Big Lemons and Such

Sometimes, big lemons are awesome. I grew this one on my balcony, from a tiny Meyer Lemon tree I named Lemony Snicket. 

Other times, the big lemons come in the form of, say, the MN DOT shutting down both directions of the interstate AND the light rail system, for the entire weekend of your carefully planned open studio event, so that instead of healthy traffic and steady sales, you do little better than covering your expenses. 

That's what happened to a great many artists of Saint Paul Art Crawl last weekend, myself included. It isn't the first time interstate closures have crippled the event, and surely it won't be the last. Things happen. Outdoor fairs get rain or tornadoes, websites crash, the cat horks on the rug and you find it with your foot in the morning. And sometimes, the DOT makes your event practically DOA. 

It was still a good weekend, and there's still no telling what good things might come of it. I met a few delightful new people and one amazingly cool Border Terrier whose portrait I drew, and we got a visit from a gallery director who drove almost an hour to the event because she wants to schedule me for an exhibit. And while things were slow because so few people could get to us, I finished a chicken for my upcoming Chickens of Distinction calendar for 2016.

Bogey, the Amazingly Cool Border Terrier

So that's the news from here, and it's good, and also if anyone has a recipe that requires maybe 1/4 cup of lemon juice ... I might need that.

Little Lulu

Lulu belongs to Jeanne Klein, organizer of the Horse Crazy Market where I exhibit in December. Jeanne takes a class with me, and brought in photos our friend D'Arcy Allison Teasley (of Horse Tribe studios) took of her animals; I chose a shot of Lulu to use for a demonstration.

The idea was to show how to draw/paint black shapes while keeping their form -- to make them dark enough to read as black, but not let them turn into flat black blobs. So all I meant to draw was that black ear and the area around her eye, and then ... it got away from me and the next thing I knew, I had this.

If you make art for very long, you start to get these odd moments of magic, where you do something and then aren't quite sure how you did it (or how you did it that fast). There ought to be a word for that, but I don't know it if there is.

Robin of Dogwood Forest

Robin of Dogwood Forest, 10 x 8" mixed media on paper, from a photo I took of Marley the Min-Pin

Meet the daring legend who steals from the fat cats and gives to the pups!

I took this photo and could not get over the ears and the jaunty pose. At first I was going to put a vest and tie on him, but then the feathered cap occurred to me and it was off to the races.

This original is available at $225.  Greeting cards and prints are easy to order here.

Louise the Greyhound

Below is the photo I was using for reference. I printed it out, then sketched the changes I'd need to make -- primarily, correcting the way the camera had "shrunk" her rear end. Copying verbatim from photos rarely makes for good art, and camera distortion is one big reason why not. 

 

In the photo, her tail was tucked underneath her so you could barely see it. I pulled it forward to show that adorable little Greyhound tail-curl at the end. And I thought I was done, until Josephine Geiger said, "But what's she looking at? Put an ant in there!"

I groaned, but she was right. We needed to see what had caught Louise's eye. The dog's expression and winglike ears made me think of a butterfly, so that's what I went with. Just a small one -- but enough to emphasize Louise's charming, lively character.

Black Dog

Portrait of Zeke, 8 x 10" mixed media on cotton paper. This is a commissioned birthday gift for his person -- so I finished it a few days ago but couldn't post it yet.

I like black animals; my own horse is black. They're challenging to draw and paint, though!

I lucked out with Zeke: the person who commissioned the portrait had two excellent photos of him for me to work from. That's often not the case -- and there's often nothing to be done about it, because so many of the portraits I do are memorials of animals who are now gone.

I've said this before, but get photos of your creatures now; you'll want them, and wish you had taken them, if you don't. In this age of digital photography, we really no longer have excuses. It's not as though we'll be wasting expensive film.

Tribute to a Sweet Sheltie

Portrait of Lady, 11 x 11" mixed media on cotton paper. This elegant little girl passed away earlier this year, and I had the honor of capturing her from a few photos her owners had.

Little Taylor

While I was at St. Paul Art Crawl over the weekend, I found the photo below on my iPad and decided to sketch the little guy. It's not a great picture; it's poorly lit and somewhat blurry, but I liked the expression and chose to give it a try. Taylor belonged to a friend of mine who misses him very, very much. He was such a little dynamo that there aren't many great photos of him; he moved too fast!

Today I'm thinking I want to put in some of the freckling around his nose, and possibly add some subtle shading on one side of his face, and alter the shape of one ear a little bit. This is why I like to keep portraits around for a few days, if I can; I see things I didn't see at first.

