Here I am getting so close to finish.  Nellie, on the right, has a cream based coat.  To make her fur really outstanding, I am layering in the many color undertones such as blues, greens, yellow ochers, crimsons, that I am finding in the the subtleties of her fur.  Later, l will add layers of highlights in her cream coat.

This pet portrait is of Casper and Nellie. They are two very beloved dogs. This is the most current painting I am working on. I am excited about it; it is going very well. I have had a rough go in the beginning for this work of art. One day after I spent the night meticulously drawing out the composition, a wind burst blew through my studio, knocking this painting onto the floor. When I ran into my studio, this is what I saw below. I really could not believe it, a rip in the canvas. So, it was back to drawing board for real for me. Equipped with a new canvas, redrawn, you can see the work in progress above. More updates to be expected very soon!!!!

Getting closer to completion. The cats are developing nicely. I am bringing in more purples, roses, and blues. Just a little more definition on these three animals and this pet portrait will hanging beautifully in its new home.

In this painting, Vegas, a Harlequin Great Dane, is seated in the center with playful Sunny and Pinky in between his front paws. He is an amazingly beautiful spotted Great Dane. I love his face, so much pattern, color, and personality. Vegas is certainly developing well. Next in line are the two cats. More to come on their development soon!

This beautiful pet portrait is of Sophie, a super sweet Yorkie living in Louisiana. The colors naturally appearing in her fur allowed for a great deal of artistic interpretation in adding a multitude of yellow ochers, crimsons, thalo blues, even olive greens. I had a great time painting her portrait. The colors seems to flow off of the palette and onto my brush spilling onto the canvas with great ease. It is great to have this experience when painting, when everything just feels right. As for the background, I tend to wait for the painting to develop first, then allow the color for the background to come to me rather than chasing after one to “fit”. One night right before I was getting ready to fall asleep, I “saw” the finished version of this painting in my head complete with a light green background. It was what was needed and it works! I love when the process works this naturally! I am in the process of researching for a really good printer to purchase to make prints of my painting. If anyone has good recommendations, please let me know.

Pet portraits: Jeremiah and Dakota, Rough Collies

These two absolutely beautiful collies were great to paint. I love the composition with the two collies side by side with the ruby background.

Collie portrait, Jeremiah and Dakota, a work in progress.

Jeremiah and Dakota, original photograph.

Monty’s pet portrait final image. In this painting, I really wanted to highlight all of the subtle tonalities of color in Monty’s fur- alizarin crimson, yellow ochre, a variety of blue. I love his expression.

Monty’s pet portrait preview

The very beginning stage

The original photo

Bridgette’s final portrait

Bridgette is looking quite lovely here with a fuller coat and a beautifully warm background. I have been layering in some crimson and yellow ocher tones in the background to surround Bridgette color to reflect her sweet and warm personality. That is exactly what is needed in this frigid cold night, a beautiful dog like Bridgette to cuddle up with. My brushes needed some beautiful reds as well. I am going to let Bridgette’s portrait sit to the side to let it dry for a few days. In the meantime, I’ll go back and add a few finishing touches here and there. Its when the painting is sits that my eyes continue to go back to it to make it just right. She should be ready to go home by the end of next week. Bridgette might even be paying my studio a visit to check out her portrait live in the fur. I hope she likes it!!!

Those big brown eyes are pools one could get lost in. This pet portrait is of Bridgette, a German Shepard/ Chow mix. Her Grandmother is having her portrait done as a gift for Bridgette’s mother. Her special features are her big, warm, eyes, and gentle and sweet soul. What a lovely girl. I am spending quite a bit of thought on creating the perfect background for such a sweetheart. It is to be just right just for her. Interested in seeing the results? Come visit this entry in about two weeks.

Bridgette’s original photo, so cool in the shade!

So, how does a photo go from a photo to a full fledged painting you ask. Well, this is a super condensed insight to inside world of my easel and hours and hours of meticulous labors of love. It all begins with a good photo. This precious little beauty is Diamond. She visited my studio this summer for a photo session for her own pet portrait. I met her humans, Greg and Amy, at the Animal Friend’s Mutt Strutt. Just look at her, she is just begging to have herself captured in paint and immortalized forever and ever. Just look at that expression, that is a smile of a happy dog!

This is the beginning phase where I spend time figuring things out. What goes where, shadows, highlights, browns, blues, yellow ochers, and all the shades that come between. Doing this has taught me the word patience. Sometimes I just want to see the work at its end phase right at the beginning. That just doesn’t work. When climbing a mountain, you can’t start at the top. Its a slow steady climb from the bottom-up.

She’s really looking good here. I really loved painting this portrait, especially since the original photo was so clear. Ah-hem. I took it myself.

This is the near final stage of our beautiful Diamond. She has great energy, it is only suiting that her background color embody her vibrant, youthful spirit. I love that neon lime green on a dark furred dog. I just wish I could really convey the way this painting looks in person over the web. It looks GREAT!!

The Final Product! Beautiful! Beautiful!

