Watercolor with a Quick Turnaround

A realtor in Dallas who has ordered paintings from me before called to see if she could get a quick turnaround on an oil painting--one day! Unfortunately, I can't guarantee an oil painting will dry in one day; usually it takes several days. So I offered to paint a watercolor for her instead, and matted and framed it for the same price an oil would cost.

8" x 10" matted to 11" x 14"

Pet Portrait

When your dog passes away and you want to get your wife a painting of him, but you realize you never really took any good pictures with a camera BUT you have a cell phone photo.

This is the worst case scenario, but it is workable, due to Google having hundreds of images of dogs that resemble yours just in case the image you have is missing a leg or the top of the dog's head etc.

Seriously, if you think you might want to commission a painting of your dog (or your wife, or your cat), at some future date, take a nicely lit photo of the subject outside in the shade.

This is a Labradoodle, I think. Maybe a Goldendoodle. He didn't really say. But I liked working life size.

16" x 20"

Oil on canvas

Woodhouse- a German Shepherd- Lab Puppy

This is a commissioned painting of a dog I painted for Mary B. for her son's wedding. Yes, dog portraits are pretty in vogue now. In the old days- like the 1800's-- people wanted portraits of their family members. Now they want their pets immortalized. It's OK with me. I love painting dogs, especially when they have soulful eyes, like this pooch.

WOODHOUSE

9" X 12" OIL ON CANVAS

Sometimes Commissioned Pieces are Fun

I created this commission for T. Holmes-- who requested cows, a pasture, their Bar H gate and her husband's tractor, which creates an eclectic farm scene. I am so glad she didn't want chickens too.

The Matriarch of the Family

I urge people to take many photos of their loved ones. Good photos are essential if you want to commission a posthumous portrait. This applies to dogs as well as humans. I've had to turn many people down because they didn't have a decent reference. Photos taken out side in the shade are the absolute best.

Sometimes I'll try a flash photo if the subject is especially interesting and that's how I came to paint Molly's grandmother, the matriarch of their family. The reference looked like it was taken in a dark reception hall but the contours of the subject's face were pretty clear so I thought I might be able to pull it off. I was pleased with the way the portrait came together.

The Matriarch 11" x 14" 

Oil on linen

Philadelphia Brownstone Commission

11x14 oil on canvas

One more Christmas house painting: a Philadelphia brownstone with the owner's Vespa parked in front. I think the scooter adds charm to this painting. It's the first scooter I've ever painted, although I have painted a couple motorcycles. This is another piece where I changed the seasons because the original photo showed some dying flowers and I spruced up the flower boxes and planters a bit.

Remodeled Farmhouse in New York

18 x 24 Oil on Canvas

This was another Christmas commission and the client specifically asked for the chicken coop to remain in the front. Maybe there's some sentimental attachment to it. I also changed the season on this piece. The leaves were already gone and they were doing some construction on the house so I added fall color and imaginary landscaping.

Barry Sanders Oklahoma State University Painting

This is a large commissioned painting of Barry Sanders in his Oklahoma State University uniform. It was commissioned by a fan in Virginia for his 'man cave.' I used a couple different photos and then changed his right arm so the number 21 showed up better. I'll have prints available at Fine Art America next month.

Barry Sanders

24" x 36"

oil on gallery wrap canvas

A Gift for Dad on Father's Day-- A House Painting

This house painting was commissioned as a surprise gift for Father's Day. The client sent me several photos of her house and a few pictures of her and the family.

The key to putting people into a house painting is to keep them "in the background". That doesn't mean you have to put them behind the house; you just need to keep the values fairly close and don't add much detail. I blocked in the shapes in raw umber, then allowed it to dry and colored in the limbs and clothing loosely with paint very similar in value.

The painting is about the house and if we don't lose sight of that it's a better painting. Resist the temptation to put in features, bows, shoes etc. The house is the subject and the family is secondary.

16" x 20"

Alexa's House

An Interesting Piece of Work

A woman asked me if I could create a painting of her fiancee wrapped in a Scottish flag, similar to an image she sent me from a movie. She said her boyfriend loves the movie and had always wanted a painting of himself in the same pose. He was being sent to Kenya for a tour of duty by the British Army in a very short time and she wanted to give it to him before he left.

I managed to paint it last Sunday using the reference material below, and I mailed it on Tuesday so it was a pretty quick turnaround.

I call it Flag Guy. 11" x 14" oil on canvas

Put My Sister in Disneyworld

This was a little different commission than I normally do. She wanted a painting of her sister at Disneyworld. Apparently her sister adores all things Disney so I used a few different photos to create a montage of her sister happily entering Main Street in Disneyworld.

A really unique gift idea!

Commissioned House Painting

This is Rebecca's house, painted from a series of photos she sent me. It is 12" x 16", oil on linen.

Tennessee Cabin

Another one of my "house portraits", this one is actually a cabin up on a mountain somewhere in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. The owner's daughter commissioned it as a birthday gift for her mother. I have stayed in a cabin in a similar place in North Carolina so I was familiar with how 'smokey' those mountains actually are.

11" x 14" oil on canvas

Winnie, a Goldendoodle

Winnie is a surprise for the client's niece for Christmas. She is a very sweet looking dog and as soon as I saw her picture I thought to myself-- I want one of these! Then I thought- No, I can't have another dog. Then the voice in my mind said, "Sure you can. What's one more?" I have a Golden mix and she is a joy. I can see why these Goldendoodles have become so popular. They look like stuffed animals and they reportedly have the even temper and loving personality of the Golden Retriever. Plus they don't shed.

I am seriously considering it. No, I'm not. Yes, I am. Feeling. Ambivalent.

WINNIE

8" x 10" oil on canvas