Michelle Wrighton Fine Art and Photography

This is Muffin’s Pet Portrait Painting, such a sweet little Silky Terrier with such gorgeous silky hair!

Muffin - Digital Pastels Pet Portrait Painting

Commission your own Pet Portrait Painting by Michelle Wrighton: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

SHOP FOR CUSTOMIZED DOG LOVER ART PRINTS, T-SHIRTS & GIFTS: Zazzle

SHOP FOR DOG LOVER CARDS, MATTED, LAMINATED AND FRAMED DOG ART PRINTS: Redbubble

The original oil painting ‘Angel in Blue’ is one of my favourite traditional oil paintings on canvas that I have done.  Unlike many artists who will re-visit a painting they have created in the past and paint it again in a larger size or different medium, I very rarely, if ever do this…possibly because the traditional art mediums that I use (charcoal, graphite, color pencils, acrylic and oil paints) and the detailed style that I paint in take so many hours to create that I just have never had the desire to become that familiar with the image again!

However digital painting is proving to be so much fun and so liberating, LOL somedays I just think my artistic muse must be on speed;)  Or maybe something else a bit funny if the contemporary digital modifications that I have made to a photo of my American Staffordshire Terrier oil painting ‘Angel in Blue’ is any indication;)  While I still prefer the traditional oil painting version (and I am not sure if this version will appear anywhere else but in this blog post), my creative spirit is having so much fun that I feel somewhat compelled to share some of my experiments!  This is not a simple photo manipulation using one click filters or adjustments in photoshop, I have added all the new colours  to the photo and re-painted and blended them in this very funky version of Angel.  Nice and bright, hey?

Funky Angel - Contemporary American Staffordshire Terrier Painting

I met this gorgeous Dogue de Bordeaux some time ago at a dog show and new straight away that I would paint his portrait which I have finally managed to do.  Actually, I ainted him a while ago now, but I’m still playing catch up with my blog!  The Dogue de Bordeaux is still a rare breed, but most people will remember Tom Hanks’ co-star in the 1989 comedy “Turner & Hooch” and camera chomping dog in the Olympus Digital Camera advertising campaign.

Dogue de Bordeaux are believed to have originated in France over 600 years ago and are also known as the French Mastiff, Bordeaux dog, Bulldogue Francais, or simply DDB.  They were originally bred to hunt, guard and fight and these imposing, fearless dogs were popular protectors of the noble and wealthy.  Today, Dogue de Bordeaux are prized family companions for their loyal, devoted, playful and affectionate nature and sweet, balanced temperament and courage as a guard dog.

More information about this lovely breed can be obtained from the newly formed Dogue de Bordeaux Club of Australia.

Stormy Dogue - Dogue de Bordeaux painting by Michelle Wrighton

Greeting cards, laminated, matted, canvas and framed prints of “Stormy Dogue” can be purchased from my Redbubble giftshop:

A variety of other prints, tshirts, mousepads, coffee mugs and other items featuring ‘Stormy Dogue’ are available at my Zazzle giftshop.

Product selection from Zazzle

Thanks for visiting my blog  and sharing my art and photography with your family and friends!

x Michelle

Michelle Wrighton: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

BUY CUSTOMIZED ART POSTERS, ART PRINTS, T-SHIRTS & GIFTS: Zazzle

BUY CARDS, PHOTO PRINTS, CANVAS ART AND FRAMED ART PRINTS: Redbubble

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the opportunity to photograph several years ago. Sophie’s all grown up now, so taking a trip back in time to capture her cheeky puppy personality in this painting was alot of fun!

Shih Tzu’s are an intelligent, active toy breed whose ancestry is rather obscure. Believed to have originated in Tibet, they are the oldest and smallest of the Tibetan ‘holy dog’ breeds.  The breed is known for their naturally long, flowing coat, however, they do require a lot of grooming and care, so many pet Shih Tzu’s choose to have their coats clipped short for easy care.

Shih Tzu puppy portrait

Greeting cards, laminated, matted, canvas and framed prints of “Sophie in The Sunshine” can be purchased from my Redbubble giftshop:

Thanks for visiting my blog  and sharing my art and photography with your family and friends!

x Michelle

Art prints and gifts for Shih Tzu dog lovers.

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Sophie Shih Tzu Posters

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$-0.01

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Bumper Stickers

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$4.55

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Mousepads

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$12.55

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Tshirt

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$18.30

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Custom Tie

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$34.35

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Canvas Bag

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$11.40

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Shirts

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$17.15

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Magnet

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$3.30

Sophie Shih Tzu Art Mug

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$16.00

Shih Tzu Dog Art - Sophie Tshirts

Sophie is a gorgeous Shih Tzu puppy that I had the ...

by mwrighton

$30.95

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Michelle Wrighton: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

SHOP CUSTOMIZED ART PRINTS, T-SHIRTS & GIFTS: Zazzle

SHOP CARDS, MATTED, LAMINATED AND FRAMED ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY PRINTS: Redbubble

Italian Greyhounds would have to be one of the most elegant and delicate looking breed of dogs and they have the most beautiful eyes! Italian Greyhounds, or “Iggy’s” as they are affectionately called, are the smallest of the sighthound family and despite their Toy breed classification and companion dog status, many still retain the instinct to chase small animals and birds!