I love this painting. The loose brush strokes and uplifting colors create a fabulous composition of Pixie and Magnum. I made a few subtle changes since the last update. Magnum’s fur around his eyes and bridge of his nose are much softer now. His back paw is just peeking out behind Pixie. I deepened the color of the couch behind his to add more of a contrast behind his soft wheaten coat. One can tell from their soft gazes that these two are real sweet hearts. I am very happy with the out come of this painting, I can’t wait for its owners to see it in person!! See the work in progress…

Pixie and Magnum, the final stage. This is such a fun portrait. Pixie and Magnum have such loving personalities, it really shows through on this painting. Soft and subtle lighting from a window behind them and to the left offers an interesting effect on these two pups. I am interested to hear their family’s comments! See the process… Read the rest of this entry »

These two are just so adorable. I intensified the background color and added more yellow to the green above the dogs while adding reflections of the yellow/green in the blue ground below. Also, in this painting especially in Sienna the darker dog, her fur has a velvety appearance to it. So I added more shadows and hues of crimson and yellow ocher in areas. I just love this painting! I wish I had an actual sized canvas replica of each pet portrait I have done in the past because it would be great to see them all together. But now they are off, like baby birds leaving the nest. They must go. I simply do not have enough wall space for them all. I can’t wait for Winston and Sienna’s humans to see this in person! See more of the work in progress by clicking on the read more link!!!!

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A painter’s work is never done. After much consideration, I decided, along with Merry’s owner, that this painting really needed to have more pink. Merry really loves pink and the painting simply would not be complete without it! So, I went back to the easel and added a glaze of pink over areas to make it much warmer in appearance. I am very happy that I did. The result is a more vibrant painting. See the work in progress… Read the rest of this entry »

Zero, the Bull Terrier, was painted as a gift from my friend Leighann of the dog barkery, WAG, in Shadyside, Pittsburgh, for her friend, Richard, of the South Bank Gallery in Pittsburgh’s South Side. This charming Bull Terrier was captured in bold and florescent colors creating a uniqueand interesting work of art! See the Zero’s pet portrait work in progress… Read the rest of this entry »

Tula, the finished work. I think this painting is especially endearing. It must me the warmth of Tula’s eyes. The yellow background really showcases the warm browns in Tula’s fur. This is a great piece. I cannot wait for her owner to see it in person. See the work in progress… Read the rest of this entry »

Josie, the gorgeous bulldog mascot of MCN Salon in the Strip District of Pittsburgh. Zapata Studios, Pittsburgh.
See Josie’s portrait in progress and her big night at the Carnegie Museum of Art…. Read the rest of this entry »

Finally, the finished pet portrait of Sophie. Now this painting is on its way to Harrisburg to suprize its new owner. I am anxious to hear the reactions! Interested in seeing how this painting developed… Read the rest of this entry »

This pet portrait of Sebastian has such wonderful colors and texture. It took a lot of layering to get the background to complement him just right, not too strong, and not too subtle. His dark head and white body was a bit tricky to work with when painting in the background; however, these ccolors work out well. See the original photo… Read the rest of this entry »

This set of Cairn Terriers and Norfolk Terrier is one of the most extensive pet portrait paintings I have painted yet. The four Terriers were first photographed separately, see their original photos. Read the rest of this entry »

This charming little fellow is Peanut. He is finally complete and spunky as ever. His coat got some added shadows, yellow ochre highlights for warmth, and his trademark collar. I tried something new by adding a deorative background. Its beautiful; however, not too feminine for this boy. I cannot wait for his owner, Kelly, to pick up this portrait and display it. It has a very beautiful feel. I am sure it will certainly brighten her home. See pictures of the work in progress. Read the rest of this entry »

Pet Portrait- Greyhound, Zapata Studios, Pittsburgh

Finally finished, this portrait is a favorite! Both dogs are ready to jump right off of the canvas. The energy of these two pups is great! The yellow background really makes the two dogs really stand out. See the portrait work in progress Read the rest of this entry »

This is a pet portrait of Holly, a beautiful Boxer from Pittsburgh.

I know this is a cat portrait, but I can’t help listing it under the dog page too. It is just so beautiful. It is ten times more vibrant in person. This pet portrait is very soft and subtle in style. My aim was to capture the light shining through the window and its effects on the cat’s fur. See the original photos Read the rest of this entry »

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Each custom portrait created from your photo includes: Read the rest of this entry »

This pet portrait is of Cane, from Columbia, South Carolina. This handsome fellow will certainly greet his family when opened under the Christmas tree this year. I love the painterly nuetral color field background. It is really stunning to see in person. I can’t wait for this painting to reach its’ home in the south. See the work in progress… Read the rest of this entry »

See more photos of the work in progress… Read the rest of this entry »

This pet portrait was commissioned by a client of his dog, Junior. See the work in progress Read the rest of this entry »

This pet portrait was commissioned by a family in North Carolina. Daxon is such a beautiful dog, see his original photo… Read the rest of this entry »

Sammy’s pet portrait is coming along great! His spunky personality feels like he is about to jump right off of the canvas. See the original photo… Read the rest of this entry »

Annie and Riley, the final phase. See this portrait’s original photo… Read the rest of this entry »

This is a portrait of Antoni and Sylvia, a commisioned portrait I have just completed working on this afternoon. Read the rest of this entry »