Amazing Gracie

11 x 11" mixed media on cotton rag paper. Gracie was a whole bucket full of sass.

Let's play Spot the Lens Distortion

So, hi. Happy New Year, everyone!

I spent yesterday & the day prior getting my new website started and switching email providers (same address, more reliable service) and the good news is, my computer has no viruses.

Bad news:  I do. :-P

So I'm home, and I've got another black horse and another (mostly) white one that were put on hold while I dealt with technical stuff, and meanwhile this adorable photo just came in, for a drawing I'll be doing once the Pony Project is complete.

This is a pretty nice photo for art-making purposes. I'll have to undo the striped light from the blinds, yes, and there are some details I'll have to improvise around the nose and mouth, but the pose and expression are perfect and I can see the eyes really well.

Oh, and one particular thing got distorted by the camera. We're conditioned to looking at photos and so we fail to see this most of the time. It looks fine! But if you make a drawing that looks just like it, it'll look wrong.

Can you spot the problem I'll be correcting here?

Christmas (Dog and) Pony #13

I'm putting the dog sketch up first, so that it will be my "thumbnail" image when I post to Facebook, and thus reduce the risk of ruining the surprise of the horse portrait, which is a gift for someone.

This is Fozzie Bear, the cute fluffy gent with the soulful mismatched eyes. He's just as sweet as he looks here.

       
And the Surprise Pony is Coach, who sadly passed away about a month ago. The portrait is a stealth job, and will be delivered tomorrow before the person who commissioned it has to go out of town for the holiday.

5 Steps for Dog Photos that Don't Suck

Common occurrence in the life of an animal portrait artist:

Someone emails me a couple images of their beloved dog who has passed away, and wistfully asks if I can make a portrait from these snapshots, because it's all they have. And the snapshots are ... not great. The colors are all blue, the lighting is too dim or too harsh, the image is small and the details of the dog's face can't be seen very well.

Usually, my answer is yes, I can work with what they have; you'd be amazed what I can do with some pretty dismal photos. But it does take longer and I never feel the results are as good as they would be if my reference shots were better. And I'm saddened for the owners, who always wish they had taken better pictures while they still could. Pictures like these of Fozzie, above and below, which I took in a few minutes on a random Wednesday afternoon.

These are not professional-grade photos, but they're good (and for art-making purposes, excellent), and what's more, any yahoo with a digital camera can get the same results. No special training or equipment needed. Here's how:

1. TURN OFF YOUR FLASH.  See all that pretty sunlight, the soft shadows, and the warm color of Fozzie's coat? If you use a flash, all that goes away, replaced by a harsh blue floodlight effect. This is especially true if you're photographing indoors, which I don't recommend unless you have a nice sunlit window (ideal for cat owners!).

2. GET OUTSIDE. If you possibly can, photograph outdoors, preferably in early morning or late afternoon/early evening sunlight. Natural light is bright enough so that you don't need to use the flash to get a sharp picture. Early or late sunlight is perfect -- slanting and golden, it brings out the animal's natural beauty. If your dog is black and shiny, shooting right at sunset or on an overcast or hazy day may work better, so keep the camera around and keep playing.

3. GET CLOSE (and get help from a friend). For dogs, you'll likely need someone to distract them or hold the leash, or else they'll be dogs: "Hey! Whatchya doin'? What is that? Izzit a toy? Huh huh?" If you have a dog, you probably already have the Lens Full of Doggie Nose pictures that result. You just need to be close enough so the head and shoulders fill the frame and you can see all the expressive details.  It will help a lot to be on the dog's eye level, if you can.

4. LEARN TO USE YOUR WHITE BALANCE SETTING. This is in the menu of any digital camera, even the one on my cheap little flip-phone. The symbols for it are "WB" or a little sun, cloud, light bulb, or house casting a shadow for "shade." If you're photographing outside or in that sunny window, set your camera for sunlight. This will keep that warm golden tone in your pictures. If you don't set your camera for sun, your colors may look weirdly blue, like a poster that's been hanging in a shop window too long.

5. TAKE A TON OF SHOTS. This is digital; it's not like you're going to waste film. Have fun! If you've got 20 pictures and only one is good, you still have a good picture.

Oh, one last thing: Once you've got some nice pictures, back them up on a thumb drive, DVD, or somewhere else so that you don't lose your memories if your hard drive conks out.

Happy snapping to all my fellow amateur camera-hounds!

