Another Maggie

This is Maggie, a cute Yorkie I've been painting over the past week. This is actually the 2nd Maggie I've painted in a row. I painted her in pastel (sticks and pencils) on Ampersand Pastelbord.

 

This painting was a challenge for me because my wrist has been bothering me a lot. After the last 2 pet portraits I did I was experiencing a lot of pain. I fear that it's carpal tunnel. I've been trying to rest it as best I can, and have been wearing a support. Hopefully I can avoid any kind of surgery, but ultimately I'll do what I need to. I have to be able to paint! :)

 

I hope you all have a great week!

Heidi - Custom Pet Portrait

"Heidi" - Custom Pet Portrait in Pastel

I've been working on this cute pet portrait for the past few days. Luckily the customer supplied me with a great reference photo (which makes my job a lot easier). It was a pleasure to paint this beautiful dog. I did tweak the painting a bit after scanning it, but you get the general idea.

The customer actually commissioned me to do 2 pet portraits so I am starting the second one today. Another beautiful Golden Retriever.

I hope you have a great week! Please send me your good vibes, I have an interview for an internship on Thursday! :)

Sphinx - Custom Pet Portrait

"Sphinx" - Custom Pet Portrait

I've been working on this pet portrait for the past few days and it's finally complete. I have to say that I'm very pleased with the way that it turned out. I was a bit more loose with the cat than I would normally be. I applied the pastel to the face and then blended it. I really liked the effect that I achieved in doing that. I think the cat looks more soft than other portraits that I've done.

"Sphinx" is a surprise birthday gift and I hope the recipient is pleased. :)

Have a great day!

Frank

"Frank" 8 by 10, Custom Pet Portrait in Pastel

I've been working on this custom pet portrait for the past couple days and he's finished! I felt a bit rusty because I haven't painted in pastel in a couple months, but I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out.

I've been very busy with quilting things and still working on that huge addition to my business! I'll blog about that soon.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!!

Item of the Week & Special Offer

"In The Garden" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

I brought this kitty back from the gallery this weekend and he's now available in my Etsy shop. As this week's item-of-the-week this painting is being offered at a discount price of $45 with free shipping.

I have a few collectors of my original cat paintings, and at $45-$55 they're very reasonably priced. I have a few other original kitties available on my website too.

I'm also having a cigar box sale. If you purchase any box you will receive a reduced price box for free. Also, if you "like" my art page on Facebook I will send you a free hand painted cigar box with any purchase. These offers are supposed to end this Sunday, but I may extend it.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Goliath - Commissioned Pet Portrait

"Goliath" - Commissioned Pet Portrait, 8 by 10

I've been working the past few days on this pet portrait. A customer requested this painting as a gift for her sister. I was a bit nervous before starting it because the right side of the dog (in the reference photo) was mostly in shadow. It didn't look bad in the photo, I just wasn't sure I was going to be able to render it the way I wanted to with paint. But, I am very pleased with the way that it turned out. The scan isn't perfect, but the original looks great.

If you're interested in a custom pet portrait, just check out my Etsy page. I offer 3 different sizes and I think the prices are very reasonable.

Off to plan my next painting! :)

Bird Watching

"Bird Watching" 5 by 7, Pastel Painting

Available Here

I have to start out this post by thanking Nancy Rose again for allowing me to use one of her beautiful photographs as a reference. Thank you Nancy!

I've been going back and forth between pastels and watercolors and I'm really enjoying it. I definitely want to dedicate some more time to painting animals in pastel so I have a pile of photos ready.

This sweet little kitty was painted on pastelbord with pastel sticks and pencils. It's available in my Etsy shop if you're interested.

Don't forget about the "Painting a Day" event that Laura Trevey is hosting on her blog this month. It's almost over! Click here if you're interested in sharing your work.

Custom Pet Portraits

I'm officially offering custom pet portraits. I so enjoy painting animals and would be happy to create a lasting memory of your beloved pet.

The portrait will be done from your photograph(s). So you will need to find your favorite photo or take one that captures your pets personality and character. Photos are very important to this process. The quality of the portrait depends on the quality of the photo. Here are a few tips for capturing a good image of your pet:

- Take the photo at the eye level of your pet. Don't take it from above or below.

-Light is important. Try taking the photo with your pet near a window with light coming in, if indoors, or outdoors. Natural light is best.

- Don't take the photo too close.

- Take a bunch of photos so you will have several to choose from.

After you have chosen the photographs you can email them to me or send them by mail (they will be returned to you) along with any requirements that you have.

Your pet portrait will be painted in pastel on acid free and archival paper or board with the finest quality pastels. Pastels on archival surfaces will hold their color for centuries without fading, cracking, or yellowing as other mediums do.

To purchase you can either view my Etsy shop, or contact me via email (angela292@hotmail.com).

Prices:

5 by 7 Pet Portrait - $75 + shipping

8 by 10 Pet Portrait - $100 + shipping

11 by 14 Pet Portrait - $125 + shipping

If you're interested a different size than listed above, contact me for a quote.

Please note that these prices are for one pet. If you wish to have multiple pets in one painting there will be an additional charge.

I will ask for 2-3 weeks to complete your painting.

Also note that framing isn't included, but available at an additional cost if you're interested.

You are certainly not obligated to purchase the final painting if you are unhappy with it.

Payment is due when the painting is complete. I may ask for a nonrefundable deposit before I begin.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

Maverick

"Maverick" 11 by 14, Pastel Painting Commission

SOLD

My first pet portrait commission is complete! Maverick was just a joy to paint. I was a little nervous about this because the customer wanted an 11 by 14 and the largest I've ever painted a pet portrait is a 5 by 7. But it turned out not to be a big deal, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

Maverick was completed on pastelbord and with mostly Mount Vision pastels and a few pastel pencils.

If you're interested in a pet portrait of our own, just let me know. I will be working on some pet portrait commission listings to add to my Etsy shop also.

Have a nice afternoon!

Maverick Update 2 & 3

This is Maverick, the little sweetie I've been commissioned to paint. I gave the first update on him yesterday.
Here is update number 2. I finished the background and completed the eyes and nose. I always begin the actual portrait with the eyes. The eyes bring the animal to life, and if I can get them right, the rest of the portrait seems to come together nicely.

Here is update number 3. I put in an initial layer of pastel all over. I always like to fill in the tooth of the board first because then I am able to achieve finer lines and details.

I know he doesn't look like much now, and please excuse the poor quality of the images. All paintings reach what I call the "yuck" stage and that's probably how I would describe where I am at. Something we have to keep in mind is that painting is a progress and you have to be able to envision the end result. I think this is especially difficult for non artists.

I hope to finish this today or tomorrow so stay tuned! :)

Maverick Update 1

This is Maverick. He's the sweetie that I've been commissioned to paint. The customer requested progress photos so I thought I would also share them with you.

This is the original photograph. I decided to keep the background because I like the sunlight.
This isn't the greatest photo, but you get the idea. I started the background today and I probably won't do too much more to it. A lot of it will be covered with his wispy hairs off his face. I feel so terrible for Maverick and his owners because he has a brain tumor and suffers from seizures (and he's 14 years old). As a "mom" of two puppies of my own, this just breaks my heart. But I am happy that I can create this lasting memory for his owners.