Is That A Wookie?, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

What a mischievous, inviting face!  I've got some real charmers to work on!  Please continue to send me inspirations… although I won't ONLY do pets, I find them fun and refreshing.  kcareymac@hotmail.com I think I saw some pups like this at Westminster Dog Show last week.  A real little imp, I think.  What was so great about the show (and as I get my photographs, 80% of which were blurry - time for a camera evaluation) is when the owners were also the handlers.  LOVED seeing the dogs get a little kiss or hug as they waited for their turn.  Those dogs were so much more relaxed, and CONFIDENT.  

I know not everyone can show their dog.  And I also know that AKC dogs are definitely not the only dogs that are amazing. (Hello…Paco????)  But it certainly was fun to see the competition and to see if I could pick the winners.  Breed by breed, I do OK.  But the evening competition where the best of the breeds competed?  Bet against ME!

Party Girl!, 6x6 Inch Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

Finished this late in the day, and could not get a good light to photograph it.  So this image will be updated by noon on *Valentine's Day* :)

Freshly back from a WONDERFUL time at the Westminster Dog Show, I'm beyond high on dogs.  But having posted a couple of dog paintings, I wanted to start up with something different.

I had asked for photos of some of your amazing pets.. and THANK you!  I have a wonderful assortment to choose from, and am always looking for more.  Please just email them to me at kcareymac@hotmail.com!

This girl is a Princess.  I can just tell.  I felt like her coat was very festive!  A glorious, luxurious Calico… she has, as well, an all - knowing look.  She's got your number!

When my oldest son was very young (a week after turning 2) our cat had kittens, 2 orange and 1 calico.  We told him he could keep his favorite.  He chose the calico.  For some reason he decided to call my Mom 'Calico' at this time (no, she had highlighted hair, but it was not tricolor).  All I can say is the name stuck, and for the rest of her life all the family kids called her Calico.  It's even on her headstone.  Truth is stranger than fiction, I think.

Commission, 8x10 by Kelley MacDonald

This is a dog portrait of a sweetie pie named Daisy.  I've had the commission for way too long and needed to  finish her up!~  Yes, I accept commissions for pet portraits.  All sizes.  Just email me at kcareymac@hotmail.com and we'll talk.  Don't be intimidated, thinking it must be a horrific price - I do all sizes, to fit any budget.  They're fun, and they give me a break from the streams of ideas and plans I have in my own head.

SUPER productive day in the studio today.  Started a huge 30x40 Maine painting, edited in a big way one from last year, completed my Challenge painting, designed new marketing materials and finished this.  Wow.  Off to celebrate with some popcorn and a movie!  :)

SOLD

Happy Halloween everyone!  I've been unable to post because of Hurricane Sandy, and I hope you are all safe and intact.  My heart goes out to those NY, NJ, and CT people who were hit hard.  We keep them in our prayers.

This is my little orange boy Harry.  I painted him all morning and then wiped it off.  This was try #2.  I think I need to study the animals and paint them more.  Thinking of challenging myself here.  I've got two cats.  I have one dog and know lots of other people who would let me paint their pets for practice.

Harry is a wonderful pet (to me) and I tell him he's the handsomest cat in the world, but actually he has very small eyes for a cat.  Odd, huh?  So, like people, some cats have larger or smaller features, longer noses, rounder heads, etc.  I think painting them will exercise my 'eye'.  Now... it being Halloween, please keep your kitties inside today and tonight.  Better safe than sorry!

Handsome Harry, 6x6 Inches, Oil

$125 & $10 S&H

It is my humble opinion that male orange cats are the MOST handsome!  This is a painting of my orange boy, but I have two friends (who don't know each other) who each managed in the past few months to add a beautiful orange male kitty to their families!  I hadn't painted one of my cats in a while, and they are a big part of my life.  (Don't tell Paco)  I felt very free and loose painting this. Just what I needed to get this New Year off to a good start!

