Toby P

Toby has been coming for several years and is another of my privileged dogs and stays in the house. As a result I am quite attached to him. He is older and now suffering from liver failure but is still active and feeling good.
One day when all was crazy with dogs running here and there, I noticed Toby in the middle of the yard with dogs whizzing by with his eyes closed just sitting quietly. I was just sure he was meditating to send himself somewhere else!!!

Toby Thompson

This is Toby Thompson. He is a new pup here this year after his owners got him when they had to put down their old sweetie poodle. He is energetic, crazy and fun and is a Schnauzer.

Titus

This is Titus, the Italian greyhound. He is a great little dog, I had an IG once myself so I really enjoy him but it is sooooo hard to get a good pic of him because he just never slows down or stops long enough. Very energetic doggie and can he race around the yard!!

Tinka

Tinka is a lovely little long hair doxie. She has been coming here for several years and is one of my dogs favorite visitors. She is sweet and playful and full of life. This is the first time I have been able to get a good likeness of her.

Tia

Tia has been coming here for several years now and has "house priveleges" so she gets to be in the house with my dogs instead of the kennel. She is a really sweet little Yorkie with the longest coat! Very cute!

Silver

This is Silver, a small Havanese. He is just the cutest thing and he bares his teeth and smiles!! Very sweet and quiet dog.

Saiorse and Aiyana

I painted these two resin casts for one of my clients. The black is Saiorse, a traditional scale Arabian mare and the other is Aiyana, a classic scale Arabian mare. She wanted a pure black and a pure white with pink shading so this is what I ended up with. They are both airbrushed with hand painted details.

Scooter

Scooter has been coming on and off for about three years or more. He is a huge orange tiger and he is very sweet. He loves to be in front of the window in his crate when he is here. He had to have one of the larger crates because he is so big. He doesn't mind the little dogs at all and at times will let them right into his crate.

Sadie

Sadie is a yorkie cross pup and is just a bit shy but lots of fun. She had a great time here this summer and hopefully will be back.

Samson

This is Samson. He is a small mix doggie that looks just like a miniature golden retriever. He is very sweet but doesn't do well in a crate in the kennel even though I take all the dogs out often so the last time he was here he stayed in the house. He is well mannered and does well with my dogs. Of course my dogs are used to having new dogs in the house on occasion.

Roscoe

Roscoe is a Beagle, only about four years old so he has lots of energy. He was here for the first time this year and unfortunately he was here for two weeks so I am sure he thought he had been dumped off and had a new home. He had never been left before. It took a minute for him to realize that he was going home when his owners came to get him but from then on he was all excitement.

Oscar

Oscar is a very sweet wiener doggie who is getting up in age. He is quite a chubby guy and has the inherent problems that go along with that at his age but he enjoys being here and I enjoy having him.

Oakley

This is Oakley, she is a Jack Russell Terrier and the sweetest one I have ever met. She has none of the crazy characteristics of the normal Jack. She has some sort of nerve disorder and shakes constantly unless she is laying down or if you hold her. It seems sad but she is happy and runs around just like the other dogs. She is just a pleasure to take care of and her eye patches make her sooooo darn cute!

Nova

This is Nova. This wasn't the best photo of him to show his breed but he was just having so much fun that I decided to paint it anyway. He is a West Highland Terrier and is always spotless white when he comes and always needs a bath before he goes home. I almost never have to give a dog a bath but this little rowdy guy just loves to get in the dirt. White coat and dirt make quite a mess. He is an active but loveable doggie.

Landscape of barn

This is a lesson from Cathy Johnsons book on watercolor painting. My class decided that they wanted to paint this and I figured I had better do it first so I could establish any pitfalls. I really didn't find any and it was a joy to paint since I don't often do landscapes. I love the clean way that Cathy paints.

Nano

This is Nano. She is a rat terrier and is extremely hyperactive. She is a nice little dog but difficult to handle because she is so busy. She actually got on my lap the last time she was here and sat for at least 30 seconds!

Koda and Sadie

These two dogs are both Australian cattle dogs. They came for the first time this summer and fit right in.
They are very sweet girls and didn't even look twice at my chickens. Of course the chickens are all in their own pens but I guess cattle dogs are only interested in cattle and sheep!

Lucy and Jasmine

These two little girls have only been here one time so I wasn't as successful at painting them as some that I know the personalities better. Lucy is very sweet and Jazzi is still a pup so she was having lots of fun with the other dogs. She is very very black except for the rust color so it was difficult to get a good photo of her in the first place. Both are very sweet girls. They are both shih tzu.

Josie

Josie is a boxer mix and is a very strong and energetic dog but with the small dogs she is very careful. I have even seen her lay down on the ground to play with the smaller ones. She is fierce looking at times but has a heart of gold. This is one dog that I wouldn't mind having myself.

Jersey

Jersey is a small german shepherd mix and lives in a household with several severely disabled foster babies and she loves each of them and is very careful with them. She is the same with the smaller dogs here. She is a rescue dog.

