I have always loved Highland Cattle and finally have had a chance to paint one. This was the first painting that I completed in Corel Painter using my wacom graphics tablet and digital pen. I am amazed at how similar to real painting it is in regards to how the paintbrushes lay down and blend the paint!
Highland Cattle - Farm Animal Art Portrait
Digital Painting of an Eventer.
Eventer - Horse sport painting
Greeting cards, laminated, matted, canvas and framed prints of “Eventer” can be purchased from my Redbubble shop: 
This is the final update for the Weimaraner portait.
Weimaraner - The grey Ghost
To purchase a variety of wall art, greeting cards and t-shirts featuring my art and photography, Please visit my RedBubble Gallery. Purchases can be made in different currencies (USD, Euro, GBP, AUD) and shipped shipped worldwide.
A variety of wall art, gift ware and apparel featuring my artwork is available in my GiftShop at CafePress.
It’s interesting how we sometimes second guess our motives and reasons behind the decisions we make.
I don’t think I am unique, and I guess most people know what its like when work, family commitments, ongoing illness/health issues and life in general take over and seem to rule your world and there never seems enough time or physical and mental energy to do all that needs doing, let alone follow dreams and achieve things that are little more than wispy glimpses of what can be.
I have had a particular art project planned since I first started blogging way back in 2006 – actually its just one of many projects that have been put on hold indefinitely in recent years, but this one I keep going back to, seeing how the idea could be adjusted to fit into a schedule that I could manage and trying to implement parts of it without any great success, primarily I think because I need to approach the project holistically in order to achieve what I want to achieve.
Although I feel like I am running flat out without achieving any forward movement lately, I have also felt that a shift is taking place that will finally allow me to make the progress in the directions I want to take, so I have tried to accept the limited progress that I appear to be making, believing that this shift will occur (even if its not as quick as I would like!).
Then all of a sudden, boom! The negative thoughts and second guessing come in and I wonder why I have wasted so much mental energy on things that I just can’t seem to make happen, no matter how much I try and I feel that I might as well just give up on some ideas that have long held importance. I got to that point today.
Strangely enough, if I had read Robert Genns newsletter that I received yesterday, I wouldn’t have got to that point today. And yet it would not have had such an impact on me if I had read it yesterday. Strangely enough, being pushed for time, tired and trying to clear my inbox I was going to simply delete the newsletter without reading anyway.
I did however open another email form an artist group I belong to and what did I find but the very same Robert Genns newsletter for September 2, 2008 “Working your muses.”
Robert writes “The first thing you have to do is separate your true muses from your false muses. Your true muses are those that turn you on, interest you, excite you and motivate you to explore further. Both true and false muses are generated in early childhood, and sorting them out can save a lot of trouble in later art and life. Fact is, we’re often pretty true to ourselves until our teenage years. That’s when derailment happens–jobs, obligations, family and social pressures, love interests…
…Artists often find themselves trying to sort things out in middle life. These folks need to go back to their earliest dreams. By recalling the places and occurrences of childhood, they can bring up and clarify both positive and negative muses. You need to go with the positive ones–the ones that give good feelings. There are such an abundance of positive ones….
…Identifying your early positive muses gives keys to life’s direction–at least to paths worth checking out….
…Artists who dig up true muses need to connect them to exploratory work. Without this step muses stay dreams forever. The works themselves need only be seen as assays. They become a continuing evaluation of the nature of the given muse. Some are infinite in complexity and may require many lifetimes. Here lies the miracle of making art. Connected to the part of you that is true is the key to an eternity of somewhat pleasant frustration, occasional quality and joyous satisfaction. Not a bad job when you think of it…”
I take it that one way or another I was meant to read Roberts message, and boy was it relevant! So I will keep following my muse, even if I can only spend 5 or 10 minutes a week developing the project to the point that it comes to fruition, I know that my muse can and should be pursued for this one.
I’m not sure that the thoughts and ramblings of this very tired artist are even coherent tonight, and I do apologize for that, but I would like to thank Robert for yesterday’s newsletter and share the link to the full article inRobert’s twice weekly newsletter so that other artists can subscribe to his words of wisdom;)
Oh, and about my project? I’ll mention more when it is closer to being ready, subscribe to my “Paws in The Paint” email newsletter to receive the announcement!
