Through The Gate Please

"Through The Gate Please" is a painting from a dog's point of view. This Westie is making it clear that on this sparkling Winter morning, he would prefer to go through the gate and go for a walk in the dawn light than stay in the confines of the garden.
We often see dogs as cute, and so they are, but they are also thinking, sentient creatures with dignity. Because I respect them as much as I love them, I always try to let that dignity come through in my paintings of them.
This West Highland Terrier painting, "Through The Gate Please" is an 11 x 14 watercolour on Arches 140 Hot Press paper.

SOMETHING NEW - The Winter Path

With a new year starting, I feel both the need to do something new, as well as a need to do the same things in new ways. For several years now, I have worked with Coloured Pencil more than anything else. I love the vibrancy of Coloured Pencils and the detail that is possible, and it has been great fun exploring this great medium. But as many Coloured Pencil artists have found, it has taken a toll on my hands. I've started to have some serious hand pain while I'm working on a large piece, so it's time to be gentle with myself for a while. This means limiting the Coloured Pencil work and returning (for the most part) to watercolours, something that will be a joy, as watercolour has always been the medium I love best.
Much as I love painting dogs, cats, and horses, (and always will), I am at a place where I need to refresh my mind, and that means painting something completely different every now and then. I dearly love the beautiful valley where I live, and everywhere I look, in every season, I see lovely things, sometimes large panoramas, and sometimes little things that could be easily missed if one is not looking for them. I find at this time, that I want to paint some of these things and places once in a while so I can share them with you.
THE WINTER PATH is a place near home that I see whenever we drive into the city. Half hidden, it is easy to miss this path as we zip past it in the car, but now I know to look for it, and I find beauty there in every season. This 5 x 7 watercolour is the first in what will be a "now and then" series called "The West Carleton Paintings".

SAMMY

"Sammy" was a Christmas commission, and I had such a good time with this one. I went to meet and photograph the little guy, and any day where I can cuddle a sweet bundle of fur is a great day for me. All the Shih Tzu dogs I have met have been charmers, and Sammy was no exception. Painting him was a joy. This is an 8 x 10 Coloured Pencil painting.

Eskie Christmas

You've got to hand it to those little American Eskimo dogs - they love to have a job to do, and they dream big! It seemed natural to imagine them pulling Santa's sleigh - with a little bit of help from Fairy Dust. Maybe this year you will hear the jingle of sleligh bells and the sound of soft, excited woofs on your roof.
Our Eskie/Sheltie cross was the model for every one of Santa's Eskies. Ho Ho HO!

STAR OF WONDER

One of the things I love most about the country are the barns, and near Christmas, many farmers place huge stars on the sides of their barns that sparkle and glow through the cold, dark, northern night. Sometimes, I wonder what the animals must think of these winter beacons. The horses in today's painting are a gentle pair that I photographed many years ago, and I have painted them more than once. I really fell in love with these sweet natured giants.
STAR OF WONDER is an 11 x 14 coloured pencil over watercolour painting.

Visions of SugarMice

About now, most children (and some adults) are going to sleep to dream about presents under the tree and sugar-plums in their stockings. (Does anyone know what a "sugar-plum actually is?) Cats, being super intelligent little creatures, are no exception. I caught our cat happily snoozing near the fireplace, where his stocking is hanging with care, and dreaming of SugarMice. This 11 x 14 watercolour hangs in our house every Christmas season, but small prints are available.

The Great Thank You

There is a legend that says that on one night close to Christmas, the animals gather in groups and bend down under the night sky to give thanks for their lives and for all the things that sustain them. It's called The Great Thank You. A couple of years ago, I did this tiny painting as my Christmas Card. Naturally, I chose a horse for this painting, instead of a wild animal. It is a 4 x 6 watercolour sketch and I bring it out at Christmas to remind me to say "thank you" for all the life-gifts I have been given, and that even the creatures of the field and forest understand that we need to give thanks.

