30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 28

#28 "I HATE Water!"          Acrylic

As I said before, toward the end of a thirty day series of paintings you start to get a little crazy.  This cat's expression was just too funny to pass up.  Apparently it likes to go and sit in the shower when it's dry but like most cats -- getting wet is taboo.  It was a real challenge to capture this face.

Only two days left for this challenge.  What a joy this has been.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 27

#27  "On Your Mark..."      Acrylics

Who could resist this face?  Some dogs are noble, some are heroic, some are stately and some just beg to be played with.  That's Ziggy -- he just beams with energy and happiness.  Most of the dogs I've had in my life have been rescues and when you bring them home they are so grateful, but also very scared and shy.  They have to be coaxed to trust again.   Dogs that are raised in a loving home just don't have those issues.  Whether a rescue or raised from a puppy, Ziggy was one of the lucky ones.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 26

One of the decisions I've had to make with each painting in this series is what to do with the background.  If you've been following then you know that some of the animals have been in a narrative scene and some have been placed against a simple plain background.  That choice depends on what strikes me when I look at the reference photo.  Sometimes it's the eyes that speak volumes, sometimes it's the way their bodies convey how they feel. Often, it's their markings or the beauty of their coats.  In this case, it was how totally mellow this cat is -- she just wants to be loved-on, 24/7.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 25

#25 "Feel That Breeze"                                              Acrylic

My brother loves Golden Retrievers so I've been around them quite a bit and one of the things I've noticed about them is that regardless of how excited they may feel on the inside, they always look so calm on the outside.  That's one of the reasons I chose to paint this beauty.  
The reference for this painting was taken at a lake I've painted many times and it seemed perfect to put the two together.  Just wish I could have been in that canoe too.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 24

#24  My Favorite Martian                                   Acrylics

When I work on a long series, there seems to come a point  when I leave the original concept and begin to move into unknown territory.  Sometimes this means moving from realism to abstraction, sometimes from one medium to another and sometimes from "serious" to whimsical.  When I first saw the reference photo of this little cat, for some reason, I immediately thought of Martians.  I think it was the color of it's eyes and how back in the day space aliens were depicted as some form of bright green. 
Not sure where tomorrow will take me but keep watching -- there will be some other funny ones to follow.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 23

#23  "Shiloh is Hungry!"             Acrylic

Choosing a composition for any painting is one of the most significant decisions an artist makes.  When painting portraits, whether of humans or animals, it can make or break the finished work.  In this instance,  moving into a tight close up seemed to capture the intensity of Shiloh's gaze. I continue to be amazed at the infinite variety of expressions dogs and cats use to "speak" to us.
Hard to believe there are only seven days left in this challenge.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 22

#22  Spice Boy                          Acrylics

This gorgeous fellow is a new friend and although I'm super allergic to cats, I couldn't resist giving him just a few strokes.  He is one of the most affectionate cats I've ever met and VERY active -- not hyper, just active.  He loves to roll around on the floor and "pose" for the camera.  He's like a really beautiful person who knows that he's attractive and just wants to share his beauty with the world.
Thank you Spice for being such a great model.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 21

#21 "Please, Just 10 Minutes More"     Acrylic

Painting puppies has special challenges just like painting children.  The proportions of the face are very different from adults.  This little guy is sure going to be a lot bigger than he is right now judging from the size of his paws.
When choosing the color scheme for this piece, I decided to go with high contrast and lots of darks.  This far into the challenge means it's time to experiment by mixing colors differently.  I was very pleased with these results.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 20

#20  Double the Pleasure                        Acrylic

 

This was by far the hardest of the animals I've painted for this challenge.  Just figuring out whose leg was where was hard enough but then putting in all the markings took several attempts.  These beauties belong to a friend but I forgot to ask if they are related.  They look enough alike to be siblings.  Do animals have identical twins and triplets?

Only ten more days in this challenge.  I've really enjoyed getting to know all these animals but I must confess, I'm looking forward to exploring some other ideas that have been put on hold.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 19

#19   " Is That A Cat?!? "                         Acrylics

Completely modified this cutie's surroundings to call more attention to that terrific expression.  Painting all that scruffy fur was a real challenge.  It was going in all sorts of directions.  Some was straight, some was wavy and all of it just makes him adorable.  He looks like a perfect candidate for commercials.  He lives with three cats, maybe that explains why he's always on the alert!


