Saturday, October 31, 2009

GHOST HORSE


The day is here. Time to get out the black silk witch's hat that is so charmingly trimmed in black net and lavender roses, dust off the corn broom, and carve the pumpkins. Who knows, maybe this year I will see the mysterious "Ghost Horse" up on the hill. Have a BOOtiful Halloween everyone!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Halloween - SUSPICION

It's here . . . can you feel it? . . .that "something" in the air that tells you Halloween is nearly upon us? Do you sometimes feel like there is someone - or something, walking just behind you? And when you turn around, there is no one there. The air is nearly silent now, except for the cawing of a few crows and the moan of bare tree branches rubbing against one another in the wind. Leaves skitter down the street, scratching their passage on the pavement. And you know, you just know, that little spooks and ghosts and goblins are waiting to march to your door to demand (politely of course) treats on the big night.
The little Sheltie in the watercolour is very suspicious of the glowing Jack O' Lantern, and the pumpkin in turn, is very wary of the Sheltie. Which one will be the first to shout "BOO!"

"SUSPICION is 5 x 7 (image) watercolour, painted especially for this Halloween.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY - the AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG

The Australian Cattle Dog is a sturdy dog who is a steadfast companion - hard working, brave, alert, and protective. He is a mid-sized dog with a short, harsh coat of red or blue speckles, often with tan markings. This dog has great stamina and needs to have a job to do along with daily exercise to be happy.
Today's watercolour is available as a 4.5 x 6.5 (image) matted print for $25., shipping included. If you are interested in this print, please contact: anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca

Monday, October 26, 2009

AUTUMN REDS - Irish Setter

Irish Setters are so beautiful with their elegant lines and mahogany coats. There were Irish setters in the family when I was growing up, and it was always fun to spend time with them. My aim in this painting was to recapture happy memories of a little girl and the big, red dog. I've used the greeny-gold light of an autumn afternoon, and it brings a warm sparkle to the memory as well as to the painting.
Autumn Reds is an 8 x 10 (image) watercolour, and is available matted for $350. This is also available as a small (5 x 7) print. To inquire, please contact anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY

Today, there were no dogs walking past the window. Everyone of them was napping while the Sheltie Hollow humans were unexpectedly busy. Please come back next week when the dogs will be walking again.

Monday, October 19, 2009

WHY DO I PAINT ANIMALS?



Have you ever wondered why you do the things you do? Taking stock, I asked myself why I have a compulsion to paint dogs, cats, and horses. I do dip into the world of Fantasy every so often, but always, always, I come back to dogs, cats, and horses.
I don’t want to change these animals in my paintings – to experiment or play with colour, shape or texture. It would be an artistically valid thing to do, and I admire the artists who do it, but it doesn’t satisfy the artist in me or the animal lover. I think animals are so beautiful just the way they are. I love the challenge of painting the different textures of their hair, from short and sleek, wavy or bristly, to long, luxurious and soft. Their colours enchant me, all those whites, creams, silvers, tans, golds, russets, chestnuts, sepias and blacks, and every shade and tint in between. I love all the shapes; the infinite variety of dog shapes, the soft and round, or long and lean of cats, and the pure poetry of horses. But it is their eyes that simply ensorcelle – Dark, liquid and trusting, emerald, sapphire or topaz bright, or soft, gentle and deep. I melt when I look into those eyes.
My love affair with animals has been going on all my life and will never end. I have to paint – I’ve no choice. It’s as necessary as breathing. And for the most part, all I want to paint are the animals I love. I paint these lovely creatures as carefully as I can to celebrate them, to share my love for them with the people who see my paintings, and to get into that special zone where, just for a little while, the delightful animal I’m painting belongs to me.
The Sheltie image above was done in Coloured Pencil, and is available as 4 x 6 Note Cards in packages of 6 for $8.00.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY- the PAPILLON

