My "Mug Shots" entry for Canine Art Guild

The theme was "Mug Shots", it seems simple enough, but it left me stumped. What makes you remember a dogs face? I was considering drawing my own dogs, they certainly are my muses. Especially since they're always around when I'm working. If I'm having a hard time drawing a particular feature on a dog, they also work well as live models. However, I know I need to branch out and draw more breeds. So, I started thinking of breeds that lasting memories when I see them in public.

I started thinking about the two Pekingese dogs that must live somewhere near my house. I usually see them when I'm driving in my car and I must look silly when I slow down to pass them. They're little feet are barely visible under all the fur, they almost look like they're defying gravity as they move over the sidewalk. You can barely see their faces as well, the only thing really visible feature from my car is their little pink tongues hanging in the air. Simply put, seeing them always makes me smile and makes me happy to see my dogs when I come home.


So here is my entry, "This Is My Happy Face". I just loved this little guys expression. 11"x14" Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord

Slick's Portrait

I decided to write a post as a follow up to my Valentine's Day Contest. It was a very hard choice!There were many moving stories, I actually lost sleep on who I should pick to be the winner. I decided to make Slick the winner because he inspired his owner to rescue more dogs and to become a dog handler. My dogs, Lorna and Stella, have always inspired me to help other animals, so I really was moved by Slick's story. Here is Slick's portrait 11"x14" Pastel on Velour.