a beautiful lab. He was painted on for me a rather large canvas, 24x30". He was a wonderful model, I think. He's already sold, but he's available as a clock on my website, www.dottiedracos.com.

For the next few weeks, in addition to completing more commissioned paintings, I'll be doing a separate group of what I hope are really fun paintings for a little showing at a great coffee shop here in Beaverton, OR, the Iron Mutt. It should be fun; they'll all be for sale. And some of the proceeds from the sales go to area animal shelters, such as Bonnie Hayes, where we adopted our most recent family member, our pomeranian, Harry P. Barker, Harry for short.