Jake and Digby – the art of reusing old wood

Jake and Digby on reclaimed cedar

Jake and Digby were first published in December 2018.  Reclaimed cedar can be used in so many ways. I especially enjoy painting pets on the weathered old boards.

A few years ago, I was given access to a pile of old wood that was bound for the dump. Like most artists, I cannot pass up an offer of anything that can be, might be, in some possible way, used for painting even if it is experimental art.

Since then, the cedar boards have been cut into smaller pieces. One was painted with a mermaid, and one was given as a housewarming gift. You can read about the mermaid here and the housewarming gift here.  Contact me if you wish to have your own pet on cedar wood like this French Bulldog, Stout.

Digby: donated pet portrait

As I was painting Jake for a client, I received a message on Facebook from someone saying that she had “Digby” painted by me!

Panic set in. I was 99% sure I had never painted a “Digby”. She was very insistent and so, I asked her to send me some photos.

Well, with more back and forth messaging, I found out that Digby was actually Loopy, a painting I had donated to a high school student who had approached me last spring to help with a fundraiser for a local dog rescue organization. Read about this donated painted poodle in this post.

From this experience, I learned to record the names of the animals I am painting and their owners. I now have a book dedicated to keeping all the names of people who have commissioned me to paint their pets.

Jake: most recent pet portrait on reclaimed wood

And that brings me to Jake.

From the several photos of Jake, I chose this one to use as my model.

When clients contact me, I always suggest they send several photos because the colours of the fur can definitely show differently depending on the light in the photo. Certain features can be hidden or blurred in one photo and revealed in another. I usually use more than just one photo to capture the animal in a portrait.

Jake has been varnished and is ready for his new home in time for Christmas. I attached a little paper bow because he is to be presented as a birthday gift. A hook was added at the bottom so that the owner might use the art for practical purposes such as for holding a leash or a bag of treats.

Visit my custom pet portraits page or contact me with your questions or queries and I will be pleased to answer.