Decorate with Dogs- Veterinarary Clinic, New York

I received an order for five prints on canvas to decorate the waiting room of a veterinary clinic in New York. He said he'd been looking for dog art for three years, and when he found me he knew he found the art he'd been seeking. He chose the images he wanted and sent a photo of the waiting room with the three benches. I sketched the benches against the yellow wall and experimented with varying sizes of prints on the wall using the paintings he was interested in, and suggested that maybe he would consider three large canvas dog prints rather than five smaller.He settled upon the last image, three large canvas prints of dogs, and one cat.

 

Evolution of a Painting- Dog Art, Seattle, WA

In the effort to make a painting "more better", sometimes I look back on what I was trying to improve and think maybe I should have let it be. But unless I reach the knowing place with it, where nothing is prodding me for change, I have to keep going. This is a painting about the giddiness of a dog that knows it is loved, and the serenity that comes from loving. Painting 1 got concept, painting 2 got the sky, but it's painting 3 that captured the emotion of both subjects. Now, the sky is beckoning. I like the contrast of the churning, threatening clouds in painting 2 but the soft embracing sky of painting 3 fits the mood.

Digital dog art- Ivy and Sucia at home in Seattle

Ivy and Sucia, a digital painting created on the iPad, soon to be an actual painting. Ivy, the black adolescent, is a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Yellow Lab mix from South Africa. Sucia is a Catahouia Hound rescue dog from New Orleans. Quite the duo. No one comes into this house without their permission. This painting was ordered as a wedding present but without enough time to create the actual painting before the big day. Since I can create a painting on the iPad in a couple of days, a print of the beloved pair was presented as the wedding gift with the painting to come later. Now time to get out to the studio and turn this into something made with brushes and canvas and paint that comes in jars.

Dog Art Wedding Gift- Portland, Ore.

Tis the season of weddings! Opening the gift of a print on canvas of Arlo, a digital painting created on the iPad.Congratulations to Jocelyn, Colin, and Arlo on your marriage! All three of you.

Coastal Canine magazine likes my dog art! Santa Cruz, CA

Coastal Canine magazine recently did an extensive interview with me for their summer issue. The magazine serves the central CA coast (dog lovers of course), and exactly the people I'd like to include in my client base!  I surely would not be averse to a trip to Carmel to meet some new clients! Full article in an upcoming post when the magazine comes out.

Georgia mutt Riley as an iPad painted dog portrait- backyard in Athens.

Riley is a dog who looks like a living cartoon character. And he does have a crooked nose. Lives in Georgia. Can you tell?

Lab and Mutt as iPad dog art painting- two dogs that understand Portugese.

Lisa e Brama are Brazilian. This is the message I received from their person, Sophia, who also speaks English!"The painting is thoroughly perfect, really wonderful!!! You captured their expressions very well! The colors of their hair, their eyes, their ears, so cute!! They look like the reality! I looooove the painting :)

Thank you again! Warm hugs,

Sofia."

Dog Art on Doggie Bags- Seattle, WA

Doggie bags featuring two of my paintings are now available at All the Best Pet Care in Seattle. This is the second generation of bags, but unlike at Christmas time they are not full of goodies, you have to fill them yourself. Room for lots of treats!

Theo as an iPad painting in preparation for a painted portrait- Seattle, WA

The old man sits before his charge, the park at North Acres., the desired setting for Theo in this painting. He is "surveying all that he believes is his" for this portrait, as is customary for him. I love this dog. I hate the idea of him leaving us. So many friends will miss him.

Theo, big old mutt, as subject of a new painting- Seattle, WA

Back to dogs for a moment. I had an appointment yesterday with Theo, the "Sheriff" of North Acres Off Leash Dog Park in Seattle. I was commissioned to paint Theo by friends of Theo and as a gift to Pam. The two together have been stewards of the park for years. Friends of both are sadly looking at saying goodbye to Theo in the near future, as he is advancing in age and his body is succumbing to cancer. It was very moving to meet Theo, and brought tears to my eyes to think that this dignified, beautiful dog may be leaving us soon. These are some sketches and a photo of Theo from the appointment.

Painting of Duster dog makes Madrona News! Seattle, WA

Our own little neighborhood newspaper placed a short article about my blog post from Aug. 6 regarding the Madrona Auto building, which was in the process of being torn down to make way for live/work lofts. We residents of Madrona love our little family oriented community, and know how special it is to live in a place with quiet streets, large green spaces, and the best restaurants in Seattle. Now one of the Madrona landmarks is gone, and a new four story complex is being built. It's a loss, but it makes sense. Madrona Auto has made way for new housing that will provide living space for many people, so there is the trade off. We keep the green spaces, and pack the people in the commercial area. Bye bye Madrona Auto. I used Madrona Auto as the backdrop for a painting of Duster, 17 years ago.

"Those were the days when parking was always available, The Doll House was the only restaurant in Madrona, and the door to the Hat Shop was always open."

Ah yes, those were the days, but so are these.

Madrona Auto, then and now- dog painting Seattle, WA

There is quite a bit of new construction going on in Seattle, and in my own Madrona neighborhood. Madrona Auto was a landmark in this neighborhood, a vintage building that was loved by residents, and is now gone, being replaced by much more lucrative condos. 17 years ago I used the old building as backdrop for a painting of Duster. I was just starting to paint dogs, and Duster, the dog of a friend, volunteered to be a model. I wandered the neighborhood looking for a backdrop for Duster, and decided upon the famous garage, three blocks from my home. It's a loss to the neighborhood and to the historical record when such landmarks must give way to duplicate condos.

Alas, those were the days when parking was always available, the Doll House greasy spoon was the only restaurant in Madrona, and the door to the Hat Shop was always open.

Custom Paintings of Dogs on Exhibit at Mioposto Cafe- Seattle, WA

I was invited by the GM of Mioposto Cafe in the Mt. Baker neighborhood of Seattle to show some paintings of dogs. I keep about a dozen paintings in my own personal collection that I have done over the years, specifically for showing now at then at various venues. I'm also attached to some of them, and purely don't want to let them go. Therefore, this show is exhibit only, though I certainly encourage any visitors to the show to commission a portrait of their very own dog, and themselves!

Cataloguing Work and Discovering Forgotten Dog Art- Seattle, WA

I've begun the massive project of organizing and cataloguing all of my work,to include not just the image files in different sizes and formats, but the sketches and stories and record of details about the work. I have been discovering older work that I had fogotten about. This is "Lauren and Diogi", and this very small file is all I have as a record of this painting, which was my first double portrait of a child with her (appropriately named), "D.O.G." Lauren was three, and quite smitten with both Diogi, and Grover.

Curie on Location- Custom Painted Portrait by Seattle Dog Artist Nancy Schutt

Upon my request, clients who had commissioned two portraits from me, one for their Seattle home and one for their San Juan Island home (of two different dogs), graciously sent me photos they took of the painting at the island home while vacationing there over the holidays. Very beautiful setting for Curie the painting, while Curie the dog, looks on from the side. Curie the dog prefers the beach to the indoors, and is looking a little less frisky than when I originally painted her.