I try to avoid portraits with multiple dogs because you will always prefer one over the other. The description that came with the reference photos was that one dog was serious and the other goofy. I was very happy with the serious dog but the goofy one…. well he is just goofy. Fortunately the person who commissioned the painting said that the white dog was spot on. It is always easier you can meet the dogs in person.
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 I am obsessed with this location. Having sold the previous Gay Head painting I was compelled to paint the cliffs again.
 Portraiture has always been an interest of mine and younger members of the family are less apt to complain. I was pleased with this one though and it encourages me to keep working my way through the family. I was particularly pleased with the "baby skin." Getting the age right is always a challenge. My inspiration for portraiture is the work of british artist, Simon Davis.  Since the beginning of the year I have been focusing on large canvas landscapes. Every now and then I need to go back to my comfort zone and paint a dog or two. It reassures me that I can produce something I am happy with and in a much shorter time frame. Dumpling seems like a perfectly named sweetie-pie.  This is another large canvas 30" x 48". I was able to drive to the beach on my lunch hour to take the reference photos on one of the days when we did not have snow on the ground. It was a fairly cold day but I was thinking summer while painting!  I took a series of photos of the cliffs at Aquinnah. We were there as the tide had just turned so there was a lot of standing water. This more colorful bluff is east of the one in the previous painting. My New Years resolution was to paint big but this is on a more comfortable 12" x 12" canvas.  This canvas is huge by my standard, 3 feet by 3 feet. Over Christmas we visited Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard and walked the beach on a foggy morning. I took lots of photos and did a little monochrome sketch. This is just the first of many paintings from photos of our visit to Martha's Vineyard. I have lots more to explore, but perhaps not quite as large next time, definitely not as large!  This is a Christmas portrait of Bunny, my daughter's dog. I am guessing/hoping she does not visit my website too often because the painting is still here drying and will not be ready to frame and ship in time for the holiday. This was a second attempt. When getting ready to frame the first one I rejected it and decided I could do better. I am much happier with this one and think it was well worth taking the time, even missing the holiday, for a better result. This portrait really shows Bunny's mischievous spirit and the "who me?" innocent stare she has perfected.  In 2014 we spent a week on the Canal du Midi. Unlike this painting the banks are lined with beautiful plane trees. Sadly these trees have been hit by a fungus and many infected trees have been removed. This was one of the areas where the trees are gone. I hope to follow this painting with one of the bridges where plane trees still line the canal.
 Pet portraits make such a nice unique holiday gift. I know this guy is a well loved member of his family because one of the photos I received showed him sitting at the dinner table with a birthday cake and a brand new tennis ball in front of him. What a lucky boy. I hope his owners enjoy this portrait they will receive as a gift from their friends!  The black dogs are not as scary as they used to be. This good old boy was a pleasure to paint. I hope his family is as pleased with the results as I am.  Small portraits make nice holiday gifts. There is no commitment if I haven't captured the likeness.True likeness is not easy to capture from one or two photos. I have struggled with this guy. Hopefully this one works but if not I can still make a few small adjustments. If it still doesn't work it has been a learning experience. I am happy with this as a painting, it is the likeness that only the owner can judge. |
Linda Collins
This past summer I was fortunate to attend a workshop with Colley Whisson at the Landgrove Inn in Landgrove, VT. Colley is an Australian artist Archives
October 2018
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