Gracie and Glory Be

These little cuties are Gracie and Glory B. They are a tiny pom and a small long hair doxie. They are so funny because the Glory B (the doxie) is scared of everything and has to have Gracie the teensy pom take care of her. If she gets out of Glories site then she has to run find her immediately. She prefers to go out and potty and run back into her "house", the kennel and get snuggly in her bed. Gracie would rather be out in the cold and rain getting some air! Of course with Gracies coat I am sure she is never cold.

Jango

This is Jango. He is a Yorkie puppy. He first came this summer and spent quite a few weekends with me as his owners hiked around the Pacific NW. He is a quite gregarious puppy and tons of fun so I had the pleasure of watching him grow up.

Felix

This is one of the few cats that I take in the kennel. He first came with his huge chesapeake bay retriever pal so of course I had to take him too. He is the hugest cat I have ever seen. He towers over my tiny dogs and loves them all. They wind around in his legs and climb on him when he lays down and he thinks it is wonderful. Of course being as huge as he is I am sure he isn't worried about my tiny doggies. His doggie pal had to leave us last year due to old age but Felix came by himself this year and did fine. His owners live in California and leave him here when they visit here for the summer on and off.

Kreative Blogger Award

I am honored to receive the Kreative Blogger Award from my watercolor friend Teresa from Spain.
As such, I need to list seven things about myself so here we go.
1. I am a watercolor artist specializing in animal portraits.
2. I also airbrush in acrylics, resin horses for resale.
3. I am a dyed in the wool animal lover.
4. I have three rescue chihuahuas and one Miniature Pinsher.
5. I belong to TIBBP, an international horse rescue group.
6. I raise pure bred endangered chickens.
Now I have to pass this award on to seven bloggers that should be included in this list of recepients.
1. Joy McKenzie
2. Doris Glovier
3. Rhonda Carpenter
4. Ruth Bodycott
5. Susan Roper
6. Donna Elio
7. Kathy Nessith

Thanks Teresa!

Oreo and Jax

These two little doggies live together and they are quite the little farm dogs. No foofoo for them! Jax however is the male and he is sooooo sweet. Every time he is here, he makes me pick him up and then he throws himself over on his back on my lap and just stares up into my eyes with this dreamy look on his face and begs for tummy rubs. Oreo is a bit more standoffish but with Jax around she doesn't have much chance.

Rosine step 5

Well, I am nearing the finish on this painting, thank goodness. Her coat is so dark that they are going to have to have the painting really well lit or all they will see is a big dark blob! I don't have the mane in yet but the forelock is essentially finished.
The camera used the flash so it picked up on the blue that really doesn't show IRL and also I had to take down the saturation a bit too. So the color isn't exactly correct but I think you can get the picture.

Gabbi

This is Gabbi. She is a little Yorkie puppy. She came for the first time this year and stayed almost two weeks so I got to know her real well. She was quite shy with the other dogs at first but by the end of her stay she had it all figured out. She had all the dogs playing jungle gym on my wood table and chairs and whenever she wanted to play hard to get she would get under the chairs and peek out. Quite a funny little girl. The painting shows her in one of her pensive moments.

Rosine step 4

A bit farther on Rosine. I emailed the client for this portrait and found out that the horse is actually darker than the photo shows, almost black so I have added a few more glazes to darken up on the head. I believe I am about done there and will start doing the detailing that needs to be done on the head. I will be working on the body of the horse but want to keep the detail on that to a minimum so the head will be the center of interest.

Elvira and Dolly

Here is my post card for today. I haven't been able to work on them for the past couple of days because the kennel has been busy and I have been working on and off on the horse.
So.............Elvira is a sweet little doxy and Dolly is her daughter who is doxy and yorkie. Elvira is old and moves slowly unless a chicken is in the yard, then look out! She suddenly becomes a pup again. Dolly is a ball of energy. She loves to explore everything. Can you tell which is which?

Chloe and Opie

This is Chloe and her new friend Opie. Chloe is a shit tzu and Opie is a Havanese. Opie was a pup the first time he came this year and full of energy and fun. Opie is much more reserved and does enjoy Opie but not so much his antics. They are both wonderful doggies and don't cause me any trouble at all. Chloe is on the left.

Rosine, step 3

Well, actually the painting sits out all the time and every once in a while I may just touch something here or there so it isn't really a third step but it is the next obvious change in the painting. I am working on getting the dark values correct on the head and starting to work on the body some.
Comments welcome.

Chacha

This is Chacha. She has only been here once and was a joy to have. As usual, she is a Havanese and that breed are just such joyous dogs. If you don't mind having to clip and brush all the time, I would recommend the breed to anyone who wants a happy energetic dog that will love everyone and anyone who will play with them.
Since Chacha has only been here once, I had to kind of wing it with her painting.

Tia and Misty

This is my post card from yesterday. It has been so great having a little more time this week.
This is Tia who has been coming here for about three years and Misty, a pup that the owners got for Tia for company.
They are both very sweet chihuahuas and love being out in my large yard with my chis and my miniature pinsher. All are about the same size give or take. Tia is rather quiet but Misty makes up for it by charging around the yard like a greyhound and jumping on everything and everyone. It is such fun to have a small breed pup around. She only weights about three pounds but thinks she is huge of course.