The breed has a long and noble history spanning thousands of years.  Mummified remains of dogs similar to Italian Greyhounds have been excavated from the tombs of the Pharaoh’s in the Valley of Kings and it is believed that the breed originated in Egypt around 3000BC.  These small hounds were taken to the  Mediterranean by the Romans around 600 BC, and because of their popularity in Italy during the middle ages, they became known as Italian Greyhounds and were frequent companions to European Royalty and Aristocracy including Mary Queen of Scots, Charles 1, Catherine the great and Queen Victoria.  This elegant breed has been portrayed in art throughout the centuries from paintings to carvings and ceramic statues.

I strive to capture the essence of the individual animal in my artwork and so much of this is conveyed through the eyes, which are what compelled me to paint this gorgeous Italian Greyhound from a photo reference by fellow artist C. Sheeter.  I hope I have captured that unique spark in ‘Magnifico’.

Magnifico - Italian Greyhound Portrait Painting by Michelle Wrighton

Art prints and gifts featuring my Italian Greyhound Painting ‘Magnifico’ are available for sale in the following places;

Art By Michelle Etsy shop – signed and custom prints options for sale

Redbubble Art Shop Gift cards, matted, laminated, canvas and framed art prints for sale

Zazzle Art Shop Posters, ornaments, t-shirts, bags, posters, coffee mugs, canvas prints magnets, shoes, photo cards for sale

Thanks for visiting my blog  and sharing my art and photography with your family and friends!

x Michelle

Michelle Wrighton: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

SHOP CUSTOMIZED ART PRINTS, T-SHIRTS & GIFTS: Zazzle

SHOP CARDS, MATTED, LAMINATED AND FRAMED ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY PRINTS: Redbubble

My original oil painting of ‘Angel’ the American Staffordshire Terrier was featured as Today’s Best product – considering that Zazzle has millions of unique designs this really is a huge honour!

American Staffordshire Terrier Pet Portrait in Oils by Michelle Wrighton

When I painted “Angel” I really wanted to portray the loyal, loving devotion that these beautiful dogs have towards their family when they are bred and raised by ethical, responsible people.

Unfortunately not all American Staffordshire Terriers and Pit Bull Terriers are as lucky as “Angel” and don’t always end up in responsible homes.

If you would like to purchase a print of ‘Angel’ or to view a range of gifts and merchandise featuring this artwork, please visit my Zazzle Giftshop or Redbubble.

Thanks for visiting my blog  and sharing my art and photography with your family and friends!

x Michelle

Michelle Wrighton: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

SHOP CUSTOMIZED ART PRINTS, T-SHIRTS & GIFTS: Zazzle

SHOP CARDS, MATTED, LAMINATED AND FRAMED ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY PRINTS: Redbubble

It was definitely time for a facelift for the old blog so the new design is finally online, just in time to celebrate the arrival of my new gift shop at Zazzle.  We have selected Zazzle for printing products, prints and giftware  for a number of reasons, primarily the high quality of Zazzle products which are endorsde and used by world famous brands such as Hallmark, officially licensed Star Wars and Disney, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet,  Mythbusters, and many more.  So this means that products featuring selected reproductions of my artwork are in very good company!

Aside from that, the Zazzle Promise is the sort of thing that I personally take a lot of notice of when purchasing anything from an online store, and I would expect nothing less for customers purchasing products featuring my artwork.  The Zazzle promise means that:

• Your satisfaction is Zazzle’s Top Priority. If you are not satisfied for any reason with the final product, you may return your purchase for a replacement or refund within 30 days of receipt.
• Your information is secure – Zazzle SSL secured servers are tested daily to ensure your data will arrive privately and unaltered.
• Zazzle produces products on demand and ships very quickly! Production and shipping is within 24 hours for everything but a few products that take slightly longer than 24 hours to produce and ship.
• And finally a great range of products and gift lines to feature my art, many that you can customise to suit your own preference!

Please click the link below to visit the new gift shop and let me know what you think!  New artwork is being added daily and if you would like to be notified of new additions, simply subscribe to this blog, follow me on Twitter or fan me on Facebook

Zazzle.com.au/mwrighton

Thanks for visiting my blog  and sharing my art and photography with your family and friends!

x Michelle

Michelle Wrighton: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

SHOP CUSTOMIZED ART PRINTS, T-SHIRTS & GIFTS: Zazzle

SHOP CARDS, MATTED, LAMINATED AND FRAMED ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY PRINTS: Redbubble

This is one of the first digital oil paintings that I did, sketching and painting the dog using using Photoshop CS4 oil brushes and blending with the smudge tool.  Initially I was happy with it, then after I did a few more digital paintings I relegated this one to the back burner as it lost its appeal.  I recently dragged it out from my work in progress folders and finished it off – all it needed was a closer crop and a touch more contrast:)

Chelsea - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Pet portrait by Michelle Wrighton

Cards, laminated, matted and framed prints of Chelsea can be purchased from my Redbubble shop:   

Digital Painting of a gorgeous chocolate Labrador at the beach.

Bosco - Chocolate Labrador Beach Painting Pet Portrait by Michelle Wrighton

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 Victoria

Pug Rescue Inc

Pug Rescue Sydney

Perth Pug Rescue

Pug Rescue.com United States

Pug Welfare-Rescue United Kingdom