Latest Portrait - Mabel the Terrier.It was lovely to paint the characterful and gorgeous Mabel, but also sad as the commissioner had to say goodbye to her recently. Its always hard painting dogs after they have gone, really makes me determined to try and capture their essence and create something permanent that will always be around.
I have to add what the commissioner said about Mabel as I thought it conjured up the character beautifully - “She was a little toad, snappy, stubborn, full of character  and incredibly funny”.
So here’s to you Mabel, thank you for being a delight to paint.
Oil on canvas 10x10in, background olive green.

Latest Dog painting - Two labradors, Tosca & AidaI was quite literally staring into the mouths of these two lab girls, as you can see from the size of my head compared to theirs! but its a pleasure to paint such happy dogs. 
I’ve shown a work in progress shot from early on in the painting, as you can see I always block the colouring in really quickly, trying to cover the canvas so I can get a sense of life appearing in the picture, I always want to get the eyes in early on, so I can make that connection with the dog. Its a great feeling as you sense the portrait coming to life! I think I even start talking to them!! then its a case of building up the layers, tweaking bits etc.

“Jumping Jack” - New Charcoal Drawing

I rely on many things throughout the day, laptop, digital camera, most things by email, lots of machines! So its very refreshing when I get to pick up those simple, burnt little black charcoal sticks, heave a big sigh of relief and get on with a drawing.

Paint My Dog News!Its a real treat when you find a kindred spirit. So it has been fantastic to be the current Featured Artist at the Dogs In Art Gallery in Stockbridge UK. They have a fantastic gallery space filled with drawings, sculptures and paintings of dogs. I thought I was perhaps a little crazy 10 years ago when I obstinately decided to paint dogs,  I often got comments of “do you only paint dogs”, so its fantastic to have a gallery that is also dedicated to the dog, and know I’m not so mad after all!

The curator has a talent for seeking out the unusual - take a look at the cardboard bulldog below!
Have a look at my featured artist page there - http://www.dogsinart.com/featured-artist/
and you can get updated of new artists via http://www.facebook.com/#!/dogsinart

Latest portrait - Charcoal of Butch the Schnauzer

Latest dog portrait - the black labradorAnother girl! This is Millie, a very lovely black lab. She has rather refined features, and is a beautifully sensitive, gentle girl, but of course with all the excited wigglyness of being a black lab!
The painting is cropped to show her cheeky look, and mesmerising eyes.
 Oil on canvas 12x12in on a pale blue. I love working with paint charts to match particular colours and in this case the oil paint is mixed to match to “light blue” Farrow and Ball.

Latest Dog portrait -  the English PointerOnce again playing catch up with the latest portraits, but I’ve put down the brushes for the day and thought an update was long overdue! …and it’s not really dog walking weather right now!
This is the very beautiful and very aptly named Grace, and her painting.  A painting of a black and white English Pointer on a delicate grey background. Oil on canvas 12x12in (30x30cm)
The painting, I hope has a calm sedate feel, Grace is a very gentle girl, with delicate features, and the grey gives a monochrome feel with just the colour from her eyes giving the warm tone. I’ve also added a close up to show how I work and the marks that go toward a finished painting. I’ve also shown the original photo I worked from, supplied by Grace’s owner, it needed very little changing as the photo captured Grace’s character beautifully.

For more English Pointers visit the gallery page - http://www.paintmydog.co.uk/dog_portraits_pointers.html

Latest Dog Painting by PaintMyDog

This is Billy, a gentleman Jack Russell. He is standing very resolutely, and a sense of his life experience and his character. He is a Parsons Jack Russell with a wiry coat, mostly white with a few faint freckles. This painting is a little different to many in the fact that the background has more texture and and I wanted  this to reflect his coat. In amongst a textured lively background, Billy stands firm, and you just get the feeling he is a very much loved dog.

Oil on gallery style canvas 12x12in.View more portraits in the gallery http://www.paintmydog.co.uk/gallery_pet_portraits.htm