Most of these 5 x 7 paintings are available for purchase.  Just let me know which ones you are interested in.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 18

"I AM the Most Interesting Cat in the World"       Acrylic

 

As much as I love dogs, I have to admit that cats can have the most hysterical expressions and when you have a professional photographer as your owner, you are most likely to be caught with the best ones.  The minute I saw this one, I knew I had to paint him.  The resemblance to the commercial was just too perfect.
One of the most enjoyable parts of this series has been choosing the paint colors to mix the various greys, blacks and browns to represent the animals' coats.  I rarely paint with colors straight out of the tube and I'm still amazed at what mixing colors that seem like they would produce "mud" can actually make in the right proportions.

Want to guess what I used to make these greys????

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 17

#17  "I Wish She Would Quit Snoring"              Acrylic

These little cuties are part of my grand dog menagerie.  Although they are very family oriented, don't be fooled by their size and friendliness.  Dachshunds were originally bred to hunt badgers.  They are highly intelligent and enjoy doing tricks and of course chasing prey.  These two, mostly enjoy living the life of Reilly -- good food, good walks, lots of friends and of course -- long naps.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 16

"Where's the Kibble?"            Oils

I love the way cats can ask a question just by the way they cock their heads.  Double challenge here was getting the markings on the ginger cat and painting the crazy quilt  on which it was standing.  Can't decide which I like better for these pet portraits -- painting with acrylics or oils.  Anyone have a preference?

 

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 15

16  "I'm Ready to Go    Acrylic

This little sweetie is named Lucy.  Although she lives in Florida, she loves to travel.  Come to think of it, most dogs love new adventures, as long as they are with their "pack" (family).
Growing up we had  several golden Cocker Spaniels and for some reason, each successive one was named Lucky.  I guess they must have been because I had a happy and uneventful childhood.  Playing with dogs and having to care for them is one of the best things about childhood if you are "lucky" enough to grow up with one.
Please comment and share your childhood dog story. 







DAY 15 -- THE HALFWAY POINT IN OUR 30 DAY CHALLENGE. 

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 14❤️️

#14 I'm Just Irresistible"      Acrylic

 

I took a little license with this cat's beautiful eyes -- they are actually more green than blue but hey, that's part of the fun of being an artist.  Painting striped fur is a real challenge that requires lots of layers of paint.  Now that I've got the hang of it, I'll be doing some others.  BTW have you ever wished that you could purr?  There is nothing more soothing or joyous than a contented cat's purring.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 13

#13 "Be Gentle, I'm Shy"               Acrylic

This precious dog is a Havanese, originally bred as a companion dog for Cuban aristocracy.  His most endearing trait is loyalty to his family.  Interestingly, he's not just a lap dog but is highly intelligent and can be trained in all kinds of dog sports.  Buddy was a rescue and is so shy that he runs and hides if a stranger walks into the room.  So glad he has a kind and loving owner now. 

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 12

"Yes, I"m Caddy's Clone"                        Acrylic

Since I was a little girl, I  have always loved cats and dogs .  When I grew up and married, we always had a dog, but discovered that I was allergic to cats.  So when my own children wanted one I had to reluctantly say no.  One day an adorable black and white cat wandered into the backyard and of course the kids wanted to pet her.  "Okay," I said, " but whatever you do, DON'T FEED HER."  As soon as my back was turned my daughter set out a bowl of milk and the cat was ours from then on.  Somehow I survived and Caddy (their name for her) lived to a ripe old age.  Some years after my kids were grown and moved away, a big black and white Tom cat moved into the neighborhood.  Since that time on my walks I still see cats who look exactly like our Caddy, thus the name of this painting.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 11

#11 "I'm the Real Jayne Russell"             Acrylic

 Probably not too many people are still around who actually saw Jane Russell perform but the minute I found out the name of this adorable little girl, I knew what the caption for this painting had to be.  I love old movies and clearly remember seeing the actress pictured below, from all the TCM movies I saw her in.  Not only was she very attractive but boy could she dance.  Our little sweetie above is actually a Jack Russell terrier.  I got a kick out of the similarity of the poses (all those curved lines) and the fact that both Jayne and Jane have dark heads.

30 PAINTINGS IN 30 DAYS -- DAY 10

#10 "You Can Call Me Queenie" Acrylic

I wanted to call this painting, "My Name is Nefertiti, But You Can Call Me Queenie", but it wouldn't fit in the space allowed on the 30 Paintings in 30 Days website.  Many people refer to this breed as a Sphinx cat because of it's resemblance to the cats in Egyptian hieroglyphics.   

The “Sphinx” cat is actually a Canadian Hairless Cat which resulted from some genetic abnormalities in the early 1900’s.  A breeder of Siamese cats bought one of these kittens and eventually bred it with several other types of cats until the hairless ones became more common.  I simply found this cat incredibly regal and appealing.

This painting is available for purchase.