I am finally catching up to date with my blog posts, just a few more to do now:) This is Ralphie, the first pet portrait I have painted in my “Inspire me to Paint” series.
Ralphie - Pet Portrait ©2010 Michelle Wrighton
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
Dachshund - Digital Smudge Painting
This is one of my first digital painting attempts, using oils in photoshop to add colour and the smudge tool to blend.
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
I am thoroughly enjoying working with this velour paper with my pastels and I am really pleased with how this portrait of Marcus, a Long Haired Dachshund has turned out. I can see that my pastels and this velour support and quickly going to become my favourite medium for working in.
I couldn’t help myself, after finishing this one I have finally started a portrait of my own dog Tia, she is a black Shar-Pei and it is proving to be a very interesting challenge creating black wrinkles that look realistic! I will add a blog entry with her portrait when it is finished.