Pugspot, 5x7 Inches, Oil Painting of a Pug Napping

$100 & $10 S&H

My little studio assistant, Paco, is my assistant in all areas of my life.  He sits on my lap while I have my morning coffee.  Makes sure the cats do not get too many treats, by gobbling them. Goes to the supermarket (waits in the car) and updates my blog - that's what he's doing in this photo.  Although he prefers to do that half in my lap on the sofa.

I tried to keep this very loose, focusing on the shapes..  Funny how it works out even though I wasn't thinking "Pug"  I was just putting darks and lights in the right places next to each other.  Happy Nap to you!

Today, I'm hanging paintings and sweeping the studio!

Karin Jurick, 6x8 acrylic

Well, I hope you are all having a happy Valentine's day!  Today, I'm posting my contribution to a tribute to Karin Jurick, who has tirelessly organized and produced Different Strokes From Different Folks, which, I believe, is one of the first 'challenge' groups for painters.  After her December assignment, which was to produce a portrait of another painter that she randomly assigned, one of the painters decided to thank her by having everyone paint a photo of Karin!  She made them into a book and sent it to her.  The cat's out of the bag, now (horrible saying, I think), and it's safe to publish and talk about our portraits.  The whole kit and caboodle can be seen here.

The Winner!

The winner of the Spearmints is TRES, who is a familiar contributor to my Comments section! Congratulations, Tres! This morning we awoke to our first snow of the season, so I put a red scarf on Paco (whose blog will be updated today) and took him out for a frightening, exhilarating romp in the wet fluffy white stuff! THEN I printed out all the comments and cut them into each person's section, put them in a cowboy hat and had my trusty assistant (read: husband) pick one. I didn't trust myself to pull a comment out of the hat, since I knew who'd left long messages, and whose were short and sweet. This way everyone had a fair shake. It was fun, and I have a couple of weeks before I hit my 500th post! That may also inspire some celebration, what do you think?

Below is a portrait of Bubba, my sister's dog. It's a Christmas present for my brother-in-law, who loves this dog - well, let's be honest - as much as he loves his wife and children! I have to finish the collar, but otherwise he's ready to go. His story? On Petfinder, my sister was looking for a puppy because she'd lost her beautiful dog and was grieving. Bubba was in Texas (she's in MA) and 5 or 6 weeks old, scheduled for euthanasia, and my BIL jumped on a plane and flew to Texas to bring him to his Forever home. He was only as big as a minute, and I think he knew he was 'saved' by Greg. He is a tremendously loyal dog, and is very treasured in their household. I hope the painting earns a place of honor at the Fire Station Greg works at! Very glare-y, I'm noticing now! Apologies.

Tweedles, 6x8 oil

SOLD

I don't exactly remember where I'm supposed to send this, but I'll do a little research and find out. It was a 'Challenge' for July, which is a month of Dogs, and upcoming is Cats in August. This darling girl is named Tweedles, and she is sweet and lovely, according to Paco, and had to be painted. I'll tell you it's a challenge, indeed, to paint the little rounded chin, and the soft, wrinkly forehead! I didn't really do her justice. I'm trying to focus on one type of painting for this blog - like so many 'successful' bloggers - but I'm having a hard time because to me, painting is a language ... and I guess I have a LOT to say about everything ;0. So, it being Sunday, and a non-work day, kind of, here's little Tweedles. LOVE her! And she's on James Parker's Blog, "Windows To The Words" Blog HERE.

And my favorite part is the black part UNDER her chin!

Thanks to all those who clicked on 'follow this blog', and became 'Followers'! I love that and I love to hear all your comments, too. I'm sorry if my last post seemed like an 'invitation' to the painting Challenge I'm a part of - it's a group of Boston-Area artists who meet on a regular basis who are putting up the Challenge and the Blog. The Invitation was to become a 'Follower' of my blog. Thank you all, you are dear to me!