Icarus is a stately Borzoi (Russian wolfhound) who lives with his mom Beverley and canine siblings. I met his mom at the Healdsburg art festival one September. We made a lovely connection which deepened when she had the thought that I might paint Icarus’ portrait. I went up to make his acquaintance that November – he is quite impressive. I’m not familiar with this type of dog, so it was a remarkable experience. He stands three feet tall at his withers. His sibs are not quite as big – but the three of them bounding about is something else! He’s sweet and mischievous and like no other dog I’ve ever met. Beverley and her three and Bo and I had a nice time at the dog park near her place in Sonoma County. I took some photos of him, but none of them held a candle to the one that Beverley had of him. Taken by Julie Vader, a talented photographer-friend of Beverley’s, it’s a beautiful image.
I didn’t change a thing about the composition for the painting. I had fun monkeying with the colors in Photoshop and then making them come more alive than were in the original photo (of course!). It was tricky to paint his curling fur that was in shadow of the back-lighting. And I had to get my literal mind out of the way when painting the lower part, the grasses, his fur, his legs and tail and the light. Bo and I made two more visits to show her the painting all done and then deliver the framed piece. It’s now hung in its home and everyone is happy. It’s nothing but joy to translate the essence of beloved pets with pigment. I feel privileged to be able to do so.
More Pets
Bubba Kitty
My first cat! (To paint.) Bubba is one of the Newman family cats. The Newmans are Anne and Gary - my in-laws and they are kitty people, kit-tens as they say. I was over in their incredible garden looking for painting ideas one spring (years ago) and there was Bubba,...
Baby Bojangles
As I saw this image in the digital camera viewer, I thought "that's a painting!" Our puppy Bo was just 12 weeks old. We were playing with my nieces on the big lawn out at my folks. Even as a little waggly, curious puppy, he already had this way of making intense eye...
BJ First Tahoe Swim
I had drawn this painting of our dog BJ a couple of weeks before he died. While I was drawing it, I had the thought that it would be interesting to paint it while he was alive, as I had painted our previous dog, Bud, after he'd died. Then we lost BJ to an awful...
Bud the Dog
Bud was my husband Joe's dog. He was nine when we met - the first dog in my life. I took the photo I painted from on a regular walk up the hill by our Petaluma house. It was a blazingly bright March morning. Afew weeks later Bud developed arthritis and diabetes. His...
Bessie and Golda
I met Louise through her friend Ann, who saw my art in the Bank of Marin - we just never know how the connections are going to happen. She came to my house with Ann to take a look at the rest of my work and saw the painting I'd done of Bud the Dog. She also has a lab...
Ginger and Snoopy
Ginger and Snoopy were the beloved pet-kids of my good friends Pamela and Gerry. Pamela has been one of the biggest supporters and fans of the artwork coming through me. Part of this was asking me to paint their dachsies for Gerry - and for both of them to rememeber...