ART FOR LIFE: March 2015

6"x6" oil on textured panel

"Chief" is pet kid to Hadley Cropp. He is a beautiful, but serious Chesapeake Bay Retriever. What I love about working in the fauvist fashion is the color! I love color, and I think even after I finish my 101 Pet Portrait project I will work in the fauvist fashion in some way! It gives these pet portraits just another bit of character while hopefully still resembling them! I love the blues in Chief that describe a bit different value in his coloring! This was lots of fun! One of my favorite colors is this bright green that is the background...it reminds me of granny smith apples. Remember color is translated a little differently on different computer screens. I know this is a problem, that I don't have an answer to except to try to describe color. I try to do that whenever I think exact color may be an issue. Chief comes ready to frame, or he can sit on a small easel and shine in all his glory!

Chief looks handsome in all the frames...even just sitting on a small easel. Like always, you can find these particular frames for your pet portraits at pictureframes.com in the floater frames. Watch on the top left as they often have sales. I am not fond of their prices for shipping, so if you decide to purchase please take a moment and ask them to review this. I have ordered two small frames and they have come in a giant box...I believe they are packed VERY WELL, but they could do better on this issue! :) Just my humble opinion!

yep, Idrink diet coke...and this is my messy pain stained work table...:)

Gold Leaf Floater Frame CFS3 at pictureframes.com

Black Floater Frame CF1

Maple Floater Frame CFS10

Just a note about floater frames...see how the painting sits in the frame with all sides showing? THAT is what a floater frame does...just for those who didn't know.

HAPPY CREATING!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

"GRIFFIN" 57/101 OF 101 PET PORTRAITS IN 101 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Griffin"

Griffin turned 14 last month. He's a Sheltie who just loves people, and they love him right back (we've had multiple people tell us they're going to steal him away from us). He is a medical office dog, greeting all the patients as they arrive and making them feel comfortable. Griffin comes ready to frame or can sit on an easel as is.

My easel shot is real life...working hard in my studio! HA

Golf Leaf Floater frame idea

Maple Floater Frame idea

Black Floater Frame suggestion

HAPPY CREATING!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

"GABBY" 56/101 OF 101 PET PORTRAITS IN 101 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Gabby"

It was really important for me to do bright colors and strong contrast for Gabby (our terrier mix pup) because Gabby turned 12 today, March 28! She's a medical office dog whose main goal is to convince all the patients to bring her dog treats. The rest of the time she sleeps and probably dreams about chasing turkeys and squirrels .HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABBY!!!

Gabby is painted with white (as I still like the strong contrast), but her background is a bright Granny Smith Apple green and she has fun orangey/red ears and lots of other color to boot! Certainly a fauvist dog if ever I saw one!! Remember everyone's computer screen sees color a little differently, I'm sorry about that, but all I can do is describe!!

Gabby's pet mom is Anne Marie and she LOVES her pet pup for sure!! I just want to reach out and hug this special dog...she has cancer, so we SO wish her the very best life she can possibly have...and I'm SURE Anne Marie is making sure of that!! You GO GABBY!!!

Gabby is so sweet in her frame ideas...I like to show them so you can all see how she could look in the different colors and even on her own in an easel! The frames can be found at pictureframes.com in their floater frame section!

Gold Leaf Floater Frame CFS3

Black Floater Frame CF1

Maple Floater Frame CFS10

HAPPY CREATING!

Friday, March 27, 2015

"DEWEY" 55/101 OF 101 PET PORTRAITS IN 101 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Dewey"

SOLD to pet dad Mark Bettis

Thanks Mark!

Dewey was hilarious to paint! He is a Corgi pup! I loved his smile...made me laugh through the whole process!! Mark loved his pet kids, so bought them right away...thanks Mark!!

I want to mention a little something about color. As you know, every computer screen is different...and yours may read color a little differently than the real color of the painting. I try to get it as accurate for my screen as possible, but I can't control what your screens show. My husband's screen shows everything with a yellowish cast...YUCK! SO, I want everyone to know that I use lots of bright colors like the fauvists did. Like for example; Dewey's background is more like an apple green...really bright and fun...so, compare what you see with what I said and see what you think!

Dewey looked good in his frame examples...and even on the easel...FUN!

Gold Leaf Floater Frame CFS3

from pictureframes.com

Maple Floater Frame CFS10

Black floater frame CF1

HAPPY CREATING!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

"BO" 54/101 OF 101 PET PORTRAITS IN 101 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Bo"

6"x6" oil on slightly textured panel

SOLD to Bo's pet dad Mark Bettis

Thanks Mark!

"Bo" was a special challenge as the pic was black/white...WHICH for value is excellent...and it was awesome that Mark sent me other color photos of Bo so I could get inspiration as to how I would paint him. I told Mark that the colors that looked like brown were actually the result of my brush passing through the two brighter colors...I found it challenging to try to stay with bold strokes with the kind of fur that Bo had...but I ended up liking the end result...Bo is a sweet little Pomeranian pup.

I've been talking about the floater frames from pictureframes.com and I like them...but the other option I've mentioned is these 1/8" thick MDF panels would also do well sitting in an easel. I had one laying around, and this is how they look...just fine and dandy in any decor!! Just a few words about the different colors of frames. Bo happens to look good in any of the choices, in the black it is a strong statement, in the Maple it looks a bit more contemporary, and in the Gold Leaf; my personal fav for this painting...it compliments some of the colors found in Bo's coat. All fun choices though!!

and, there are the floater frame suggestions...:)

CF1 Black Floater Frame

CFS10 Maple Floater Frame

CFS3 Gold Leaf Floater Frame

HAPPY CREATING!

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

"Hudson"

SOLD, thanks Jennifer!

Hudson is pet kid to Jennifer Jenkins and Bob Gursky. I loved painting this dog in the fauvist tradition of bright colors and simple broad brushstrokes. All that beautiful warm color on this dog! Hudson is an 80 lb rescue dog and looks like a sweetheart! He is painted in oil on 1/8" thick panel and comes to you ready to frame or sit on a small easel.

Frames can be found at pictureframes.com in their floater frame section.All these frames are 6"x6" inside measurement.

CF1 Black Floater Frame

CFS3 Gold Leaf Floater Frame

CFS10 Maple Floater Frame

HAPPY CREATING!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

"Doolin"

By now I'm sure you can see a pattern of sorts that has come through in my work on these pets. I find I am fond of keeping whites where the animal is white as it is the lightest value I can come up with...but, if you really look closely, there is little that remains pure white as my brush pulls color around. I also love to play with background colors...bright or straight from the tube...I will darken areas or lighten them, but I DO like those straight colors as the fauvist's did. I will, and have with Doolin brighten a color that I "see" inside these animals...their eyes remain the same, but the rest is stronger and brighter. FUN!

Doolin was a pet baby of my sister Terri Johnson's family. Her brother brought him home as a rescue dog and he remained faithful and a guard dog the rest of his life! He was especially fond of Terri's father and brother. I love to see these animals rescued to go on and be wonderful companions and family members to others who will love them so!

Doolin has his own set of frame ideas as with the rest. You can find frames like these "floater frames" at pictureframes.com in their floater frame sections.

HAPPY CREATING!

Monday, March 23, 2015

"Harley Miss Davidson"

6"x6" oil on panel