Biff and Jo-Jo Santa's Grotto

It's the time of year when most people are feeling a sense of peace and good-will towards their fellow man. Biff and Jo-Jo feel the same way, and like to do their bit to put a smile on little faces. They have set up a Santa's Grotto so that the tinies can come and ask Santa for what they really want to find under the Christmas tree. (Biff will secretly relate this to Mom and Dad.) Biff is well suited to playing Santa - no padding needed, while Jo-Jo makes a perfect Elf. Biff's big white beard itches, and Jo-Jo keeps tripping on his toes, but they are having the time of their lives. That often happens when you are doing something nice for someone else.

The Carolers Sing Joy

I know, this should be Dog Parade Wednesday, but there is a big storm raging today and there are no dogs walking past Sheltie Hollow. In fact, during the winter, not many dogs walk past at all. It gets dark so early that most of them stay in their own gardens to play, so I will be giving the Dog Parade Wednesdays a rest for a while. There will be lots of other good stuff to see and read though, so please keep stopping by.
Today, I thought it would be fun to start posting a number of my Christmas paintings and card designs from years past, as well as one or two new ones for this year. Between now and the first official day of winter, December 21, I will have several Christmas Card posts.
This one was inspired by two of our Shelties who were having a howling good time. They looked like two little Christmas Carolers, and this is the time to sing out joyfully, all the wonderful old Carols. JOY TO THE WORLD!

Fresh Snow

Finally, we have snow. At the moment, there is just enough to dust the ground, like the snowfall we had last week, but this time, we are told that it will stay. This week is supposed to bring a proper drop, so it will really look like Christmas.
This is a little watercolour sketch I did called FRESH SNOW. I really like it so it may end up as a full size painting one of these days. I wanted to get the idea down before it drifted out of my mind. Can't you just imagine the cold, crisp air, and a glorious Friesian thundering across a snowy field, sending the Cardinals, (or Red Birds, as I like to call them) flying out of the bushes? This is a Winter scene I could look at all year long.

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY - the GOLDEN RETRIEVER

There are several beautiful Golden Retrievers who walk past Sheltie Hollow. How could you not love this dog? His blond good looks are matched by a golden personality. He is gentle, reliable, friendly, intelligent, and obedient. It must be remembered though, that he is a powerful dog who still has a retrieving instinct, and while he needs lots of exercise, he needs to be in a fenced area for his own protection.

This little coloured pencil drawing is available as a 5 x 7 matted print for $25. shipping included.

You can reach me at anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca

PROCESS 2 - Medium -Coloured Pencil & Graphite

Today I want to tell you about some of the Mediums I use. When I do Portraits, I start with a watercolour wash on either Stonehenge paper or Arches hot press 140 lb. paper and then work over it in Coloured Pencil. The paper is top quality and acid free, and I love the smooth, but not plate finish of both papers because I am a detail person.
I start with the initial drawing on newsprint, (not traced or projected), transfer it to my good paper, and then do a very light watercolour wash to establish the colour pattern and to lay a bit of a grip on the paper. You can see in this image of a commission I did last year where the watercolour is, and that over it, I have started layering the Coloured Pencil. This is a long process, and there is no hurrying it. I was far from finished any part of the portrait when I took this photo. The green you see is the low tack masking tape I use to mask off my painting area because I have a personal preference for a neat, clean, white border around my paintings, even though it will be covered by a mat. Naturally, it comes off as soon as the outline area of the piece is done.
For the most part, I use Prismcolor Pencils because of their quality, availability, and colour range. Added to them, are selected colours from Derwent and Faber Castell. All these brands are professional quality. Coloured pencil is a relatively new Fine Art medium, so there are still things we need to learn about some of the colours, but by using the best quality and the most lightfast colours, I have confidence that these portraits will long outlive the people who commissioned them.
I enjoy using Graphite too, and I have always used Faber Castell Graphite pencils in a range from 8B (very soft and dark) to 5H (very hard and light). It is of paramount importance to use graphite pencils from the same brand because each brand uses a different scale to measure light through dark. When using Graphite, I use Stonehenge paper, as already mentioned, an acid free paper which means it will stand the test of time.
Next time, I will talk about watercolours.

