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"The Grand Dame (Chloe)," 8" x 10", commissioned pet portrait, Jack Russell terrier, in acrylic on canvasboard, private collection (THANK YOU!).

I saved the best for last.

Chloe is 14, and the one who started it all. Bursting with personality (like all terriers), she carries a great knowledge of how the household operates (like the oven timer going off equalling tasty morsels). As with Scooter's painting yesterday, I wanted a bit of a timeless appearance to Chloe's portrait. I painted her with brighter markings, but a hint of gray. She is The Matriarch, after all.

Here are this week's 5 paintings and the cleaner side of my studio floor (the last stretch of flooring without paint spatters!). It's important to point out that each study was painted individually - I did not approach the project with the idea of making paintings that matched each other - or even worse - a sofa! It is the personality shining in each respective portrait which is what makes them work. When grouped as a collection, that distinctive quality bounces around and becomes amplified.

(As an aside, you can make a painting match your home's interior with careful choices as to display and framing.)

These 5 make for a delightful collage, which I imagine echoes the dance that happens daily in this household. (It also includes 2 other terriers, Stella and Lola.)

Perhaps we'll get to visit "Terrier Heaven" again, just for a couple days.....??? (I know, it's not polite to beg.)

Extra thanks must go to my client for supplying me with an extraordinary stack of reference materials. Her photos were focused (you would think that some things were obvious, I know!), included head shots and full body images, were taken in natural lighting (no flash bulbs!), and highlighted the dogs at play, interacting with each other and the camera. That gave me a very distinct sense of their relationship with each other and with their 2-legged alphas. Great reference material leads to stronger painting, and I most certainly have thrived, this week in particular.

Thanks, as always, for looking and sharing the Painting a Dog a Day project with your family and friends.
I'll see you next week!
Kim

Kimberly Kelly Santini
http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/
distinctive pet portraits
& 4-legged paintings

http://www.paintingadogaday.com/
come. sit. stay.
enjoy the art.

Founding member of the Canine Art Guild
http://www.canineartguild.com/
the gateway to canine art on the web

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