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About a year or so ago, I did a pet portrait trade with Christine Throckmorton of I Heart Dogs Studio.




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Come in a browse through the beautiful original art handcrafted by artists from around the U.S. and Canada, shop through their wide variety of art supplies and see some of their gorgeous specialized, creative custom framing works. If you have artwork, photos, heirlooms or ANYTHING that needs to be framed, they are the ones to do it in a creative professional style that will tickle your fancy! ...and who doesn't like to have their fancy tickled?

hmmmmmm...?

While you're there you can check out my portrait prices , then contact me for a custom commissioned pet portrait of your very own! They make fabulous one of a kind gifts for any occasion or discriminating pet lover!

Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine depending on the time of day and take a long luxurious gander at my website and see more of my work here:

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Please click on all images for a larger view.

I'm so excited to paint in Rosie's portrait. I love how it is coming out so far, but all that this portrait represents is so important to me as well. This will be my LAST pet portrait and I have thoroughy loved doing pet portraits for the last five years. Choosing to do pet portraits as a business touched on many key areas that I wanted to grow in, and - BINGO - it worked beautifully. I am so much smarter in these key areas now and so much wiser.

I reaped so many hidden-treasure benefits as well from doing pet portraits. Ah, I will miss doing them. I'm so proud of all I have accomplished personally and professionally with my pet portraits though. It's funny as a career artist the line is incredibly blurry between personally and professionally, isn't it? Starting pet portraits really built my skills to a point where they are stronger than I -  gee - than I guess I ever imagined they might be. As an artist, I don't think I've have ever had a terrible confidence problem (although I'm human, I've had my days) - but another gift that pet portraits gave me along with further artistic growth has been the gift of building my confidence more, as well. This has also led to REAL business knowledge, practice and confidence,  and the courage and confidence to build the dreams, for REAL, that for a long time I'd had, but I guess I'd sort of buried*. So pet portraits have also been a HUGE catalyst for my growth in other creative areas. 

After Rosie I will give the pet portrait business a big smoochy kiss and a bear hug goodbye, maybe some noogies. But until then, I'm going to enjoy completing my final portrait maybe more than I have out-and-out plain just enjoyed a portrait, just for the fun of it, just for the art of it, no strings attached, in quite awhile! :)

*I like to refer back to this post once in a blue moon when it is appropriate, because although I'm "eating crow" happily now (being a children's book artist), it just goes to show how a person's attitudes about something, about themselves and about what they are capable of, and let's be blunt, about taking criticism, can change so drastically. It's interesting to see everyone's path is different and unique, and the mental shifts we make when we make decisions for ourselves and what we want to focus on as our main goals.

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Meet Rosie! Her full name is Rosalita, just like the Bruce song. Very cute, huh?

Rosie will be my last custom pet portrait. After Rosie is complete, I will be taking an indefinite hiatus from doing custom pet portraits. What I am basically saying is that yes, I won't be doing them anymore, but I am not locking the door behind me. I have loved and enjoyed doing custom pet portraits for the past five years. It's been one of the most important creative experiences - or experiments! - I've ever had. And believe me, this was a very tough decision to make. But, it was also very important for me to make it. Sometimes the toughest decisions are the ones you need to make the most.

I say I'm not 'locking the door behind me' because, at some point down the road, it is possible that I may start doing custom pet portraits once more. But, if this comes to fruition, the creative and business model will be something very different than what it is now.

This decision does not mean in any way, shape or form that I am done with pet art. To the contrary! Pet art will remain a major focus of mine, but in a new and different (and fun!! and exciting!!) format. (More on that down the road...)

For now, the fat lady will sing when my work on Rosie is completed. That said, I hope you will enjoy watching the process of my "swan song" portrait, Rosie, unfold!

(Client chose B!)

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Here's my very first HD video. It's a short video featuring a few of my pet portraits. I just got a Flip Ultra HD video camera, so I figured I'd better learn how to save and upload an HD video. This video was made with artwork stills, not my new camera. Regardless, it gave me a good test run. I even learned a couple new tips, just doing this short video.

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Here is the finished portrait sketch of Calpe and Capri. Specs: Arches 140# hot press (smooth) paper, HB pencil.

Details, details...

• The background scene is of a Capri seaside, complete with cool architecture built into the oceanside mountain rock formations.

