And finally the two become one.....Maja & Brett reunited

I was fortunate enough that shortly after the completion of the Maja painting,  I noticed that none other than the WBW himself (Brett) or "B-dawg" ;) would be in the Toronto area at an event not too far from where I work. Oh joy and happy dance to ensue! I live in Toronto, he lives in Calgary, this was a perfect opportunity to deliver the painting in person. But wait....could I...should I....Well...they named a song after me, didn't they?!!! Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets! So it shall be!

The Fire Breathing Dragon himself was hosting, Polo for Heart in the City http://www.polointhecity.ca/ helping to raise funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Insert swoon here. I'm ready to slap a giant "S" across his chest - not only is he socially conscious, he relentlessly extends his name & presence to so many worthy charities and events. Not only that but Maja followed suit. She truly was an amazing animal. Brett has often referred to her as a healer. She worked with children, visited people at the hospital and she would go to the old age homes among many of her duties that she clearly relished.  So it seems so appropriate that Maja still has so many followers on Facebook and so many people that were rooting for her and cared about her and to this day still do.

 So this was a challenge! Although he was unfathomably busy, he and his "magician" assistant, Robin managed to squeeze me in to meet with him. Mountains were moved, hills were climbed, rivers parted....yada yada, you get the drift. I finally got the opportunity to present him with the painting of his beloved Maja. He liked it, he really really liked it! Sigh...relief sets in, whew! And he couldn't be any nicer. Made me feel like a million bucks! And I must add - I got the most genuine hug that day! A-plus B-dawg! Pictures speak for themselves. Good gawd, this is going to be hard to top! Best day ever!

Lola, the lovely Maja and Brett

The two become one

WGD Rest in Peace

My heart is heavy today.....I have recently learned the news that the WGD, Maja has gone over the "rainbow bridge" as her owner has so eloquently referred to her untimely demise. If you know of Maja, you may have been  one of the thousands that were rooting for her. There was a glimmer of hope a week ago when we all rejoiced that she was stronger than ever and going in for chemo. Unfortunately she lost that battle but not in vain, her spirit lives on.

Although I have not had the opportunity to meet her, she's been pretty much my main focus over the past few months. It's been an absolute privilege to paint her, see her photos that her owner has shared of her good times and sometimes not so good times. She's touched many people's hearts from afar and I was one of them.

I hope I have done her justice with this painting. RIP Maja.
  
"The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of its master."

Her she is....just some minor tweaking to do, so love this picture!

I've had a serious flu over the last week and a half so I used that time to paint! It's almost complete! I'm quite happy with the way it's shaped out. Her fur has been the biggest challenge for me. The photo that I used for this, the photographer used a blurring technique so that it was very clear around her face and then got fuzzy/faded out near the bottom so difficult to see how her hair moved/fell into place. So I improvised.

I'm excited to have an artist friend over who was showcased on this tv show that I'm currently addicted to called Star Portraits. 3 artists paint the same subject and come out with 3 different outcomes. Just love this show. Anyway, this one artist has this realism technique that is outstanding will drop by to help with finalizing my painting. Just want some advice and also will be taking a painting course from him. I'm forever a student, if I like a certain technique of an artist, I will seek them out for private classes. It's a win win for everyone!

Anyway, the next post of the painting will probably be the finished product so fingers crossed peeps!

Maja the great

Well this is a bittersweet post. I've been painting over the last few days. Home sick with a nagging cough but I can still hold a paintbrush in my hand! So I was just getting set up to paint and I turned my cellphone on to get my Facebook and Twitter updates when I saw an update about Maja. Her cancer is back again and it seems like the Wilson family will have to make some big heart heavy decisions.  I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to paint her. This dog is truly special. She's had the most wonderful life, possibly better than most humans! She's been loved and adored by many near and far and been a wonderful faithful pet and companion. She will be fondly remembered by so many. I hope my painting will do her justice.

Moomoo really starting to come to life.....

I'm someone that is usually more critical of my own work and I must say I'm actually feeling quite happy about the way this is turning out. I'm grinning right now :D ear to ear. More work to be done, more shading and perfecting but yeah, this is going in the right direction. Are you feelin' it out there?

This is how it starts.....

This technically should be the very first post....oooopss, my bad! Oh well....it's a learning curve. This is how I begin each time I sit down to paint. You may see my "chicken scratch" for handwriting above, I assess the painting, which colors I see both light, dark and in between, and then I hit the art store to buy materials! You don't have to buy every single color, most colors you can blend to make the colors you want. For instance, here I have a beige-y tone that I'm trying to capture, so as you can see, I've mixed a bit of all those colors to achieve that hue. And once I've mixed the colors and say I want to continue on another day or maybe a week later, I cover this palate with some plastic, or even a plastic bag and pop it in the freezer. Then the paint doesn't dry and when I'm ready to paint again, voila! I'm sure Martha Stewart already knows this trick....that B* knows everything! ;)

Add a little Linseed Oil

For those who have always been curious about the technique of painting, this is for you! So Linseed oil adds gloss and transparency to paints.  I mix a bit in with the color I am using to give a more sheer coat of paint when I don't want it to be so thick and opaque.