PROCESS - Drawing

I've been following a very interesting discussion about how artist's produce their art, and I thought I would like to tell you something about my process. Because I am an Animal Artist and a Realist - although not a Photo Realist, and because I don't want a plethora of strange dogs, cats, and horses (even if there was room!) in my studio, I work from photographs. I'm a slow painter, and I like the solitude and peace of my studio, so that is another factor in why I choose to work from photo references. Most of the photos I use are taken by myself, but some are generously given to me by a friend or they are provided by a portrait client.
When I am doing a portrait, I need to get the most accurate image possible. However, I don't trace or project, even with a portrait. I learned how to draw at Art School (I chose Fine Art rather than Graphic Art), where we would have been tossed out of class if we had tried to trace or project. If anyone had suggested painting over a photo, I think our Drawing, Life Drawing, and Painting teachers would have fainted. We were there to learn the traditional ways of drawing and painting and I am proud to be using those methods of observation, sketching, measuring, and grid. These things are hard to use - photos lie, (distortion) and measuring or grid can so easily get out of control. The width of a pencil lead can make a difference! And you have to know when to ignore the measurements because your experienced eye is telling you that something is wrong. The best tool an Animal Artist can have is an excellent understanding of their subject - anatomy, hair coat, and expression - that and good observation skills, as well as an undertanding of proportion and perspective. After 20 plus years, I am still working on improving these things.
The photo above is of my acrylic painting "Something In The Air" along with the reference photos I used. As you can see, I don't adhere slavishly to the photo. Even with a portrait, I usually use a combination of several photos. The clipped English Setter photo was sent to me by a friend (her photo, her dog) and another friend sent me a photo (hers) of geese in flight. The landscape was taken by me. This was not a portrait, so I changed things to fit my vision for the scene I wanted to paint - changing the season and adding a full hair coat to the dog. I did some thumbnail sketches for placement, then did a detailed drawing on newsprint, where most of my agonizing over the drawing takes place. When I finally got what I wanted, I transfered my own drawing to my panel using tracing paper and then I was ready to paint.
This time consuming, intensive, nervewracking method obviously isn't for everyone, but it is the only way I want to work.

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY the RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

Today's dog is a Rhodesian Ridgeback. This strong, courageous, big dog was once used to protect the families and stock of Colonial African farmers from lion attacks. They still have courage and a deep sense of loyalty, which makes them both good guards dogs and gentle family dogs. The Ridgebacks are beautiful dogs, with their wheaten through red colouring and the tapering ridge of stiff hair that grows in the opposite direction along their shoulders and back.
I wanted this simple, watercolour sketch to reflect the spacious glow of the African plains (as I've seen it portrayed in films), and I think I've accomplished this with the red-gold dog and trees, the golden grasses, and the apricot sky. A 5 x 7 inch matted print can be yours for $25. including shipping by contacting me at anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca

Biff & Jo-Jo On Ice

Like so many Canadians, Biff and Jo-Jo have been glued to The Battle of the Blades these past few weeks. What a great thing for skating in this country! The hockey players were very brave to do something so far out of their comfort zone, and the ladies were just as brave, skating with partners who were new to the lifts and spins. Wonderful Stuff all round!!

And like many Canadians, Biff and Jo-Jo were inspired to get some skates and go skating.

There is ice to be found now if you get out early enough, (and are no bigger than a chipmunk) and these two have been enjoying a dawn skate. Unfortunately, being unused to figure skates and their picks, Biff has suddenly performed the "Cleaning the ice" figure, a manoever I can relate to, while Jo-Jo, in panic lest he be bowled off his skates, has discovered that he can do an impromptu Russian Jump. Skating is just the best fun!

VALOUR

It's November 11, and I want to say THANK YOU to all those who serve and protect. THANK YOU to my Father, Grandfathers and Uncles, and to all who valiantly marched off to war, to those who came back and to those who didn't, and to all the men and women who had the courage to watch their loved ones go and who served by keeping the home fires burning. We will never forget.

DOG PARADE WEDNESDAY - the BOSTON TERRIER

We're walking the dog late tonight. Our dog of the week is the neat looking Boston Terrier. These affable little guys are always formally dressed in shining black or splashy brindle and white, and with their lovely natures, and their ability to be at home in the city or country, they are an increasingly popular breed.
This 5 x 7 watercolour painting is available as a matted print for $25. and inquiries can be sent to: anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca

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.

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

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.