• Round, big pottery vases flanking the sides of the portrait are like ones you might see in Capri

• Butterflies dotting some border details are representational and were included per client's wishes

• A small blue jay stuffie is Calpe's favorite toy

• Block "M" letter center top represents an alma mater

•Single engine Cessna Skylane aiplane depicted in the center of the sky

• Beautiful lush flowers and greenery (like you would see in Capri) decorate the border

• Ocean is represented complete with weathered boats

• Cats are posed in the same manner as when they recline in real life

Next up:
Awaiting final approval on this sketch. After that I am inking the piece. (I will have a SPECIAL SURPRISE for you when I post the inked-in portrait!)

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Here's the final video featuring the painting I created for the Party Animals book! In this short video, I chat about the details I put in the piece and how those little things mean a lot.
> Enter my Party Animals book giveaway

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I began my composition by simply fleshing out my idea in rough sketch form. I was not sure where I was going with it, but part of the fun is the journey. I just knew that I liked the idea of all different kinds of dogs dressed in party gear. Each type of dress would show off the individual dog's personality. I love to do characters and show little personality traits through what they are wearing, facial expressions, and demeanor. So I knew that this idea would work perfectly with my sensibilities!

> Enter my Party Animals book giveaway


Once I drew a bunch of the dog heads, I decided I would fit them all together, kind of like a puzzle, as though they really were at a party! I wanted to add my signature flourishes—a decorative border plus some fun title lettering, as well. But that would come later...

>Read about the Party Animals project in Scrapbooking magazine

I then took many of my dog heads and I worked them into the desired space. After scanning the original sketches, I worked in Photoshop to cut them out, head by head, and place them into the desired size of composition (in this case, the entire piece is 8" x 8"). I sized the heads to allow extra space for my lettering/title and the decorative border. Once this layout was complete, I printed out the art to actual 100% size on a piece of 8.5 x 11 paper. Then I drew it onto watercolor paper using my lightbox and the printout as a rough guide. I never trace art work directly because I feel that the finished traced line always lacks life. It makes a huge difference to just redraw instead of trace—it's like night and day! You can really see the difference! So instead, I used the print-out guide as just that: a guide, a marker for where things should be placed in the finished composition. Using the light-pencil lines I put on the paper from the lightbox/printiout sketch, I then redrew all of the elements freehand in my own hand once again. This time I generally followed the original sketch so the general characters is still intact. After this was complete, I then pencilled the title lettering and the decorative border directly onto the watercolor paper freehand.

Friday: ink phase and see the final painting!

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Monday (today) through Friday is Party Animals Week here on my blog! First up are the final two video demos of the painting I created especially for the Party Animals book project. This one focuses on how to get colors to harmonize well together in a small composition. I offer a tip and a trick or two to help you to wiggle your favorite colors into a painting even if the colors might not seem to "go together" at first. Hope you enjoy!


>See all of the video demos here.

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Enter Once -  Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what one of your very favorite dog breeds is. I know- what an unfair question!! That said, I'll share mine: Pugs, Japanese Chins, Corgis (both Welsh and Pembroke), Jack Russell Terriers, Boston Terriers, to name but a few... Hey wait a minute, that was more than one. No fair!

Enter Twice -  Blog, Facebook or Twitter about my Party Animals Book Giveaway blog post. Then, blog comment again on my blog telling me where you posted about it, and you will be entered twice.

That's it!

Deadline to enter: Friday, September 25 12:00 AM EST.

Oh...There's one more thing: Starting on October 15, ALL of the original artworks featured in the book "Party Animals" will be auctioned off on Ebay (read more here on A Place To Bark's site)! That's right - every piece of original art featured in the book will be up for bid, and ALL proceeds will go to A Place To Bark. (Bow) Wow! I'll be sharing more information on the auction next month and as it becomes available on my blog.

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This is a continuation of an essay previously posted here. Read Part One

• I wanted to put myself in a position where I had no choice but to learn solid business and financial skills. Any type of business would help me learn this stuff, but if I was not passionate about it, I wouldn't follow through. (You can lead a horse to water...) To this end, pet portraiture has been a great "boot camp" for me to really learn the business of being an independent artist. I handle every part of it. Some might shudder at the thought of handling the financial parts. But it's especially important to learn that stuff, and even more so if it makes you uncomfortable. (That uncomfortable feeling is just your brain telling your body that you need some experience and improvement in that area.) If you intend to make a career as an artist, you are in the unique position where you simply have to learn how to run your business, and that includes the finances. Plus, since you are passionate about your business, you will learn all this stuff within the framework of something you truly love doing. That makes it less painful and more interesting. When you have setbacks, you learn from it, get up and try again. And when you have successes, it makes them all the more sweet knowing that you are responsible for every aspect of your business. It's a great feeling to have a handle on those things also from the perspective of self-esteem. I've been a life-long math-phobe. Hey, if I can do it, you can do it. Lastly, to learn things right from the get-go will preclude the development of any bad or lazy habits. A good accountant is an excellent, and I think necessary, investment. I have an accountant to help with estimating quarterly taxes and my yearly taxes and though they are not cheap, it feels great to know I am 'doing things right'.

