ART FOR LIFE: February 2015

6" x 6" oil on slightly textured panel

Misty was an interesting lady to paint. I was intrigued by her intense look...it was as if she was trying to communicate telepathically! Gave me more than one interesting question to ask her as we worked. Misty's pet mom is Bonnie Wells. I so appreciate Bonnie for sending in her photo. I also loved those ear tufts!

Misty would work in a floater frame, or a standard frame. I want to make sure everyone knows that frames are not included in the price...I just like to give you ideas for framing in case you need them!

There is always pictureframes.com; click on floater frames and pick a color..( a floater frame just shows all the edges.).OR, you can go on line and find a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby and get them framed there. I do that a lot for my own framing when it isn't me making them! OR, simplest version of all...put your painting on an easel and voila`!

Just a quick reminder that on Monday I fly to Omaha for a couple of weeks to take care of my daughter and her family as she is kind enough to give me another grand child...this time a girl!! SO, eventhough I will continue to post paintings, I won't be able to ship anything you may love and purchase until after March 13, 2015...I hope you will understand!!

HAPPY CREATING!

Thursday, February 26, 2015

"TRAPPER" 26/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Trapper"
SOLD to his pet dad Ron Hanson!
Thanks Ron!!

Trapper is our good friends American Chocolate Lab. I KNOW how much his pet dad Ron loves this dog...I often see pics of he and Trapper on facebook. I loved this photo of Trapper...he's so cute just staring into the camera...probably asking for something he REALLY wanted!

I played up on the darks with blues and loved adding oranges with just a hint of white for the highlights.

My frames finally arrived...I've got Trapper in a couple colors so you can see how this might look. Again, you can find these under floater frames in pictureframes.com. They are both wood frames. The natural one is maple.

HAPPY CREATING!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

"AUDREY" 25/100 of 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Audrey"

6"x6" oil on slightly textured panel

WELL, WE ARE 1/4 THE WAY THROUGH THE PROJECT...AND I'M STILL JAZZED!!

Audrey reminds me of the Cheshire cat for some reason...I think it's her big ole beautiful eyes and her round face in this photo...but I LOVE all the color that came out of her...the simple bold brush strokes...she just seems so happy to live this way! Audrey's pet parents are Carrie and Todd Johnson; Rachel Johnson's parents. Rachel is pet mom to Emma and Elara I believe.

Audrey looks nice in this black floater frame, but would also be fine in a standard frame. You don't always have to have every part of an animal portrait showing...it's ok if part of an ear or about anything but eyes or mouth I'd say goes off the edge.

A note about these photos in the frame. You may see a little raggedy stuff on the edges of these paintings when they are in the frame. I always clean up the edges before I ship, but sometimes I take the photos when they are still wet, so I don't mess with the edges at that point...never fear, I won't send you a raggedy edged painting!

HAPPY CREATING!!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

"ROXY" 24/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Roxy"

6" x6" oil on slightly textured panel

Roxy was a fun baby to paint. First of all I wanted to interpret her color in the fauvist fashion...and second because I wanted those bold brush strokes to work for me. As you see in her photo there's all that HAIR...I could have interpreted it more realistically...but, wanting to be loose like the fauves...I interpreted the values...WHICH is how these different colors work on all the portraits. As long as values are good...you can use any color!

Gail James is Roxy's pet mom, and an IB teacher in Texas to boot. I felt a connection to Gail at once as I used to be an IB teacher when I was working as an art teacher in the public system. IB stands for International Baccalaureate. It is a way for kids to take over responsibility for learning...the VERY short version! I admire Gail for what she does because I intimately know what it involves...A big thanks to her for participating in my project!

Some may wonder why I put texture on my panels before I paint them...well, a lot of it is personal preference, but I love texture so much...and it adds to the authenticity of a piece as well as the interest...texture is ALWAYS BETTER! In this humble artist's opinion...and, it doesn't deter...so, a win win!!

This suggestion for framing is good...but Roxy could also benefit from a traditional frame as well...I am frustrated as the other colors of frames I have ordered have been delayed...so we just have to use our imaginations until they arrive!

SIDE NOTE: In a little more than a week I will be traveling to Omaha to be there for my daughter as she gives me a second little sweetheart from them...a girl this time! Never fear though...I will continue to post a painting a day...the only glitch is if someone purchases I will not be able to ship until I return a week or so...I'm EXCITED to be a nana again...Paxton is SO loved...I know just how cool this is going to be!! FUN!

HAPPY CREATING!

Monday, February 23, 2015

"BOO" 23/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Boo"

"Boo" is my cousin Bob Vick's dachshund that he tells me is nearly blind but has been a great companion! What I have learned through this project so far is that these wonderful animal's personalities just come through in their photos...It is quite a communication as I paint...I talk to them some...and I smile...and I try to let the color just come out! Boo needed lots of bright and happy color...he just seems to be begging for it!

