From the happy family who lives with Casey Jones and Mr. Poppers and received the painting that I shipped to them last week."Dear Nancy We unpacked the picture and hung it in our kitchen. We truly love it. You have captured our special pets perfectly. It is a true treasure. We cannot thank you enough for this marvelous tribute to our furry friends. Again many thanks!"
Casey Jones, Mr. Poppers, and the neighborhood bunny as an actual painting, alongside the digital painting which preceded the final painting on canvas. I work out most of the composition and colors in the digital painting, but an actual painting has it's own life and dictates, so it never looks quite like the digital version- as it should be. Casey and Mr. Poppers are standing at the front porch entryway to their home just outside New York City, where they, the family, and the painting all live. The neighborhood bunny likes to taunt them. They give chase, but never catch up.
Casey Jones wishing all Merry Christmas!
Back to the blog after a few weeks absence- with some T shirt designs. I've created about 20 images for T shirts, starting with a Jack, of course, always first in line!
This is an iPad painting of Luna, my latest subject. In the words of one of the people she owns:"She is a Cherrier - A Chihuahua/Jack Russel Terrier. We found her posted on PetFinder.com and we adopted her from Homeward Pet the same day we found her. She was 9 weeks old. She has two bunny brothers, whom she loves to play with and watch over. Her favorite best day ever is chewing sticks and chasing squirrels. She promises to finish her dinner if she can have a treat first and she always keeps her promise."
We were visiting friends on Whidbey Island last week, and brought a couple of bottles of Out of Reach Muttitage wine. We all enjoyed dinner and wine on the deck, and their pup Bandit, wanted to be part of the action (and steal some snap peas as well.) We saw Bandit going after a pea, or was it the salami?, just "Out of Reach", and just HAD to capture these photos of him mimicking my painting on the bottle! (the wine label with my painting won "Best Wine Label" at the San Francisco Chronicle's 2012 Wine Competition of over 5000 wines)
(Thank you Anita Nowacka for the photos!)
Photos from the book release party for Robin Gainey, author of "Jack of Hearts". I attended the party because a painting that Robin commissioned from me 8 years ago is on the cover. The painting of Shimoni was a gift for a friend of Robin's who lives in Italy. Two years after Robin commissioned the portrait, she finished writing the story who's main character is a Jack Russell named Shimoni. Here is Robin's Seattle celebration of the release of the book and an art show of some my paintings of dogs with their humans. In the last photo on the far right is a portrait of Robin and her two Jack Russells, Dash and Axel, and cat, Eva. Preparing for the Dog Art Show.
And what a Party! 
When possible, I interview the person and it's owner (the dog) so that I may sketch and photograph the subjects, and learn more about the personalities of the dogs. I also learn more about what the person wants in the painting. These are photos of a somewhat typical dog appointment- I say somewhat because the subject, a very curious Jack Russell Terrier, was more involved in the interview than my usual subjects.
The full process of interview, sketches, then two stages of the painting, one in progress and the final version. Meet Axel and Phoenix, darned adorable Jacks.
nancy@dogloverart.com 206 941 9663