• The over-riding criteria for my business was that it had to be something I was really passionate about. I love animals, and I always have. So, in that way, it was a natural fit. I also liked the fact that it was  a kind of wacky, odd niche, which matched my personality. It was something that not everyone was doing at the time. I was sure that it would never be boring. But above all, my whole life I'd always loved creating cute and fuzzy characters through my artwork. Guinness was my first dog as an adult (a black pug, I married into co-parenting him). Guinness was my perfect creative muse, years before pet portraits were even a shimmer on my horizon. I drew and painted him all the time. Both Guinness's personality and his physicality perfectly matched my own creative sensibilities and lit up my imagination. (Today, a portrait of Guinness still hangs proudly in my home). Thanks to Guinness, I'd essentially already been doing pet portraits for a long time and strongly identified with the genre before officially making the leap. I have Guinness to thank for all of the inspiration. He was a wonderful companion and he clearly made a huge impact on me.


Today, though I still keep my toe in the pet portrait pool, my portraits are no longer the centerpiece of my creative work. But all that I have learned -- about business, about my art, about communication, about others and about myself, came first to me via the pet portraiture business. It's given me gifts too numerous to mention. It saw my ship out to sea, and powered it to sail high and proud. But the point is, I started *something* with my art. For me, it happened to be pet portraits. But it could have been anything. I was passionate and committed. I made something happen. In turn, it propelled me.

Starting your own 'thing', no matter how small it may be, has an excellent peripheral effect: It's a great confidence-builder. When you take yourself seriously as an artist and as a business person, and you walk it like you talk it, suddenly you will find that others are starting to take you seriously, too. As a career artist, you are a maverick. You are likely going to be paving your own way in everything you do professionally. As a creative professional, by default it comes with the territory. So get used to your entrepreneurial, independent business-person self. Embrace it. Own it! Every new venture you take on will be building on a previous one. Every new experience you gain is wisdom in the bank. In the long run, you will only get richer in all aspects for continually challenging yourself in new and different ways.

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Choosing pet portraiture

Becoming a pet portrait artist was an outgrowth of my creative interests, desires and needs at a time in my life when I had not been doing much of my own art work at all. I'd been suffering with chronic hand and wrist problems for a few years, off and on. When those issues finally calmed down, I was hungry to build something with my artwork - something new, fresh and different - something that was really "me"!  Maintaining my full-time job as a graphic designer/illustrator while starting up my new venture required some serious time-management. But, with proper prioritizing, I knew I was up for the challenge. I really wanted to jump back into my artwork head-first! Starting an art business would be a great way to do that, but choosing pet portraiture in particular really changed everything. It's helped me grow in so many ways.

I had a few overall goals for my what I wanted my pet portrait business to accomplish for me:

• I wanted to create a business which would be a framework for my continuing growth as an artist. I really wanted to get back into the habit of doing artwork consistently. Creating a business with timelines and deadlines would keep me on track. I would be accountable, and working under the umbrella of a business would be all the motivation I'd need. And choosing pet portraiture for my business would keep me producing, growing and learning - I viewed it as unchartered territory, I was excited about the subject, and the road was wide open for expression. In the end, it has accomplished all of this for me, and more.

• I wanted my business to foster my communication skills. Working this way would help me to learn how to better manage clients and projects in pet portraits and beyond, and, because the way I work with my clients is one-on-one, pet portraiture by default would accomplish this. Currently, I enjoy a very collaborative, creative workflow with my clients. Personality-wise, pet people are my kind of people, too: I'm just as nuts about pets as they are, so it's a good fit.


• I wanted to be able to do something where I would be in a position to be able to use my artwork to help others. With pet portraiture, I've had the opportunity to donate something uniquely special and valuable to many dog and cat charities and rescue organizations. That feels pretty good!

Stay Tuned for Part Two!

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I recently took part in a truly wonderful art project. I, along with 20 other pet portrait artists, were invited to create and contribute works of art to be published in a uniquely themed art book.