Rosine step 2

I am working very slowly on this as I want it to be the best possible and I need to calculate along the way.
The first glazes are on that will guide me a bit when I model the horses body. Still working on the head and have blocked in the color that will be underneath the forelock.

Buster

Buster is just the funniest and lovingest dog ever! He has only been here twice, but he spent the entire weekend he was here this year convincing me that he needed holding so the "boogie" dogs wouldn't get him. Now he is not a tiny dog, he is a basset mix of some sort so is about the size of a large doxie but he has the cutest stocky legs like the basset with the ears of a beagle and the cutest boxy head you have ever seen. If someone could breed for this look, it wauld be a hit. Can you tell I love this dog????

Rosine

I started on a portrait commission of a lovely mare yesterday and I feel it is coming along well so far. This was a very loved horse but the owner lost her recently and a good friend of his asked if I would do this for him. Of course I said yes so here is the start. I will try to post works in progress as I go along.
This is Rosine.

Buddy, Radar, Tucker

My painting class bagged out on me today so I did another post card instead.
This is Buddy, Radar, and Tucker. All three are Jack Russel Terriers. Jacks are very active and obsessive compulsive dogs. Once they decide on something, no amount of trying to change their mind is going to work!

Buddy

This one is Buddy. Although I have only had him once, I feel I have captured his look even if I haven't captured his personality. It takes a couple of times to shine through. He is a lovely sweet dog though, a beagle and I look forward to having him again.

Beau

This is Beau. He is a rescue like many of my dogs are. He has been coming for about two years now and at first was very wary and had a permanent scowl on his face. His markings are part of it, they are very unusual and make him look mad most of the time but now after all this time, he has become trusting and sweet. He is one of my favorites, well shoot, most of them are favorites!! He is a papillon mix and full of energy. Just look at that smile! No more frown for Beau!

Blue

This is Blue, an Australian Shepherd. He is a beautiful dog and his eyes are spectacular.

Trotter

This one is Trotter. He is a very high energy little guy but very sweet and playful. His owner is 88 years old and I have no idea how she handles him but she loves him and he adores her so that is all that matters. He gets all the dogs running around and around in the play yard until they are all just a blur.

Princess and Dutchess

I don't usually take cats but the black and white one (Princess) has been coming for about three years, she started as a kitten and this year she got her own kitten, Dutchess. They are very nice kitties and don't offer to scratch or bite me like some of them do!
Gina :-)

Opie

This is Opie. He is a Havanese and like all Havanese is very friendly and playful. He is a fun and funny doggie but always looks sad.

Maddie and Millie

This is Maddie and Millie.
Maddie first came to me with her older dog friend when she was just a tiny puppy, and I mean tiny. Weighed about one pound. She romped and rolled around here and had such fun. Then tragedy struck and her older friend was taken by a coyote the night before her owner was leaving for a trip. Maddie came anyway and stayed many many times with me and my dog Tazzi became her second mom.
Then about a year and a half later came Millie. Now Millie is a very gregarious pup which I think you can see in the painting and has also grown up here. Tazzi has become quite disgusted with Millies antics because Tazzi is Queen. Maddie is sedate and quiet while Millie is just a little Princess monster. They are both very small Silkie Terriers.

Ashley

Ashley is a sweet little poodle that has been coming for several years. She spent her last week of life here with me and I am so happy that I had this time with her. She did very well and enjoyed her stay very much. The owners were anticipating having to put her to sleep but she did so well here that I thought she would be OK for a while longer. Unfortunately a few days after she got home she went downhill again and had to leave us. This is her final portrait.

Tilly, BJ and Tonka

I am starting up on my dog watercolor sketch portraits again and have a bunch to finish before the Holidays. I paint each dog quickly on a watercolor postcard and send to my clients from my dog boarding kennel.
These cuties live together and are just a great little group that is tons of fun.

Pip

This is Pip, a sheltie and Sophie, a little tiger kitty. They are buddies and have to be kenneled across from each other so they can "talk" and keep each other company. Pip is very sweet but can be challenging if he gets scared. Sophie is a rescue and is very shy but very sweet.
I am having trouble getting into the swing of things with these post cards but I will keep plodding along.

Dawson

This sweet guy is Dawson. He is a Havanese and so is just a bundle of joy for his owners and me too when he is here. He loves playing with the other dogs and is just the happiest of boys. Havanese are a wonderful breed to own if you want a loving sweet playmate.

Abby

As some of you know, I have a boarding kennel and during the Holidays I do watercolor sketches of each of my boarders on post cards to send to the owners of my little charges. I usually wait until later on in the year and then get rushed to finish so this year I am starting early!
This is the first of the group of probably 60 dogs (and a few cats) that I will be doing this year. This is Abby. She is an Australian cattle dog and so has a lot of energy. She is a lovely dog with a very sweet personality.