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Posts Tagged ‘Rescue dogs’

Best Friends…

Posted in daily painter, Dogs, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Best Friends is an oil on canvas panel measuring 12″x9″ and is available for $145.  We did it in art class a few months ago and I just finished it.  Often in class I will begin a demo piece and then I start moving from student to student to help and I never  get back to my painting to finish it.  So this last week I had a chance to finish a few and I’ll show those to  you over the next few weeks.

The dog reminds me of my Jed sitting staring out at the world.  Jed does that often.

Here he is waiting at the cabin to go run and play in the snow a few weeks ago.  I think he was trying to decide if he got stuck in the deep white stuff if he would ever get out!

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Ophelia

Posted in daily painter, Dogs, Pet Portaits, tagged , , , , , , , on December 30, 2009| Leave a Comment »

 “Ophelia” is an oil on canvas panel.  She was a Christmas gift to her mom from her dad.  Ophelia has been to see me at Delilah’s several times….she likes the treat there.  She is a rescue puppy full of energy who is shaking up her family’s home in Front Royal.

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Remembering Choco

Posted in daily painter, Dogs, Pet Portaits, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »

“Remembering Choco” is an oil on 9″x12″ canvas panel.  He was a gift from a mom to son who had recently lost his German Shorthair Pointer. 

Pointers are gorgeous dogs full of life and intensity.  This painting was done as a composite since I didn’t have a photo of Choco.  But I did have several photos of German Shorthair Pointers that I have taken over the years including this one which is one of my favorites.  He looks so great against the red barn wall.

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Pet Portraits – Meet Hawthorne

Posted in daily painter, Dogs, Pet Portaits, tagged , , , , , , on November 17, 2009| 1 Comment »

Meet Hawthorne.  He was a lovely little guy from Memphis.  His parents asked me to do his portrait for Christmas this year.  This painting of Hawthorne is an acrylic on canvas measuring 18″x18″.

I love doing pet portraits.  They are probably my favorite paintings to do because I love dogs so much.  The best part for me is seeing the photos that the “parents” send of their little fur children and reading their story.   Hawthorne’s folks have given me permission to share their story of Hawthorne.

 

 

I received an email from Hawthorne’s mom requesting the painting followed by a mailed packet with photos and a letter.  Here is how she described him…

“We found him – and then loved him.  He was all boy.  If there was a fence board loose he would find it; if something was left in a waste basket he’d eat it; early on he ate the arm of my leather chair!  But he was quite intelligent and soon figured out that behavior would find him looking for a new home!”

“If I had to guess I say he is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Beagle.  If there was a party, he wanted to be in the center of it; If Sam was camped out on the sofa Hawthorne was there too.  Sam called him the “Little Buddy” – and he really was.”

 

 

 

 

 “He was one good-looking guy and carried himself well pretty much into old age. ”

These are the kinds of descriptions that I love.  I can really get an idea of what Hawthorne meant to his family because of her letter. 

I love to meet the pet when I can but when that is impossible, a description like the one of Hawthorne works really well.

 

 

 

 

Several years ago I was asked to paint a portrait of Maggie, Hawthorne’s sister.  So when I got the photos of Hawthorne his parents shared some photos of Hawthorne and Maggie together.  I had to include them because they also help you to get a feel for Hawthorne’s personality.

So that’s how I get to know my subject if I can’t meet him.  I thought you might enjoy seeing how my process works in this way.

And I love Hawthorne’s story and photos.  I hope his folks will like his painting.  It’s on its way home to Memphis to join his sister’s painting hanging in their home.  Nice to meet you Hawthorne!

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Boo’s Birthday

Posted in Dogs, tagged , , , , on October 26, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Miss BooYesterday would have been Boo’s birthday.  She was a wonderful rescue shepherd who lived with us for a short time at the end of her life.  She was 12 when she came to us.  She was an elegant old girl who brought much joy to our lives in the limited time that we had her.

We were lucky that she “found us”!  And we loved her very much.

She left us in April 2004.  It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since she was here. 

 

 

White Shep

This is a  painting of Boo that I have in my living room.  I see her every day and am grateful for the time we had with her.

As a tribute to her I would encourage anyone thinking of adopting a pet to consider a senior.  Older pets need good homes and they are often the best pet to bring into a busy household because they don’t need housebreaking and training.  They just need love and companionship….and they give all of that and more back to you.  Think about it. 

We miss you Boo.

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Adopt a Dog Month

Posted in Dogs, tagged , , , , on October 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »

In WIndow 3October is Adopt a Dog Month and Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.  You know how I feel about this subject.  I don’t know how people exist without a dog in their lives but that’s just me.  🙂

This is Jed.  He was a shelter dog in Ohio before he came to live with us in January of this year.  We found him on www.petfinder.com , a terrific website that helps animals find new homes. 

 

 

Miss Boo 

This beautiful white shepherd was Miss Boo.  She came to us from the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter here in Front Royal several years ago.  She was an old girl (12 years old) when we got her and while she didn’t live forever, we know her last two years of life were great.  And that makes us feel good to know that we did something good for her. 

 

 

 

Rosie Close-upRosie was a rescue that we adopted from Col. Potter Cairn Rescue, www.cairnrescue.com , another great organization doing wonderful things for these babies.  She was a puppymill rescue and it took her quite a long time to get used to living the good life.  But once she did she was such a joy to be around.

Col Potter Rescue’s motto is “Rescuing one dog won’t change the entire world but it will chance the entire world for that one dog.”     I love that!

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Jeffie at Cabin Sept 06And Jeffie was a beautiful rescue that came from Second Chance Rescue in Raleigh, NC.  www.secondchancenc.com

He was the sweetest dog I have ever had and was a great buddy to Truman.

I am posting these photos because 1) I love all of these babies, and 2) I hope that someone will be inspired to rescue a dog during Adopt a Dog month.

There are so many animals out there in need of good homes.  The next time you are looking to add a pet to your family I hope you will go to Petfinder and adopt an animal in need instead of going to a pet store and buying one that was bred in a puppymill.  The rescue dog will repay you many times over with love, loyalty and devotion.

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