Not a kind of ice cream

This is Stella. She's not a labradoodle or an overgrown terrier. She's an Italian Spinone, sister to Aggie, and an all around good pup.

Leslie and Matt decided they wanted this breed of dog when they heard that there were NO incidences of dog biting a child with this breed. With two kids, and boof them working very intense jobs, and having very active lives, they wanted a dog with a good track record that could be counted on. (Even as a lover of rescues, this is one argument I understand, especially if you aren't going to devote your entire life to the dog.)

Stella's the only Italian Spinone I've known (although I did see a guy at Greenlake with one), but she's gentle, patient, and good natured.

I used to think that Aggie, a Hungarian Visla, was smarter, but they just have different brains. Aggie learns commands quicker, but will forget them if not reminded. Stella learns slower but once she knows, she never forgets.

Madison

Madison is the first dilute calico I've personally known -- and the first one I've painted, unfortunately, post humously.

She and her sister, Amber, were at Rainier Veterinary Hospital, when I was volunteering there. I wanted them to come live with me, but my house was being renovated and I was staying at my boyfriend's.

My friends, Patti and Todd, came down to meet all the homeless kitties and fell in love with Madison and Amber.

Maddie and Amber came home with them. Amber still lives happily ever after, but Maddie died a few year ago.

Patti and Todd's child, Amelia, has wanted a painting of Maddie for a long time.

Skookum, Remembered

Meet Skookum. A very handsome retriever who helped his guardian through the death of his wife.

He has such an expressive face that he was very easy to paint.

My only issue was the background was supposed to be "Cape Cod Blue." I tried, coming up with an almost periwinkle. Then, I asked the person who commissioned the painting (it's a surprise for her father-in-law). Neither she nor her husband could decide. I took a sample that they agreed was close. It was almost a cobalt blue, which I then added to the periwinkle.

Skookum's handsome face faded in the cobalt blue. Frustrated, I put it away, adding a status line to my facebook account that I'd be finished if I could just come up with "Cape Cod Blue." One of my Facebook buddies sent me this link, which I then used to finish the painting. The shade is much more calming than the cobalt and balances the oranges and reds very nicely.

Binky

Now that Binky's finished, I can say that I've successfully painted all three of Kris's cats. Simon and Maxey are also Kris's cats, painted in 2007. I also used Binky as a model for What you looking at, painted in 2008.

You can also see how my style has matured somewhat -- at least some times. Every time i pick up a paintbrush it's still a new experience as I feel the creativity flowing from my fingertips.

I just finished one more acrylic and am 2/3 done with two more......... so expect to see some more in the next week or so. Plus, I have one watercolor that needs to be done by Christmas.

A raffle for Eros

A while back, Grisha from Ahimsa Dog Training, was trying to raise $$$ for a friend whose dog needed surgery. Having been there myself with Penny needing 2 TPLO surgeries, I donated a 6x6 dog painting. The dog that I was painting was so cute. I did an 8x8 painting.

Meet Taran, a 13-month old welsh springer spaniel cared for by Lindsey Hein, a dog trainer in Florida. He's mischievous and very goofy........ Can you tell?

Emma 2

So, my friend, Tina, has been incredibly supportive of my art from the beginning. One of my first sales, Gracie, is of her cat. The sale was not to Tina, though.

I also painted Eddie, her big black and white boy, on paper. I scanned it twice because I didn't like the background.

So, when I painted her cat Emma, in 4x4, a size that's not cost effective to do regularly, but which I do for the Feral Cat Project as a donation, she offered to buy it. Well, it sold again to someone else and I said I would paint it again.

Here it is. And, like the saying says, practice makes perfect. She still looks like Princess Crankypants, one of Tina's endearments for her, but the colors are a bit better. When you click the tag Emma, you can see both to compare.

Aggie in the summer

I've been walking a friend's two dogs for over a year now, almost two. It is a joy to walk them and an excuse to walk fast. My dog just saunters. These guys you can get going/

Aggie was diagnosed with cancer last year and every time I walk her is still precious. A few weeks ago, my friend called. Aggie hadn't eaten all weekend. It was time to say goodbye.

I sat by her on the floor by the dog bed, told her what a good girl she was, and fed her turkey baby food. By the time her parents came to take her to the vet, she was much better.

In the meantime, I had done this very quick watercolor.

Another poodle

This too, is posted in honor of Chappy, a standard white poodle. This is one of the little portraits painted in watercolor that I did for FidoFest. I believe the size is 3 x5 -- pretty small for someone who likes to paint BIG.

Poodle

This is posted in honor of Chappy, the standard poodle of a friend of mine. I just heard that Chappy died about 6 months ago.

I liked him a lot.

Another french bulldog

One of the most sensible product managers I know has two dogs. This is the smallest one.

He may be small, but he has oodles of personality.

French bulldog

This month, I've switched my painting medium to paint small paintings of the 10 most popular breeds -- and a few oddballs.

I love the oddballs. Anyway, here is another one.

This particular painting is 3.5 x 5. It will be at FidoFest at the UVillage this Sunday.

Brindle Pit

This is Pogo. He is my barista's dog. Doesn't he look sad?

I did another one for her because I thought he looked too sad in this picture.

Is it Penny?

This is the closest thing that I've done to a Penny portrait. Not quite her eyes.

Another watercolor that will be at FidoFest.

Here's looking at you

Here's another watercolor that I did recently. It's going to be at FidoFest, that is if I have a booth. I've been saying I have a booth, but I haven't heard.