Boo is precious in the pictureframes.com black floater frame...but he would also do well framed in a standard frame that takes about 1/2" off of each side...

HAPPY CREATING!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

"SHAGGY" 22/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Shaggy"

Available through my Website

Shaggy is not actually anyone's pet. Shaggy is a goat at a petting zoo. His picture was sent to me and I painted him and then learned that it was a confusion...but I enjoyed painting him so much that I am glad I have him in the mix. Shaggy was hanging out with I believe the child of Mary Chris Lindstrom...and I appreciate the photo...SEE...a pet could be anything!! FUN!

Although I do not have a photo of Shaggy framed...he would be great in a floater frame like I've been showing as well!!

HAPPY CREATING!

Saturday, February 21, 2015

"ELARA" 21/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Elara"

Available through my website!

I love how Elara's post lended itself to the background changes in color. THAT was fun...I really kept thinking how Elara reminded me of Cleopatra as I was painting her. First, she's beautiful; just like her sister Emma; as Elara is also the pet daughter to Kara Westerfield...but secondly her pose seemed Cleopatra"ee". FUN!

Just a frame suggestion...I've got a gold leaf and a natural maple one on order to show some other choices...they are just taking their sweet time getting to me...stay tuned!

I want to mention that sometimes your beautiful and wonderful pet may strike the fancy of someone not in your family circle and they will purchase the painting right away; as was the case for Ross the Super Dog the other day. BECAUSE I have made it clear that NO ONE is obligated to purchase their pet portrait, I don't push the issue. Ross's pet dad was a little disappointed that Ross sold out from under him; he was also a great sport. He asked if there was a print. I immediately prepared Ross and put him in my FINE ART AMERICA shop where he has decided to purchase a print of Ross and he is happy. SO, IF you intend to purchase your pet portrait and don't have things in place to do so right away, please let me know and I will put it on hold for a bit for you. Not forever...lol, but I will do this for you to give you first dibs! K...nuff said!

HAPPY CREATING!

Friday, February 20, 2015

"CALI" 20/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Cali"

6"x6" oil on slightly textured panel

"Cali" is a sweet little dachshund with a great sense of style; sporting this lovely sweater! Her coloring made it easy to find a bright bit of color to enhance for this portrait. As always I have stayed as true to eye color as is possible...it seems only right as the eyes are the window to the soul ya know! A big thank you to Kara Westerfield; the pet mom who so graciously allowed me to paint Cali!

Cali with her frame suggestion...this is CF 1 from pictureframes.com

I decided to post the 11-20 paintings for voting on facebook tomorrow. I didn't want to take away from Cali. My first voting day was Pete the Pig and he was no one's pet, so I didn't feel too bad having him share the lime lite...SO, if you aren't facebook friends with me; friend me! If you aren't on facebook and want to vote just e-mail me and I'll send you the 10 and you can vote. (art4life44@hotmail.com) Remember, it's just for fun...and OH WHAT FUN!

HAPPY CREATING!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

"EMMA" 19/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Emma"

6" x 6" oil on slightly textured panel

I really enjoyed painting Emma. Rachael is her pet mom and was kind enough to share this photo. In fact, Rachael is pet mom to 3 cats in this series...the other two girls coming up soon. I have found this project to be so very rewarding! I get to see these animals, paint them...and play with color and brush strokes. I have learned so much about painting through this process. I appreciate every single contributant!

You can find frames like this floater frame at pictureframes.com (the painting looks like it is floating inside the frame) (all sides and edges show!) . Just type in floater frames and you can see all the choices. The price is good...for these it is $26.40. I'm not too fond of shipping which is $16.95 for one frame...however, it is still a bargain...and MOST of the time this site has a sale going...so you can get a little off! Framing these portraits is easy...just cut a piece of cardboard the size of the bottom section...glue a small piece of 1/4" wood in the middle...glue the painting on and voila` you are done!!

HAPPY CREATING!

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

"ROSS" THE SUPER DOG 18/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Ross" the SUPER DOG
SOLD

This is ROSS THE SUPER DOG according to his pet dad; John Beck. John decided to adopt a dog when he lived in a small apartment in Virginia. He found Ross at a local humane society. They assured John that Ross was a lab and would get to no more than 40-50 pounds full grown. When Ross would not stop growing John discovered that he was indeed lab, but also had some great Dane in him...SO, at over 100 pounds he is still loved...and I hear his two favorite things are people and tennis balls! You can't see it all from his portrait, but Ross is sporting a lovely cape! Thus...ROSS THE SUPER DOG! Thank you John for the photo and the background on this awesome dog! Ross was easy to enhance with color; keeping in line with my fauvist flair!