This is the first artwork that I have ever wanted to do more than once – the first one that I did was back in 2006 and it was a tiny ACEO (2.5″ x3.5″ Art Card). At the time I did think that a larger painting would be worth pursuing, as the reference material (courtesy of Toni-Marie Hudson) is fantastic, and one that a number of artists have attempted in a variety of different mediums. I did use two slightly different reference photos though, as I thought the slightly different angle of the face would be better for the larger format painting.
I created the ACEO in colour pencils, and this new larger portrait has been done in traditional oils on prepared mdf, to the size of 9″x12″. The painting is finished, but I won’t be adding it to the FIne Art Gallery until I have varnished it which will get rid of the gloss shine from the dried liquin that you can see in the left corner around my signature.
ACEO Gibbon 2.5"x3.5"
Gibbon in Oils 9"x12"
GIBBON INFORMATION
There are fifteen living species of Gibbon – I believe this one is a White-Handed or Lar Gibbon (Hylobates lar) and as there are many colour variants in the species their subspecies identification is often unreliable unless the provenience of the animal is known.
GIbbons are small tree-dwelling primates whose original natural habitat is the tropical and subtropical rainforests of South, Southeast and East Asia. Gibbons are yet another endangered animal – some of the 15 species of Gibbon are at the brink of extinction, and are currently only found in small populations in Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Bandladesh, NE India and Myanmar.
The primary reason for the endangered status of GIbbons is the loss of their forest habitat which is being destroyed at the horrific rate of 32 acres per minute. Unfortuantely, factors such as illegal wildlife trade, poaching and the use of their body parts in the manufacture of traditional medicine have also contributed to the demise of these beautiful creatures.
Gibbons are incredible acrobats and can swing up to 50 ft between trees at speeds up to 35mph, as well as having the dexterity to walk upright on the ground! They are one of the few monogamous primates, living in nuclear families consisting of the mated pair and their dependent offspring living in a family territory that they defend by vigorous vocal and visual displays. Gibbons are often referred to as the ’songbirds’ of the primate family and they can project their voices up to 2 miles through the rainforest canopy. The vocal displays of these musical land mammals usually consist of a duet between the mated pair, sometimes with accompaniement from their offspring.
If you would like to help with the plight of the critically endangered Silvery Gibbon, please visit The Silvery Gibbon Project to donate, purchase merchandise or become a member of this conservation organization which is a registered environmental organisation based in Perth, Western Australia.
Responsible dog ownership starts BEFORE you purchase or adopt your new dog. You should spend as much time as possible researching the different breeds to find which is most suitable to you and your lifestyle, as well as individual breeders before deciding on one that will provide you with a healthy, happy puppy, and as much after sales assistance as you require.
Here are a few other things to keep in mind:
By following the simple suggestions above will help you be a responsible dog owner. And remember, as with most things a little common sense goes a long way!
Subscribe to this feed Pet Animal and Wildlife Art By Michelle Wrighton
Return to my Pet Portraits & Wildlife Art Home
To purchase a variety of wall art, greeting cards and t-shirts featuring my art and photography, Please visit my RedBubble Gallery. Purchases can be made in different currencies (USD, Euro, GBP, AUD) and can be shipped worldwide.
A variety of wall art, gift ware and apparel featuring my artwork is available in my
GiftShop at CafePress.
Well dear readers, as you know from reading my previous post Adopting a Rescue Dog we will be adding a new dog to our family sometime in the hopefully not to distant future. Although the time is not right just yet, I can’t help myself and I have been looking at different dog rescue websites and doing a bit of a dog training ‘refresher’ course (gotta be prepared – and yes I would have made a good boy scout. If I was a boy;).
It really saddens me that there are just so many dogs (and other animals) in rescue because they have been treated as if they are ‘disposable’ possessions. I know there are exceptions and some people have legitimate reasons for surrendering an animal (and that is of course a better option that dumping the poor creature somewhere), but many animals end up in rescue because their owners made irresponsible decisions before and after obtaining the animal.
How To Pick a Puppy is the first of several articles that I wrote in 1996 (which are just as relevant today) relating to responsible dog ownership, choices and behaviour that I am going to post on my blog, and I hope that they will help my readers who might also be considering a new addition to the family. If there is any important point you think I have missed, please let me know and I will add it in!
Picking a Puppy
I am a dog lover not a Dog expert, but from a number of years research, reading books, speaking to dog breeders and dog owners I believe that the following will assist you in your selection. I will make NO attempt to suggest suitable breeds, my aim is to help the prospective buyer understand that just because you like the look of a particular breed DOES NOT make it a suitable because there are many variables that need to be considered other than just the appearance of the breed.