It's called "Party Animals", and if you remember last years' benefit art book that I contributed to and blogged about ("Dogs Rule"), this one could be considered a "Part Two" of sorts. Jill Beninato of Sit Stay Smile is the responsible "party" for "Party" -- she spearheaded the "Dog's Rule" project herself and made it all happen! She came back at us with "Party Animals" this year . Once again it is an honor to be a contributor. Like last year, this years' book includes art images that were specifically created for the project by each of the artists. The interpretation of the theme of "Party Animals" was the goal, and each artist was given free reign!

(See "You Tube" video demo series of my watercolor painting for the "Party Animals" book)

This time though, the party is even BIGGER and more shareable (yes, that's really a word - I looked it up), because, unlike last years' project, ANYONE can enjoy a beautiful copy of this years' collaborative project because copies are for sale, with ALL proceeds - every nickel - going to benefit A Place To Bark. (Plus, your purchase is entirely tax-deductible.)

I can tell you first-hand that the quality of the printing and binding of this 'zine is gorgeous and lovely. I am proud to have my work in the book, and to be among so many other extremely talented artists who are not only each boldly unique in their own artistic voices, but who are also very generous and caring people who are all joined by our love and support of animal welfare. Because the entire monetary proceeds of the 'zine go directly to A Place To Bark, you know that your $20 purchase is making a HUGE positive impact. (The great art, beautiful printing, and inspiring words in this book make it truly gift-worthy as well).

If THAT isn't ENOUGH, the ORIGINAL ARTWORKS printed in the 'zine will be auctioned off on Ebay on October 15, with all benefits going to A Place To Bark. Mark your calendars!!

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Part 7 is up on You Tube. I discuss a little about watercolor painting in general, then I talk about the inspiration behind one of the dogs I'm painting in the picture. Hope you enjoy.

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Part four of my first video demo is up now, here and on You Tube (where you can also catch video demos parts 1, 2 and 3). I'm getting a little better at putting these videos together (hey, we have a title! Whoopee!) It's also shorter, about 5 minutes long. (I like shorter videos... they are easier to digest.)

In this video, I paint a little Beagle's head. I do a lot of talking about the painting and my process. Of course I hope that this makes up for the lower video quality, but I know better than that. Ha ;).  So I will let you know that I am looking into higher-quality video for future video demos! I really want to show you some more DETAIL in the work, than the quality of my Flip video camera can do. So keep that in mind. Have faith! I'm improving!

Dog Painting Demo Part 5 is also complete but not live yet! I will be posting it soon! Demo 5 is all about using the white of the page as a tool to help create texture and light in the painting. So please stay tuned!!

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Here is Part Two of my first dog painting video demo! I am new at this and these videos are not perfect by a long shot. I know -- but I will get better with time, and I am hoping that my enthusiasm and interest in sharing my process with you (plus the occasional painting tip you might glean from it ;) ) will keep you interested and watching! :)

You may be wondering. "What this painting is for, who is the client?" I promise to reveal this in a later video demo farther along in the painting. It will be fun to find out -- it is pretty exciting! So I hope you continue watching and listening to this work in progress!

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Well 2008 just flew by!!! 2009 should be a good year if I stick to some of my resolutions which includes getting a gig that I can be happy to boast about (like a book cough cough). I have been keeping myself pretty busy through Christmas, mostly painting and making presents for clients, family, and friends. Most of them were dog portraits, which I hope to add a link to on my website. I also created a wall plaque for my sister who is a hair stylist which was a lot of fun and something different. I definitely would not say that sculpting is one of my strongest points by any means so I rarely take an opportunity to "play" with sculpey and acrylics. I molded hair dresser supplies to spell out her name....can you see what it says???? Well everyone have a Happy New Year, and here's to sticking to resolutions in 2009!!!




Don't forget if anyone is interested in having a personal painted portrait of their favorite pet or child that I am open for business!!! I will be soon to post these examples and hopefully others on my website along with rates!

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I don't go about participating in blog tours for just any old author, y'know. In the case of Tracie Zimmer, however, I'm happy to do what I can. Having read her newest creation Reaching for Sun (review pending) I felt mighty obliged to help her out when she told me she'd be engaging in a blog tour of her own particular stripe. Monday it was Jo Knowles doing the honors. Tuesday was MotherReader, of course. March 6th was Little Willow's Slayground (no one ever said a blogtour had to be linear, after all). Wednesday was with Newbery Honor-winner (and recent Central Children's Room visitee) Cynthia Lord. And today? Today is with moi. Here's the quick and dirty low down.

F#8: I confess that I've a penchant for covers and it seems to me that Bloomsbury pulled out all the stops with your book. Did you have any say-so? Did other covers come up?

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