Charlie the Spaniel

Charlie, mixed media on paper, 10 x 8".

Isn't he cuuuute? I love my job.


I'll have animal portrait gift certificates at Art Crawl, by the way. Great for That Person Who Has Everything.

And on that note, I am off to La Patisserie to finish the big canvas. And get one of Deb's amazing little lemon tarts, if she has any left today. Lemon tarts were one of the joys I discovered while studying in Paris, and Deb makes the exact same kind I got there. I have a terrible weakness for them.

Motley as a Pup, and the Trouble with Free Art

Motley at Rest, 11 x 11" mixed media on cotton rag paper

So, yeah. It's been a busy, busy few weeks! And now I'm gearing up for Fall Art Crawl at JA Geiger Studio, (note that, as of my writing this, the site hasn't been updated; Fall Crawl is October 12 - 14 and the hours and address are all the same as for Spring).

Meanwhile, there's a discussion I'm following about a well-known musician, Amanda Palmer, who has landed in the middle of a controversy for asking professional musicians to come play in her band, on her tour, for free. Except, she's going to pay the ones in NYC because the show there has to be top-notch.  Some musicians (and visual artists like myself) are deeply bothered by this.

Here's Amanda's blog post defending herself, and another person's take on the situation.

When and why to work for free is a constant question in the lives of professional artists. My experience is that if everything's about the money, about survival, it kills me; and so I do give out of my art to support causes I believe in. I have donated art to:

Enchanted Makeovers
Northern Lights Greyhound Adoption
Arts for ACT
The Bridge for Youth
Home for Life

and there are more, but you get the gist.

But Amanda Palmer is not a charity, and work donated by artists is not "free" for the artists. It is time, materials, and study. It is an opportunity cost.

I've lost track of how many people I have shocked by telling them I had to work for my gift. An innate aptitude for art was only the beginning, and the rest has been decades of study and practice, a constant quest to gain new skills. This shocks people who assume that if you have talent, it all comes easily.

Amanda Palmer, an artist herself, knows how hard it is for artists. She of all people ought to be finding ways to make it better, instead of perpetuating the same old toxic ideas we already have. I totally understand the reasons people will play for her for free, but it breaks my heart that she'd ask them to.

Motley the Yorkie, in his PJs

Motley in his PJs, 11 x 11" mixed media on paper

Yorkies are such little charmers. This one belongs to the owners of the Dream Home for the Fall Parade of Homes here in the Twin Cities. His portrait -- two of them; this is the first -- will be on display there.

Dog Day

Mr. Brady, 8 x 10" pastel pencils, carbon pencil, watercolor, and soft pastel on cotton paper.

These kinds of portraits are pretty involved. There's a process I use of layering pastel pencils and watercolor over each other repeatedly before adding the final touches of soft pastel and doing the last bits of refining of the eyes, which are the most important element for getting the animal's real character.

The whole process takes an average of five hours' work for a drawing of this size and style. Here's what it looks like at about an hour in, when I'm still carefully checking proportions against my source photo and making sure I've got it right before I start with the watercolor:

When the finished drawing is to be looser, less precise, they take far less time; those of you who were at Art Crawl this spring may have seen me produce sketches in twenty minutes, even. Those are a very different thing, great fun and worth doing, just not anywhere near the level of precision or "finish" of this kind of portrait.  

Below, the snapshot I had for reference. I'd have liked it to be larger and a bit sharper and better lit, but Brady was no longer with us and so I used what we had.

Dalmatian in Progress

Annie, 8 x 10" mixed media on Rives BFK Tan paper.

And I have a dilemma, which is whether to try putting a backdrop (softly drawn in a neutral tone) of avocado branches and leaves behind her. This dog LOVES her avocado tree. And eats avocados whenever possible, too.

But the busy spot pattern on her coat is such that I'm nervous about adding anything busy to the background, lest it compete with her and make the drawing "noisy." So I'm torn, and thinking it over.

Mercedes the Chihuahua (or: 45 minutes & a snapshot)

Just completed in about 45 minutes at the Saint Paul City Ballet.  I had that much time, and a snapshot for reference. These drawings aren't as detailed and accurate as my usual drawn portraits (which take around 4 hours), but have a lively, sketchy quality all their own.

Thanks to Georgia Amdahl for the opportunity to do this.

A Golden Named Buzz

 

He's such a sweetie. No time to write much about him today -- I am getting ready to head out for class tonight -- but he is well loved and is a therapy dog. 