Owning a dog is a LIFELONG commitment and there are a number of things that you should think about BEFORE you start looking to make sure you choose the breed of dog that is the right one for you. There may be MANY breeds that are not suitable for your lifestyle, and if you put a little thought into the decision you may save yourself a lot of heartache, not to mention the effects that a wrong decision may have on the poor dog. I believe that if more people thought before they bought we would not have anywhere near the number of abandoned dogs that we do. So, ask yourself these questions…..
WHY DO YOU WANT A DOG?
You need to think about the reasons that you are considering getting a dog. Do you want a companion only, a lap dog, a friend for the kids or a guard dog? What do you want to do with the dog – show, obedience training, hiking, bring in the cows for milking etc? Not all breeds are suitable for every activity.
HOW MUCH TIME PER WEEK DO YOU HAVE TO DONATE TO A DOG?
Different breeds have different time requirements in regards to exercise, grooming and training, and in a lot of breeds, skimping on time spent on the dog can have disastrous effects, for the dog, for yourself and for your possessions.
HOW BIG IS YOUR YARD AND HOW HIGH ARE YOUR FENCES?
This will determine the size of dog you should be looking at. You need to make sure that your dog is not going to be able to get out of your yard and possibly hit by a car, picked up by the pound/ranger or mauled by another dog. Don’t forget that some small breeds of dogs can jump very well. I know of several small Terriers who are able to scale six foot fences, but alternatively, some very large breeds of dogs are not very active and may do well in a small yard.
DO YOU WANT AN INSIDE OR AN OUTSIDE DOG?
This will determine not only the breed, but also the size of the dog you get. If you want an inside dog, consider the size of your house – will a large breed take up every available inch of space? Is a small but very boisterous dog likely to knock over your priceless China collection? Looks and size can be deceiving, many small breeds are not suitable for apartment living due to their activity level, while some of the larger breeds can be excellent for small houses or apartments because they are real couch potatoes.
Other breeds need human companionship and are not suitable for leaving outside all the time, neither are breeds that are not suitable for your environment due to coat length, or susceptability to heat exhaustion.
DO YOU OR ARE YOU PLANNING TO HAVE CHILDREN?
Some breeds are not recommended for young children particularly, and this is a very important question to consider. The wrong choice could permanently disfigure your child for life and result in your dog being destroyed. Unfortunately, there will always be exceptions in every breed and quite often children are not aware of the implications of fulling a dogs ears or tail, so I feel that no matter how much you may trust your dog, never leave children unsupervised with ANY dog until they are old enough to effectively command the dog – I would suggest until the early teens – depending on the child. I know many people would probably disagree with me on this point, but I personally do not think that it is worth the risk to either child or dog.
DO YOU HAVE OTHER PETS?
To avoid bloodshed of dearly loved family pets this is a good point to consider when determining which breed of dog is right for you. Some breeds get on very well with other species, but a lot DON’T so ask the breeder before you buy.
WHAT SORT OF CLIMATE DO YOU LIVE IN?
This is an important consideration for the sake of the dog and really is just common sense. Most breeds that originate in cold climates have very thick coats and will suffer terribly in very hot conditions. Likewise, breeds that have very thin coats, or in the case of some breeds that have very little body hair at all, may be particularly susceptible to the cold – they may also be susceptible to sunburn and skin cancers. If you have a climate controlled house or kennel where the dog will spend most of its time, this may not be such a problem.
HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU PREPARED TO REGULARLY SPEND?
Some breeds have a higher maintenance level for food, veterinary assistance, medical tests, grooming and equipment. Every dog requires food, worming, nail clipping, some level of grooming, vaccinations, hopefully sterilization unless you plan to show or breed, and every dog is at risk of unexpected illness and injury. I am not suggesting that only rich people should have dogs, but if you don’t have or are not prepared to spend a great deal of money, then maybe a long haired breed that requires clipping every six weeks and may be susceptible to ear and eye infections because of the long hair, may not be the most suitable breed for you.
WHAT TEMPERAMENT DO YOU WANT?
As with people, dogs have different temperaments, and although no dog will ever match a breed standard 100%, most characteristics, including temperament tend to appear reliably in pure bred dogs. This includes independence – some breeds are very dependant on human company and affection, while others are very independent.
HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD WITH DOGS?