Working it out...

So Now I'm beginning to do some corrections and reshaping the "MooMoo's" nose here. She's got a more refined snout! Working on her eyes and tones on her face. More paint is always the cure!

And this is where I'm at for now....

So now the painting is finally taking shape. I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with it too, I can be so hard on myself sometimes! Now lots to do still, tones are still too light so will be deepening the colors, Maja has the loveliest dark rich brown coat, I'm determined to capture it correctly! I still have to shape her eyes out a bit more to get the right expression, she's a pleaser and it shows on her face. I also have to work on her mouth too, will begin taking form as I layer on more paint. I like to step back from the canvas often, it helps to get an overall idea of how the project is developing. I still have to work on a bit of a dip at the top of her head too. And also work on her snout a bit more! It's a process, but.... you likey? Hope So!

The reason for my tardiness, insert excuse here:

Okay so unfortunately during the "Moo Moo" Project, my little fur ball Ginger, seen here had suffered not once but twice from a form of Intervertebral Disk Disease otherwise known as IVD degeneration. It occurs in all breeds of dogs; however, it is observed most frequently in the chondrodystrophoid breeds such as French bulldogs. She's getting better now and walking which is a huge relief as it was very iffy there for a while.  I've taken her for a CT Scan, Myelogram and finally an MRI and the neurologist couldn't perform surgery as she has some mineralization but her disc was not protruding. However, she did have temporary full back leg paralysis which broke my heart but the good news is she is walking and seems to be healing. So my attentions and time were completely devoted to her. So now that she's back on track I'm happily painting with my furry "partner in crime".

Now for any pet owners out there, all I can say is please consider pet insurance seriously. There are some great Canadian Pet Insurance Companies that can cover your pet for as little as $30.00/month. Unfortunately I didn't have pet insurance and have gone through a lot of my savings so let my story be a valuable lesson. Okay, enough with the Public Service Announcement, insert happy ending here :)

Step 6 I'm gonna need to take a wee break.....

Okay, so don't be frightened. I've added a lot of the burnt sienna. The picture may seem a little bit darker for now, but don't fret, just part of the process. I'm at the stage now where I'm studying the subject again. Need to let the paint dry a bit....probably buy some more brushes....and re-evaluate where this is headed. Enjoy the Buddha that I painted in the background too! Where was I....Oh, yes, I am having some difficulty with the lovely Moo Moo's collar. Perhaps I shall hit up DS (Dragon Slayer) for some additional close up shots of it if possible.

 This is a member of the family. I've got to do it right. So if it seems to take forever, I do have my reasons :) I like to personalize a painting. This dog's really got a lot of heart so I want to do her justice.....and breathe....

Step 5 Uh Oh....Here comes the paint!

Ok....deep breath....Here comes the paint! I have started applying the oil here. I start with the darker burnt sienna and will be layering on the lighter warmer colors that will in time take shape and look more like fur. Geez, what a daunting process. It's such a stress reliever to paint and yet it's so scary too! In a good way. This is where the challenge lies. Say it with me, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggonit people like me!" Okay, back on track....

Step 4 the underpainting process....

Here I have used  a process called under painting, I just like to give a warm undertone before I begin laying on the paint. Oh and almost forgot, for some of you who would like to know what paint I am using, I begin with Acrylic.  It dries within 15 or 20 minutes. However, once I lay that down, then I can go over it with oil. I prefer using oils because I can blend them better and take my time and yes, wipe it off in case I make a mistake. Who Me??? Never! Ahem....yes, often make mistakes but I learn better this way! And a note, it must go in that order, Acrylic and then Oil over, never the other way around.

Step 3.....seriously....the charcoal sketch outline

So I usually start with a charcoal outline. I don't get too detailed because I don't want to get too wrapped up in something that will shortly be painted over. So this is simply a charcoal pencil on an already primed gallery canvas. I prefer using a gallery canvas so that one doesn't necessarily need a frame. Mainly the sketch is for proportion. How big do I want the subject matter, do I want a lot of background etc. The eyes are most important so I try to capture this first. That's my primary subject. Look how pretty she looks!

Step 2 (No correlation whatsoever, just showing you my dog Ginger, so there!)

Yes, this is Ginger, my 2 year old little intense French Bulldog. Look deeply into her eyes, the deepest part of her soul...she's hypnotizing you with her eyes...."Gimme that sandwich NOW....or in a minute"....yes....this is my dog. :)

Step one....the subject in question, "Moo Moo" aka WGD aka Maya aka Dragon Slayer

Here is the lovely subject matter, "Moo Moo". She's SUCH a poser!