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!