Some breeds of dogs are very dominant and are not usually recommended for first time dog owners. This is because unless you are able to establish dominance early in puppy hood you and your dog will forever be at odds with each other (and this is NOT achieved by physical abuse). Being able to establish dominance is dependant on your understanding that dogs are pack animals and have a very strong hierarchy, and it is important to understand ‘pack logic’ from the dog’s point of view. Many interesting books and articles have been written on this topic, and it is a great idea to read a few, regardless of which breed you purchase, as they will help you to understand some of your dogs behaviour.
Once you have thought about the above points and anything else that is relevant to you and your family, you should be able to narrow your choices down by doing a bit of research. Surf through the net looking for individual breed pages and FAQ’s, read some books and contact registered Dog Breeders for information.
If you have done all of the above, here are some points when it comes to picking your puppy:
* NEVER BUY ON A WHIM!!!!!!
* NEVER Buy and animal as an unexpected gift or Christmas Present!!!
* DON’T BUY FROM A PET SHOP, PUPPY MILL OR UNREGISTERED BREEDER.
* Telephone the breeders and ask about their breed. Most will be happy to answer any questions you might have, and will advise you of the suitability of their breed to your situation. Don’t be afraid to let the breeder know if you do not have a lot of experience with dogs.
* Go and have a look at several different breeds if you are still not sure which one is right for you. This can best be achieved by attending an All Breed dog show. This will help you decide which breed you like, as well as which breeder’s dogs you prefer.
* Decide if you want a pet or a show quality pup. This may determine how long you have to wait and how much you will have to pay – show or breeding quality pups usually being fewer in number and more expensive.
* Have a look at the health of the other dog’s in the kennel. Are they lively, alert and friendly. (Don’t forget, most kennelled dogs will bark at strangers and some breeds will very rarely look friendly, but you can get a general idea – dogs that look down right viscous might not be good parents for a dog that is going to be a family pet).
* Does the kennel look clean and sanitary?
* Do the dogs react happily to the owner/handler or do they cringe away, snap or growl?
* Puppies should be nicely rounded in shape, without being overly fat or skin and bones.
* Most healthy pups will have shiny, alert eyes and healthy looking coats.
* Check that the puppies are not infested with ticks and fleas.
* Ask to see both parents. It is common for breeders to use a stud dog that they do not own, but they may have photos of the dog. Quite often, the bitch will not look in ’show condition’ after whelping a litter. The reason for this is that whelping and feeding a litter places huge demands on the bitch, so she may be a little thin (but not skin and bones), and may ‘blow’ her coat (shed) due to the hormonal changes caused by pregnancy and milk production. She should however, still appear happy, lively, confident, interact well with the owner/breeder and show no signs of illness.
* Ask the breeder if they have any references from people who have bought their puppies in the past.
* Make sure that you see all appropriate paperwork including parents pedigrees, medical certificates for tests such as hip dysplasia if this is relevant to the breed, as well as the puppies pedigree papers and vet certificate confirming worming and vaccinations. Be very sceptical of any breeder who is not willing to show you paperwork – if you are unable to see the papers, the breeder may not actually have them! Many people are not concerned about having ‘papers’ for their pet, however, you do want to make sure that if you are paying the price for a pure bred dog, then that is what you are getting. Also, if the breed that you are buying are prone to certain medical conditions, you want to make sure that the parents have been ‘cleared’ by a vet, and the puppies checked (depending on the relevant condition) to ensure that there is the smallest chance possible that the pup you buy will develop the condition.
It is also a good idea to ask to see the membership card for the canine controlling body (Kennel Council) for the state/country that you are in.
REMEMBER: It is ultimately your responsibility to research the breeds you are interested in as well as the individual breeder that you finally purchase from. While it is your right to ask as many questions as possible, it is also the breeders right (and responsibility) to ask you questions as well, so don’t be offended if the breeder gives you the third degree!
Finally, if you do not want or cannot afford a pedigree dog from a registered breeder, there are many reputable dog rescue services that you can adopt from rather than obtaining a dog from a pet shop or backyard breeder. You can obtain a dog of any age from a rescue, (pure breed or mixed) and usually the people who run the rescue will be able to give you some information about each dog they have. If you adopt a dog from a rescue, you may well save it from being destroyed, particularly the older or not so ‘pretty and cute’ dogs which usually don’t get adopted quickly. If you would really like to make a difference to a rescue dog, you might also consider giving a dog that has been mistreated and abused a comfortable, loving home for the remainder of its days – you would be amazed at the love and devotion that you will receive in return.