Here you can see how Ross would look in a floater frame from pictureframes.com. This frame is a CF1. HOWEVER, you can also check out their regular frames. Keep in mind their regular frames take 1/2" off of each side. But, as I was visiting the site I noticed they have a good selection of regular frames for 80% off right now...I have ordered a gold leaf floater and a natural color maple one so I can take photos of those to let you see some other possibilities...they have not arrived yet, but here is Ross in the contemporary black one. To me these frames are the equivalent of the little black dress...you can never go wrong if you are confused about how to frame your pet portrait. :)

PS...I appreciate John so much. He has been patient. I woke up the other night thinking of Ross the Super Dog; wondering why I hadn't painted him yet. I had to get up and check my files...and found that I had inadvertently skipped poor Ross...SO, I bumped him up the schedule and painted him yesterday...SO, those of you after this that have been given an approximate number for your pet's debut...just add a day. THANKS ALL...this is a little bit of a huge undertaking to keep everything organized and I goofed!

HAPPY CREATING!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

"ZELLA MAE" 17/100 OF 100 PET PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Zella Mae" Grimes

I have met this dog; Zella Mae. She is the baby of extended family Royce and Brittney Grimes. Not too long ago she was hanging out with us and her pet dad took this photo with the glasses. I knew immediately I wanted to paint her as she was awesome looking! Zella Mae is a Shar Pei boxer mix. I have to admit; she is a big girl, so at first I was a little intimidated. It wasn't long before I saw what a cutie pie she was, so I smiled through this color interpretation of her following along the lines of the fauvist tradition. Thanks Brittney and Royce!

I just want to remind you all of the point of this project as it has been awhile since I talked about the fauvist style. If you remember the fauvists; Henri Matisse; came into being between 1900 and 1910. It was a break away from Impressionism that was all the rage at that time. It is a GOOD THING, and COMMON, and HEALTHY for artists to grown and stretch and change. Change is good, but is not usually always; or really not very often rewarded...it is most often feared and met with negative feelings AT FIRST. If we did not have the fauves who knows how things might have stagnated for a time. Fauve literally means "wild beasts". That is how they were thought of at the time...HOW DARE THEY PUT GREEN IN A FACE...or the WRONG color on an object! UNHEARD of at the time! Impressionism is characterized by catching the light at a particular moment...it is BEAUTIFUL in it's own right...but these scallywags who were changing things with color were not well received when they decided to emerge...Kind of funny to us all these many years later!

WHAT THIS HAS ALREADY DONE FOR ME...I am SO very excited at the fun results I have had already in this project. Personally it has gotten me out of the tight way of working that had begun for me. My oils are fun, and I enjoyed them, but I was starting to stagnate and get too tight. I also, have always loved COLOR...and so I wanted to combine the two; exaggerated color and bolder brushstrokes to loosen up and let this project be an avenue for growth. I STILL like a likeness...but, if you look closely you will see the strong brushstrokes in stead of lots of blending. I think it works fine...hope you do too!

This is Zella Mae in the floater frame like I've been talking about. She is another one that would do fine with a regular frame as there is nothing 1/2" around the edges that would hurt if it was covered up...but, since I have THIS frame, I thought I'd give you the example!

Now that I'm looking at her again...I'm thinking Zella Mae is quite intelligent. FUN!

HAPPY CREATING!

Monday, February 16, 2015

"Jango"
SOLD

Susan Johnson is Jango's pet mom. I'm really grateful she sent this pup's pic in as it was fun really enhancing the colors in Jango. I hear he has beautiful golden brown eyes...I'm assuming he is a he...sorry Susan if I guessed wrong! Regardless...a beautiful pup for sure!

Jango would look good in a floater frame like ones I've been discussing...but would also look fine in a standard frame as nothing important would be taken up in the 1/2" that is hidden when framing a painting in a standard type frame!

HAPPY CREATING!

Sunday, February 15, 2015

"Sierra"

6"x6" oil on panel

SOLD TO HER PET MOM DIANA. Thank you Diana!

Sierra is a pure bred Rat Terrier pup. I know this dog as her pet mom is my friend and co-grandmother Diana. Sierra is pure energy. I loved Sierra's coloring...she is a bit unusual and special from the get go! I used yellow for the lighter colors and blues for the browns which falls right into line with using bright and exaggerated color to paint this pet portrait in the fauvist tradition.

Sierra would work in one of the pictureframes.com floater frames as shown here, or, she could fit in any 6"x6" regular frame as nothing important is within 1/2" of any edge (regular frames take 1/2" off of each side when framing). As of this writing pictureframes.com is having a 20% off sale store wide.

this frame example is CF 1. There are several colors to choose from. I've ordered a gold one to use as examples, so stay tuned for those example shots soon! Sierra might also look good in a gold leaf floater as well...hmmm...we shall see!

HAPPY CREATING!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

"Cinders"