Today's dog is the beautiful, delicate looking Papillon. But don't let their elegant, porcelain-fine features fool you. I've seen these delightful little guys handle themselves well in Agility Trials, and they are alert, ready-to-sound-the-alarm watchdogs. The loving, loyal Papillon can be seen in paintings dating back 700 years, so they've had lots of practice being companions and lap dogs. They will enjoy a good walk or can be content running around in a garden or even in the house. Their long, silky coat requires regular brushing, but who wouldn't want to spend time daily, petting and brushing these little beauties.
The Papillon is white with patches of colour, especially on the head and ears. Named after the Butterfly that his fringed, upright ears ressemble, there is also a Papillon with drop ears, and this type is named Phalene, or Moth, as this is what the drop ears remind one of.
Today's image is a watercolour, and is avialable as a 4.5 x 6.5 matted print for $25. shipping included. This is a great gift for Papillon lovers or makes a nice treat for yourself.
If you are interested in today's print or in a portrait of you dog, please contact me at: anderson.animalart@ sympatico.ca

Monday, October 12, 2009

THANKSGIVING


Today is Canadian Thanksgiving, and over this past weekend, people all across the country have been gathering for dinners with family and friends. These dinners require lots of cooking, which is fine by me, but alas, they also entail a certain amount of house cleaning. When I am pushed into cleaning house, my hands may be busy with dust cloth and broom, but my mind is far away, riding though the October fields with a loved four footed friend. How I would have loved to have a pony like the one in my watercolour painting, "Fine October Day", when I was a young girl!
We had our Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday, and were blessed to be able to share it with dear friends. The dinner itself turned out just fine, which is something of a miracle, given my tendency to drop into a dreamworld while I am doing something in the kitchen. It was the animals who provided a little "entertainment".
We had cooked and carved the turkey the night before, as last minute timing is just too nerve wracking for me, and although my husband and I have taken Fencing lessons, neither one of us can handle a knife well enough to carve a turkey in front of anyone. So there was the main event for dinner, nicely plated and covered on the counter while I turned away to wash my hands. Almost at once, the dogs set up a howl, and I turned around in time to see our cat slip out from under the clingwrap with a large piece of turkey hanging out of each side of his mouth and a "Don't mess with me - I'm serious!!" look on his face. He soared over the heads of the dogs and took off for one of his hide-outs to enjoy his ill gotten gains. Me? I didn't even think of stopping him - not with that look on his face! Besides, our guests were cat lovers. They wouldn't have begrudged him a bite of turkey, even if they had known.
Yesterday, our guests arrived, and all was going well until my husband stepped back and nipped a dog paw. Naturally, it was our dramatic fellow, and he howled and screamed blue murder, and while everyone's attention was on his barely grazed paw, he slid forward to grab a mini- quiche off a serving plate on the coffee table. Have I mentioned that we don't entertain very often?
This weekend is a time to give thanks, and I do. Thanks for my husband, pets, and home, for art, family, friends, and so much more, including a thank you to everyone who reads my ramblings of an animal artist's life of wonderful lunacy.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY - the WELSH TERRIER

The dog trotting past Sheltie Hollow today is the neat, amiable, Welsh Terrier. He always wears a coat of black and tan, or black grizzle and tan, and at an ideal height of about 15 inches, resembles a small Airedale. Once a hunting dog, these little guys have become great house dogs, and although still very active, (they need a place to work off some of this exuberance!) they are not scrappers and are intelligent and willing to please. To keep them looking their best, the Welsh Terrier will need dedicated grooming.
Today's image is a bright, fresh looking, watercolour wash, and is available as a 4.5 x 6.5 (image)matted print for $25. shipping included. This is a great gift for Welsh Terrier lovers, or treat yourself. If you are interested in today's print, or in commissioning a portrait of your dog, please contact me at: anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

CHARM


This is a portrait of a beautiful cat named CHARM. She was a delightful little thing, and touched everyone who met her. I placed her among Forget-me-nots because she loved to sit in among them, and because she will always remain in the hearts of the people who loved her.
When I am doing a portrait of a pet who has crossed Rainbow Bridge, I like to use a Spring background, if a background is required but not specified. To me, it gives a feeling of hope that we will see our loved ones again.
Charm was done in Coloured Pencil and is an 8 x 10 image. The portrait went home last night, to enthusiastic reviews.