Subscribe to this feed Animal Art By Michelle
To purchase a variety of wall art, greeting cards and t-shirts featuring my art and photography, Please visit my RedBubble Gallery. Purchases can be made in different currencies (USD, Euro, GBP, AUD) and can be shipped worldwide.A variety of wall art, gift ware and apparel featuring my artwork is also available in my
GiftShop at CafePress.
I finally have had time to post an update of Tara’s pet portrait painting.
The first two photos are close-up views of the eyes and fur base colours.
Left eye:
Right eye: This shot also shows some of the brown tones that have been used in the base of the tabby fur.
In this next photo I have added the cream markings on her mouth and I am beginning to model the shape of her face under the white fur. Although grey colours are often used to depict white fur, using other shadow colours of the right value such as pinks, violet and lilac can add depth into the white fur without making it look dirty (which is easy to do on drafting film).
I think I forgot to mention this previously, but I intensified the strength of the whiskers in white pencil earlier on to avoid loosing them in the fur. At the end I will go back and redefine them and put shadows in where needed.
The next update will include the final version of Tara’s Pet Portrait.
This pet portrait is an acrylic painting of Moe, a gorgeous little pug that seems to be saying “Go ahead, Make my Day”, or maybe just “This IS my happy face!” Gotta love those pups with squished wrinkly faces!
8″x10″ gallery wrapped canvas
"This *IS* my Happy Face"
cards and prints featuring this artwork can be purchased at
Pug Breed Profile
Pug dog were originally developed in China over a thousand years ago. When they were taken to Europe by the Dutch East India Company, they became a favorite breed of royalty and the aristocracy.
Pugs are a small Toy breed, with an ideal weight range of 6.3-8.1kg (14-18lbs). They have square compact bodies, wrinkled skin and tightly curled tails.
Pugs are intelligent dogs that are even tempered with a happy and lively disposition that makes them very suitable as family pets. They have short smooth coats, but are heavy shedders for their size, so regular brushing is required, as well as cleaning of the wrinkles in their face to prevent infections developing.
Pugs are an indoor breed. They are relatively inactive indoors which makes them suitable for apartment living, as long as they receive regular exercise to avoid becoming overweight. They are quite playful, however due to their short noses, Pugs can have difficulties breathing so strenuous exercise, especially in hot weather, should be avoided. They can also be prone to skin and eye problems.
If a Pug sounds like the breed for you and your family, please contact a reputable breeder in your area, or better still, a Pug Rescue group such as the following:
Pug Rescue.com United States
Pug Welfare-Rescue United Kingdom
This pet portrait of our cat Tara is my latest challenge – rendering white fur on drafting film with color pencils and acrylic. The look on her face in the reference photo is priceless and very typically a disdainful ‘Tara’ look. One of the most important things about choosing a suitable reference photo to create a pet portrait from, is making sure that you select a photo that shows the animals personality. Tara is not your average friendly physically affectionate cat, and to portray her as one wouldn’t be accurate to her personality!
There is a good reason for her attitudes to humans though. Tara and her litter mates were dumped in the bush as kittens when they were 6-8 weeks old, and seven years later she still hasn’t totally overcome her fear and mistrust of humans. Even though she is quite attached to our family in her own way, she is very timid, dosn’t like to be touched or picked up and this winter is the first year that she has been willing to come inside and even sleeps on the foot of our bed. It has taken a lot of gentle persistence and as long as we don’t push her to do anything she dosn’t want to do, she seems to be quite happy being close to us without being a lap cat.
This is a cropped version of my reference photo.
In this first image below, I have painted the eyes of her pet portrait using a variety of cream, jasmine, several green pencils and some reddish browns and dark green for the shadow areas. The pupils have been done with indigo and black prismacolors and the highlights with white and light blue. I have also started to block in the lightest highlights with white, using pencil strokes in the direction and length of the fur in each area.
Now I have started modelling the nose with creams, pinks and pinkish browns and black grape for the darker shadows, with tiny amount of indigo over the black grape for teh darkest areas.
Now I have started to introduce the browns and creams as the basis of the tabby pattern on her head. I have also strengthened her whiskers with very firm pressure with the white pencil so that I don’t loose them as the fur develops.
After using dark brown and chocolate with some black grape I have very sparingly ticked in some black hairs in the darkest areas.
And that’s where I will leave it for today, make sure to add my blog to your RSS feeds to see when this portrait is updated.
In the meantime, if you need a good cat related laugh today, have a look at this rather humorous captioned cat photoblog I came across http://icanhascheezburger.com
Bye for now!
