Frenchies, 6x6 Inches, Oil

SOLD

French Bulldogs, or 'Frenchies', are just so darned adorable.  Similar to pugs in that they have a smaller snout, they have bat-like stand-up ears, no tail, and sturdy little legs.  They are very sweet, as a breed.  They come in lots of colors - fawn, brindle, white with black or brindle markings, etc.

Anyway, these two were from the Dog Show I go to in December...

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes!  I am a birthday celebrater - getting older is an option I want!  I took in a matinee, had my favorite dinner,  and enjoyed the evening with my older son, Paco and the cats, (husband is traveling).  Pretty great!

Pug Hugs, 8x8 inches, Original Acrylic by Kelley MacDonald

$100 & $10 S&H

At the Dog Show last month I got some really good photos, and am in the process of sifting through them.  At the Pug ring, after this pup had his shot in the lineup and did *well*,  and this boy was waiting for him to come out. He flopped on the floor and the pup crawled right in his lap, and they had a nice moment.

Look for some more donut paintings this week!  

Wishing For Westminster, 8x6 Oil

Monday and Tuesday of this week are the nights that the Westminster Dog Show is on TV. I've DVR'd it and will watch both nights together. This little West Highland White Terrier is from the Ladies Dog Club Show at the Bayside Expo Center Show from December in Boston. Westies are (and were once grouped with) Cairn Terriers, coming from the same breeding stock in the same area. Some people really preferred the pure white Cairns, and bred them apart, so now they're different 'breeds', but really interchangeable in terms of disposition and structure (watch, I'll get Westie Moms telling me I'm wrong about this, and that the white ones are sweeter...:). I put off painting the white dog because I thought it would be boring, but it was anything but! In person, you can see all sorts of pretty, colorful 'shadows' in the white, that are beautiful grays made of up beautiful roses, and blues and ochres..

Sentry, 8x6 Oil

My Dad was a big fan of Bloodhounds. They look so wise. I had my son take the photo for this, as I left my camera in my husband's car yesterday, and when I imported it into my iPhoto, the colors got all weird. I think I've got them now. I loved the look on this dog's face at the Dog Show, so patient. I taped the Eukanuba Dog Show during the Super Bowl and forced everyone to watch it last night. Although I hate those 'best of the best' dog shows (how on earth can you compare the 'best' Puli with the 'best' Corgi?) I think it comes down to the showmanship of the individual dogs and the appeal they have to the judge. What.EVER. I still love to watch them. Something different tomorrow....

"You Are The BEST Dog" or "Pug Hug", Oil, 5x7

I just couldn't decide on the title of this one. The pug pictured had won a ribbon (first, I think) and her owner/handler was SO thrilled with her she got down on the floor and the dog jumped into her arms - soooo adorable. I made the choice to focus more on the dog and make it larger, and I like it much better. Can you even tell it's a pug? My husband said it was confusing because the girl's bangs were hanging down straight, blocking her whole face. But I left it like that, like it actually was, because it was the embrace that was important, not her face, or even the pug's face.

Two Hot Dogs, One With The Works, One Plain, Oil 6x8

Two Dachshunds with their owner/handler at the Dog Show. Today I painted with Sally Dean at her studio in Marshfield. It's so wonderful to hang out & paint with other artists sometimes. I love to have my intense alone time at my own studio, where I can just dig in and let it all flow, but it is important, too, to spend some creative time with other artists that you respect. I'm trying to do this every week or so. Anyway, while I was painting I kept backing up right onto Sally's 2 corgi's, Ollie & Winnie, who are adorable in the extreme. I think I rushed this painting a bit, because I didn't get the face on the dog on the right to be what I wanted. I think it was much more complex, and expressive. Sometimes I feel the 'end' of the painting coming and I just make a dash for it.... got to learn to slow d-o-w-n.