This beautiful girl is Persephone Dawn. I wanted to share her on Valentine’s Day because her reference photos came with the most heartwarming story of love and loss. It really moved me and I hope I’ve captured her for eternity for her Mom. It was important that her name be in the painting so look closely. Persephone Dawn, 8×10, Oil on Gessobord. Happy Valentine’s Day and hug your loved ones close today!
I have embarked on the weirdest and most exciting art project of my life! There is a senior dog sanctuary in middle Tennessee that I have been following on Facebook for some time now, http://oldfriendsseniordogs.com/. Last year they had artists from all over the world creating statues to be auctioned as a fundraiser. I decided to put my hat in the ring this year and made it in! There are also celebrities involved and my name falls on the spreadsheet between Clint Black/Lisa Hartman Black and Sheryl Crow! Pinch me now!!
My statue arrived 2 weeks ago. Wow, almost lifesize!! I was a little intimidated at first but dived right in.
I’m not going to reveal my theme just yet but some may guess already. I am so excited to be doing this. Check out the artists for this year http://www.dogartforoldfriends.org/ and if you’re in the Nashville area, buy some tickets for the gala or bid on one of the awesome statues and help support this wonderful sanctuary!!
Be sure to stay tuned for updates!!
2015 has started off with a bang! Usually things slow down after the Christmas rush. This year was different! I fell in love with the red couch she was reclining on. I’m sure the rest of my clients for the year will be equally as beautiful and I’m looking forward to a fantastic year! Bonnie (in memoriam), 8×10, Oil on Gessobord.
So often I’m asked to paint a beloved pet who has passed away. Some have been commissioned as gifts from loved ones, some from close friends and many are commissioned by the grieving owners. I hear stories of these wonderful furbabies and I grieve with each and every one. I’ve lost a few of my own over the years and I know how heart-wrenching it can be.
I’ve seen an increase this year, even painting a few who have been at the Rainbow Bridge for many years. It is an awesome feeling that I’m creating a memorial that will be cherished for years to come. With my art, I hope to bring a happy memory that might heal even a tiny part of a broken heart.
For those who have loved and lost, they are never really gone as long as you can remember them in your heart.
I fall in love with my clients. It’s as simple as that.
Sometimes people contact me to do a portrait of a pet that has passed away, some are gifts for others, sometimes they are just a gift to themselves. All of my clients have a special relationship with these cherished pets and I love hearing about them when they contact me. I’ve been told that I capture their souls. I hope that’s true because they have certainly captured mine. By the time I finish even the smallest paintings, I am in love.
I hope my clients don’t mind the hug they receive on delivery, even if it’s just virtual. Love was meant to be shared!
It’s been a very thought provoking week, the death of Robin Williams had a very profound effect on me. I know a bit what it’s like to struggle with depression. As an artist, and I am but a blip in the art world compared to Robin Williams, I know what it’s like to always be “on”. We are always thinking about the next work, trying to please a client, we live for the kudos we get and feel so let down by the world when we don’t get them. We put our heart and soul into every performance we put into the world. Something as simple a I think artists are extra sensitive people. There are exceptions, those artists that only perform for themselves and could care less what others think, I envy them. I live to make others happy and find my joy when I do. With all the work that Robin Williams put out, making so many of us happy for so many years, I can only imagine that he could not find his joy. It is heartbreaking to lose such a special person but my wish is that he will find his joy now.
WOW! I have been inundated with Christmas ornament orders already this year. Normally the insanity starts in late August or September. This year it started in January! They have come in groups as well. I just finished 7!! Shih Tzus for a fantastic customer. Whew! Here are some of the cuties I’ve already painted.
What do you see when you see a beautiful photograph? I see paintings. All day long, when I’m driving, when I’m scrolling thru Facebook or looking at the internet, beautiful paintings everywhere. Sometimes I wish I could turn it off as there are not enough hours in what’s left of my life to paint all the beautiful photographs I’d like to paint.This gorgeous Springer is Jamie, available thru English Springer Rescue America and I can’t wait to paint him!
What do you see? Take some time to really look each day at the beauty all around you!