The portrait is one of my standard 8 x 10" mixed media drawings on Rives BFK (100% cotton rag) paper. Pastel pencils, watercolors, soft pastels, and carbon pencils. 

Animal Portrait Styles, Sizes & Price List

Portraits of animals -- every species and size -- are always a challenge and a joy. They feel like a lengthy conversation in which I learn about the animal's heart, its dignity, even its sense of humor.

My goal with each portrait is not only to capture all that character and life, but to do so in a work that is not just a likeness, but a piece of art in its own right.

I offer paintings and drawings in a variety of sizes and media, and tailor each job to the needs of the client. This is a basic price list with examples.

Motley the Yorkie, 11 x 11" mixed media on cotton rag paper

Traditional Oil Paintings on Canvas

Built up from drawing to finished work in the traditional, complex method of layering and blending. I use oil-primed linen canvas, the highest quality available, with finished edges that make framing optional rather than required.  On request, I may also paint on high-quality artists' hardboard panels.

Pumpkin, 10 x 8" oil on canvas. Done as a portfolio piece; sold to MJ in Florida, who I know will take very good care of her.

Twilight in the Evening Sun, 18 x 18" oil on canvas

Maggie, 24 x 24" oil on canvas

10 x 8"  oil on canvas/panel, $495. This is a nice size for smaller dogs and for cat portraits.
12 x 9"   oil on canvas/panel, $595.  A nice format suited for long-faced dog breeds such as Greyhounds and GSDs, and for horses.
14 x 11"  oil on canvas/panel,  $695.  A good choice when you have a larger animal or a larger space.

Square formats -- common sizes are 10 x 10", 12 x 12", and 18 x 18"; prices for oils start at $545 for a 10" square. Horse portraits often naturally fit a square format.

Custom Sizes: Available on request, always. Call or email for a consultation and quote, free of charge.


Mixed Media Portrait Paintings.  I use a variety of techniques for these, generally chosen based on a combination of artistic instinct and my sense of the animal's character. Most commonly I use Rives BFK Tan paper, which is a rich, heavy cotton paper with a warm tone; the portraits are created on that backdrop in traditional sanguine pencils, pastels, velvety black carbon pencil, and even washes of watercolor.

Jane, Not Plain. 10 x 10" watercolors, pastels, pastel pencils and acrylic on cotton rag paper.

Mr. Brady, 8 x 10" mixed media on cotton rag paper

No creature too small. This is Torley, who is a dwarf hamster. His tiny portrait is just 6 x 6". 

1o x 8" is the standard and most popular size. Drawing only, unmatted, $300. I can mat these in a museum-quality, warm cream colored mat, ready to fit a standard 14 x 11" frame, for an additional $30.

Larger drawings such as the 11" square portraits of Motley the Yorkie start at $350 for the drawing only, unmatted. 

Custom sizes are always available! Just ask for a consult and quote, at no charge.

How to Commission: 

Email me photos! I need them to be large and/or high-resolution photographs, in good lighting (i.e. natural light and no flash). The animal's face should be in sharp focus, so I can clearly see the details. Send plenty of images; they help me get to know the animal. If you need some basic photography help, I will be happy to provide pointers.

For local clients, I can provide a package which includes a visit to your home or barn where I will meet you and your animal and take my own reference photos for the work. 

If the animal is deceased ... show me what photos you do have, and we'll talk. I have an unusual ability to transform less-than-great photos into beautiful art, at an additional cost for the extra time it requires.

Note that I cannot use photos taken by a professional photographer unless you provide me with that photographer's written permission to do so.

A 25% deposit is due on commissions at the time when they are booked. Turnaround will usually vary from 2 weeks up to 90 days, depending upon my existing schedule and the size of the work you are commissioning.  If you have a particular deadline, do let me know; if it's possible I will work with you.

I will make a preliminary sketch of the art and email that to you for approval or changes before I begin. Then, as the piece is in progress, I will take the occasional shot to send you, and to post to my blog and/or Facebook, as my readers enjoy watching the process. If the portrait is a gift and needs to be a surprise, I will keep it under wraps for you. 

Lovely Hannah

Here's the finished piece that you saw in progress last night. What's new: additional carbon pencil (black) shading and details, and layers of cream-colored chalk, terra-cotta colored pastel pencil, white pastel pencil, and touches of white pastel.

Hannah has such a soft, sweet face. She required a lot of time and care, and was worth every moment.

At 14 x 11" unmatted, this is larger than the 8 x 10" size that I'm most commonly asked for.