Looks like Monty

This little watercolor sold at Pit bulls on parade. The woman who bought it said that it looked like one of her dogs, named Monty.

I can't remember whose dog it was that I took a picture of, but it definitely wasn't Monty! But, as long as she liked it..

Watercolor pencils

At the Othello International Festival last weekend, I dragged out my watercolor pencils for something to do.

I got the great idea of doing a few small watercolors (this one is 3.5 x 5") for the Pitbulls on Parade event this weekend. I'll have a booth there.

I have over a dozen of these cute little items. We'll see whether folks like them as much as my friends say they do..

Ready Timber

This portrait was done as a Christmas surprise. The recipient said, It's the best Christmas present! It hangs in her office, where she can look at it all day!

Timber is a therapy dog. You can see him at many Seattle/Eastside Reading with Rover events.

Lily in the field

Tired of looking at all the cat paintings? I noticed that the cats were getting a lot of attention, thanks to the Art for the Animals show to benefit the Feral Cat Project that I am participating in.

I realized there were a few pups I hadn't posted. This is a portrait I did during the spring of 2008. Next to painting animals, I love painting plants, especially lilies. My calla lillies are just now blooming, so I'll be painting them this week.

Too bad I don't have a white cat to paint next to the Calla lilies.

At Twilight

This is a riff based on one of my cats, Albro. She was found when my husband and I were on a bike ride between his house in G-town and my house in Rainier Beach. Beacon Hill is between the two houses. One road twists up and down the hill. On that very busy street, my husband stopped on the way down. "Did you see that kitten back there?" "What kitten?" To me everything is a blur when I am moving, even with my glasses on. He led me to where one little kitten huddled, looking too scared to cross the street. We plopped it in the bike basket I had on the front of my bike and proceeded to his house. The little kitten sounded like a pidgeon and called Memph whenever I rode over a bump. Had I been more original, she may have been named Memphis. Instead, she is named after the street I thought we were on, Albro. It turns out that the street Swift twist and turns and becomes three other streets before becoming Othello. You turn on Albro to get to Swift. Still, I like the name better than Swift, which sounds like a cleaning product.

The original idea had the background a little darker. I may still change it. It is still for sale...

Some people don't like the eyes looking up

Starry Starry Night

June 2009

This is even smaller than the 4x4's and comes with its own tiny easel. It is 1x2 or something like that.

This will also be at the Colors of Compassion art show benefiting the Feral Cat Project.

Emma-zing

June, 2009

I did five new pieces for the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter project art show. This is Emma, Tina's cat. And she often looks this grumpy. I've also painted Emma's brother. Even though they are both tuxedo cats, don't let that fool you. They are not blood relations, just two cats who share the same abode, much to both of them's dismay.

All the new portraits are little (4x4), which go faster than the bigger pieces I've been creating lately. I love painting in large scale, but there's so much more area to fuss with. The little ones are faster -- I finished all 5 in two weeks.

Cici in sunlight

Spring, 2008

This is Cici, whose life was cut tragically short.

Cici was rescued by a local rescue out of a bad situation. She was just getting acclimated to the good life, when she had her spay appointment, where it was found out that she had a heart issue.

The vet who did the spay surgery was not equipped to do a heart surgery so Cici was transferred to another hospital (EWU, I think) where she underwent another surgery. Sadly, she did not make it through.

Throughout this, there was a bright spot -- people cared. Cared enough to send donations for the surgery, cared enough to ask for status. Cared enough to remember her short life.

Jackson Action

April, 2007

This is another painting that I can't believe how old it is -- almost two years old. I painted it as a surprise for a friend who LOVES her Golden Retriever.

This is one of two I've done with the personalized border. It really works on bigger paintings and makes the painting even more fun.

Jackson up until just recently went everywhere with his mama. He lay on the floor at the office where she worked. He commuted on the bus, he did drinks at downtown bars, he went Christmas shopping. His mother just had TWINS so we'll see how his life changes. Hopefully, he just has two more people in his life to love him and to love.

Such a good boy!

Smell the tulips

It's hard to believe that this painting is nearly a year old. I did this last year when I was thinking about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

I was contemplating entering an art showing about spring. I painted a puppy for the same show. I'll show that soon.

Spring, and a grrls's thoughts turn to pups and flowers.

The winning painting

This painting needs a name!

This brown tabby was painted because I offered a commission to Purrfect Pal's auction.

This is Theodore, or Teddy or Teddy bear. In my opinion, he looks too dignified to be a Teddy Bear, but I am sure I have pictures of my cat, Graham, when he looks dignified, but I call him Graham Cracker. How dignified is that? Then there's Horace, who is a very dignified pointy eared black cat. I sing love songs him to the tune of "Comet, it makes your teeth turn green..." The ending lines are always Let's sing a chorus to Horace today...

But this little digression tells you nothing about the painting. I painted Theodore because his mama had the winning bid for a commissioned painting in the Purrfect Pals auction at the Black Cat Ball.

Now that I've talked about the painting, it may be "Winning Bid" or 'Kim's winning bid" or something. Still would like ideas!

The painting took longer than expected because brown tabbies have so many different colors in them. Then, I had a few minor health issues, nothing major, but enough that I wanted to relax on evenings and weekends rather than paint. Also, I've had deadlines from work, which also make it so I am less productive on the weekend.

I've got to put the hanger on and then he's ready to be delivered.

Show at A Dog's Dream

Seven cat paintings and seven dog paintings are hanging at A Dog's Dream in Georgetown from Feb 14 - March 12, located at 1010 South Bailey St. There are a few new paintings and several updated paintings.