Third in a Series Pet Portrait.

Third Portrait in Series is of a Rescued Pet.

Garçon as he is called, is my third portrait in a series of our family's pets, and the first rescued dog. Brought to a local dog rescue group by his owner, he was obviously well-loved and cared for as witnessed by the folder with all his vaccines and vet appointments and by the puppy toys left by the previous owner.

At first, when he joined his new family, Garçon ( in French means boy) seemed like an aggressive dog but in reality, he was scared. Given time and patience, he has become a lovable pet.

For Garçon’s background, I used freezer paper which I had used as a palette for another painting.

He joins Rosie and Chewy in this series of pet portraits that are framed as opposed to being painted on the usual gallery wrapped canvas.  This was a new experiment with acrylics and markers meant to try to loosen up a bit with my portraits.

Another experiment with pet portraits.

Using canvas board and a sand/gesso/acrylic paint mixture I am experimenting for a possible new series of pet portraits. The rough base creates an interesting texture but is hard on paint brushes.

As inspiration, I am using a technique demonstrated by Yvonne Morell, a Swiss artist who created Ladies with Character, an online class I bought several years ago. I hope to create whimsical portraits to go with my commissioned work, but for now, this is a goal as I move forward with my art.

Let me know what you think!