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Painting (Two) Dogs-a-Day - Meet Abbey


BOTTOM'S UP: "Mmm, Good Stick! (Abbey)," 8" x 10" and "Bleached Blonde (Abbey)," 6" x 8." Both portraits of a Yellow Labrador Retriever done in acrylic on canvasboard, both headed to a new home. It's super easy to commission a pet portrait of your own - inquiries may always come to me.
 
Sometimes I get so caught up in the actual painting process that I lose sight of consciously striving for that physical likeness. It's tougher for me to gauge this when I'm working from compellingly gorgeous photos of a dog I've never met.
 
That was the case today - I started with the smaller landscape, and became absorbed by all the lavenders, oranges and blues in the shadow of Abbey's neck and shoulder. I love the atmosphere in the painting, but the painting itself seemed more about the setting and not as much about the personality of the dog. I wasn't certain this was what my client wanted.
 
That's ok, I thought - I'll try the stick on the beach composition, where the focal point IS her face, and I'll really concentrate on nailing it and keeping Abbey forefront. A few hours later, when I emerged from the juicy brushwork and layers of inviting paint, I realized I had done it again - been painting for an extended amount of time without once measuring my drawing or checking for a likeness. Thankfully I hadn't gone far off track, and was able to reel Abbey in with a little concentration.
 
My client loved the paintings so much that she has opted to take them both, and for that I sincerely thank her. 
 
I'll be back tomorrow with another endearing face.
Thanks, as always, for your time following my paintings and sharing them with your friends and family,
Kim
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