JEN's UP!

but had to call Mum to get down!

NOT a happy camper!    Serves her right for figuring out how to get onto banned territory!  


Bookcase is 7 feet high.  Contents pretty much as shown.  Jen sits behind "Jen Blockers", picture frames fixed to front edge to PREVENT attempts off dining room table.   Kept her off for 3 years.   Then tall furniture moved closer and she spotted a 3" wide "back door".   Up she went!  Then couldn't get down.  She had to ASK for help.   She hates doing that!

Route now blocked.    For how long, I dunno.   Last year, for top of armoir, I created an impenetrable Jen barrier.  One night we were ignoring her, so she leaped up and over it.   I caved in.  She now owns the space.

Enjoy!

Should haves...

Wall and Door           pastel               8" x 10"

Walls!  Who'd have thought they could be difficult?   That flat (but not) EXPANSE of colour that has to be filled with "interest".   Well, grab a handful of colors and scatter them about!    Lots of should haves (several to do with perspective) but over all you get the message.  

Kinda fun!    

And below, the lovely mother Laila at her wits (kits?) end.   

and

Enjoy!

Jess and Karina

 Jessie & Karina         pastel              16" x 18"

This week I learned that dear much loved Karina had crossed the rainbow bridge.   Half this portrait - Jessie only - was posted on January 18, 2011;  Karina's space was just a faint sketch and a note "coming soon".  

My life took some abrupt turns and the portrait slid into a portfolio and waited.  Last night when I heard the news, I took it out - and this morning Karina joined Jess.   So now they're finally together, if only on paper.  Both are Siberian Huskies, Jess with a red coat and Karina a grey.

Below is the photo, their two heads glued together.   I hope the above does them justice.   Laurie, their "parent", lives in California - the original should arrive there sometime soon.   I hope it gives her good memories of her best beloved Karina, and the bond between her and Jess.

Enjoy

How Now Round Cow?

"Round Cow"              pastel            13" x 21"

More challenging!   Face a bit tricker since at more of an angle - if you click on the picture you'll see a larger version.   It's flawed, but it works. 
* April 17th post shows photo of gal above, the cow with the twisted horn who watched coz and self 'retreat' from their bovine blockade!   On that post feature item was cow with calf.  I thought I liked it best, now I'm not sure.
*Post immediately below shows the beginning of the above.



Enjoy!

A Not Much Day

Jenny from life - sleeping in "her" chair

watercolor          6" x 10"

A not much day:  not much free time, not much energy.   This experiment squeezed into half an hour.   Never worked on Strathmore (I think it is) and fell madly in love with it's smooth surface for w'color.  Later on blocked out front view of round cow..

As for Jen, I really should get more live sketches of her.   Difficult to do since if she sees me drawing or pastelling or painting, then she's just gotta be on top of what I'm doing.  If I manage to sneak part of the picture out from under her to work on, she'll nose-nudge my hand, or try to grab the paintbrush in her teeth.  So I'm real happy when she goes to sleep in the corner.

enjoy!

    

Face Off!

"Cow & Calf"        pastel        12" x 14"

There is a story behind this.   Below is the photo from which it comes.  This group of cows were blocking the path my coz and I were planning to take.   Now, cows may seem benign - especially if you believe definition of "bovine", sluggish, dull, and stolid - but if it's a mother with calf, watch out.   If she gets the idea you might hurt her li'l darlin' you could be trampled to death.   It's happened, in England, and surprisingly often.  So  "they" stood and looked at us; and we looked at them.   A genuine face off.    You guessed it, we chickened out and backed down.  They watched us as we left... 

Cow below with twisted horn (who's at back of group above)
monitored our departure from top of dike.
Cute cow actually.  Amazing how ROUND her body is.

Enjoy!


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LUNCH AHEAD

"Lunch"                   pastel            16" x 7"

A doodle at noon.

I've always liked this photo of mare following lunch (!) and foal in background trying out the grass so I did it, quickly.   Figure pleased me since person in photo was hidden behind mare, so above is pure invention.  (Sarah...I didn't even try to make figure look like Fan - whoever it is looks weary and male.)  

Enjoy

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Kanja

"Kanja"     pastel      12" x 14"

A handsome, soft-hearted Rotweiler/Shepherd mix.

In case you're curious, it IS different paper from previous post - a greyer tone.      

Enjoy!


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The Essence of a Doodle

 "Sophie, a Golden Wheaten"      pastel         8" x 10"

A doodle by me - you can tell that from the smudges - of Sophie!    The path to the sketch began when I asked for a copy of the screensaver showing Sophie, a much loved family dog.   It came, I sketched, but who knew if it was totally on target.   I sent a photo...apologising for the roughness of the piece.  To my delight it turned out my doodle had captured the essence of Sophie - so a happy ending for me and for the original which is off to a better home than a storage portfolio.

And YES I fixed the smudged coat to be curly...but never took a foto.

I "collect" photos of critters that I may or may not work from.   I like them to come from the owner or someone who really KNOWS the animal - and of course is able to give me permission to do a portrait from the photo.   All of this with the understanding that if I do something (there's no promise I will or by when) I will email a photo of the piece to find out if it really IS the best beloved, not just "a dog" or "a cat".  There is NO obligation to purchase but if someone wishes to, contact me - prices vary and are very reasonable.  Of course, if it's a commission it gets done immediately.