German Shepherd Profile

And last for today -- but definitely not least!! - is this German Shepherd painting I did just two days ago.  Now, I feel that I'm really starting to change.  I feel that I captured the "shepherdness" of this dog (her name is Zoey, and I'm doing another painting of her as a commission for her mom) but gave her a lot, lot more life than many of my more serious paintings had (in my opinion), and yet with the bright background, gave her some playfulness, too, without taking away from her beauty at all.  Again, this painting makes me smile.  I would hang this one in my living room even if I didn't have a German shepherd, just because I like the looks of the painting.  That's a good thing.  I like this direction.  I dooooooo hope I keep it up (fingers crossed -- much too tightly!). 

I'm currently working on a really, really hard painting:  a brindle pug.  I've had a few pretty good paintings over the past few ones, and now I'm nervous.  Can I keep up the momentum of change?  Or will I choke?  Seriously, this becoming the best painting I can is the hardest endeavor I've ever, ever taken on in my whole life -- and I've taken on some doozy challenges, I promise you.  They all pale in comparison to this one. 

What do you think about my new direction?   

Another Pretty Kitty Cat!

Okay, this little kitty painting just makes me smile.  Could I have worked on it for weeks more?  Sure thing.  But I resisted!  And I'm happy with it.  Makes me smile - big time!  That's a good thing.  Hope it made you smile, too.

Just a reminder of my daughter's facebook page for us again:  http://facebook.com/larkstudios.
(Oh, a quick note about the facebook name she chose:  Often in error, I would be talking about my daughter and her husband and call them "Lark" by mistake (Lara, and her husband, Mark).  Now, it's become a bit of a family joke, and the collective name has stuck.  They are now Lark - much easier than Lara and Mark, don't you think?  Now, how are we going to include my precious little almost-four-month-old granddaughter's name into the mix?  (Her name is Elena).

Shiba Inu portrait

Wow, I had no idea I had not posted on my blog in such a long time!  I've got a lot of paintings to catch up on.  I'm afraid I've missed a few, but they're all on my website  (http://www.wildwildthings.com/) if you absolutely must see every single one.  I always list them on my home page just as soon as they're done. 

This is a shiba inu portrait, still just coming out of my "dark days."  I'm pretty happy with this one.  I didn't feel the need (well, I might have felt the need, but I resisted!!!) to put in every single hair on ths one.  That's a good thing!

Shar Pei Puppy portrait

Another painting, a shar pei puppy, as I'm coming out of my "dark days."  This one was really, really difficult for me.

My daughter has also started a facebook page for my/our paintings (she does paint, too, from time to time.  I wish she did it more!)  Check it out if you have the time.  It's http://www.facebook.com/larkstudios.  She also gives a bit more info on where our original works can be seen/purchased, what we're up to in general (Too much info in my opinion!  But, hey, I'm from a different era, I guess.) 

Miniature Pinscher, Minpin, with Pillows

This beautiful black-and-tan miniature pinscher, "minpin" or "min pin," is one of the next paintings to come out of my "dark days" that I described in the previous entry.  I'm trying to get them (the paintings) out in pretty much the order that they occurred, and I think you can see the changes occurring in my work these days.  Who knows where I'll end up?  But, wow, is the "trip" challenging, exciting, the hardest work I think I've ever done, FUN!, SCARY, SCARIER!!!, horrifying, but thrilling, exhilirating, frightening, FUN, and finally, I hope rewarding and pleasing to both you, my viewer, and me, the creator/painter. 

The original is still available.

Border Terrier Face

I've been working a lot lately, going through some difficult times with my work and not producing much.  I can't explain exactly what was going on, but I knew I was going in a direction that I wasn't especially happy with in my work -- too "photo-realistic, not grabbing me and making me  - and you - smile the way I like.  (There's just enough negative or even neutral in this world these days that I want my work to help bring even just a bit of cheer into our lives.)  So, anyway, I've been working away, really hard actually, but not able to get off that path I had started going down -- well, I think I finally have started forging a new path for myself.  I expect you're going to be seeing some  - for me, anyway - exciting changes in my work in the future.  I made the hurdle!!!!

This piece is the first to come out after my few weeks of wrenchingly hard work - with almost nothing to show for it - except in my head, of course, where lots, lots, lots was going on!  This is a border terrier, and the original as well as prints and pendants are available on my website.  There'll be other images to follow in short succession after this one until I am current again. 

a Jersey Cow - Holy Cow! Where am I going with this??? Having fun, tho'

Wow, I needed this!!  It is soooooo refreshing to be able to paint something besides my beloved dogs.  Please don't get me wrong:  I still love painting dogs, and I love dogs.  I just was in desperate need of a break! 

It also shows me how very hard dogs are to paint -- in my humble opinion, that is.  They have awfully complicated faces, with very distinct bone structures, which in addition to hair color, length, degree of straightness, etc., vary  from dog breed to dog breed.  But, hey, they're beautiful beings, whom I love dearly. 

I don't know yet what I'll be painting tomorrow, whether it'll be a dog or yet another farm animal.  But, again, I promise I'll be getting back to dogs soon.

Great Dane Portrait "What, Me Worry?"

Here's another acrylic painting I just finished.  It's obviously a Great Dane, fawn in color, that I photographed (with permission) at the Portland Saturday Market in Portland, OR, this past autumn.  He was a real sweetheart and posed very nicely for me for quite a few photos.  Maybe later when I have more time, I'll do another painting of him.  The painting is available for sale.  It is on a 16x20" canvas, on 3/4"-deep sides, painted same as the background, staples only on the back side, wired and ready to frame or hang as is.   The price is $250.00, plus shipping.

This painting, along with many others I've done, will also be shown between the days of January 20 to 24 at the Rose City Classic Dog Show, so there's a possibility it will sell at that time.  So if you're interested in it, please be sure to contact me before the show.   Oh, and if you're at the show, please stop by and introduce yourself; I would love to meet those who follow my work.

Maltese in Afternoon Sunlight

This is a sweet little maltese commission I finished recently.  His name is Bentley, and he's a beauty.

I'm taking a short break from doing commissioned paintings, probably until around the first of March, 2010.  Commissions are a bit stressful, just because I want so much to do the best I can do for the client, so from time to time, I need a break so I can "loosen up" a bit.  So be looking out for what I hope is some looser work for the next couple of months.

I'm currently working on a giant schnauzer, a black pug (for which I get requests ALL the time! and I'm finally taking the time to paint one), and our own little black-and-tan Cavalier King Charles spaniel, named Sammy.  He's an adorable puppy of five months at this time and is a real challenge for our other three older dogs, Higgins, the shih tzu; my precious Harry Barker, the pomeranian; and Casey, the rat terrier mix.  So I'll be listing those very soon.  And then who knows what I'll do.  Maybe a few non-dog paintings????  Sounds fun!

But first:  I have a big dog show, the Rose City Classic, here in Portland, OR, which starts, I think, on January 18 - more exact details later - that I'll be attending to show off (and hopefully sell) my paintings, prints, and pendants.  I have a LOT of work to do before the show, so at least for now I'll be doing dog paintings only.  Wish me luck!

Alaskan Malamute Portrait

I'm just going to try to list a few items over the next couple of weeks to catch my blog up. I've been listing regularly on my website but completely forgot to be listing here.

This is a painting I did probably a few months ago; I don't remember exactly when. I still have the original. It's 8x10 on 1/8" wood, and I'll be happy to add 1.5" sides to it, painted black, all for $75.00. Contact me if you want to buy it. Prints, etc., are also available on my website, www.wildwildthings.com

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.

"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!

"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.

A Beautiful Chihuahua, one of Four I'm doing for a Customer

This is Biscuit. She's a beautiful tan and white chihuahua, one of three other chihuahua "siblings" in a loving family. Her painting will be followed by the other three as soon as I can get to them. As usual, this time of year is becoming really, really busy. Prints, pendants, and earrings bearing her image are available on my website, www.wildwildthings.com.