Calvin Completed

In Memory of Calvin is completed and on it's way to his loving home in Canada :)

An Ocean of Dreams & Cyber Monday Special!!

Cyber Monday Special!! Free Shipping worldwide on all DreamDog Prints in my Ebay, Artfire & Etsy Shops

"An Ocean of Dreams"

Original Oil Painting on wood - available in my Artfire Shop :)

"An Ocean of Dreams" is my Original Oil Painting made on heavy round wood.

Inspiration / Story behind this Painting:
I love painting on wood because the imperfections in the surface of the wood become part of the painting. I find beauty in the flaws, and they often represent the imperfections of the figures that I paint.

"An Ocean of Dreams" is a continuation study in a series of paintings inspired by a violinist that I met who was performing on the streets of Lisbon. The man was blind and collecting change in a small box he wore around his neck. The people would stop to listen to him play his violin...the music was beautiful :)

I felt both sadness and pleasure while he played; sad for the darkness that I imagine is his visual world, but very happy for his passion in the music. When he plays his violin, it does not matter that he can not see...his imperfections no longer exist.In the painting there is the ocean & seaweed which he must overcome to survive (like the hardship of his blindness)...yet his music remains consistantly there to keep him floating in his dreams...

Next Stage for Calvin

Calvin's painting is nearing completion...just a bit more work on the eyes and nose are needed :)

Blueberry -progress

Heres is the underpainting stage of my next painting "Blueberry"

Here's the current stage of Calvin's portrait. It needs about 2 more sessions for detailing and is very wet right now so photographing shows quite a glare. I will post another update on Calvin's painting after it dries a bit and I can work on more details :)

Iggy "PawUp" painting in the works...I hope to have it finished in the next couple of weeks and prints ready for the holidays :) Will be posting an update on Calvin's painting in the next few days as well :) & Blueberry soon too :)

Table for 4...Please! Chihuahua Print

New...Chihuahua Prints :) Available in my Etsy, Artfire & Ebay Shops :)

New Prints!! Sphynx Kitty & Skinny Vinny

"Skinny Vinny"

"Bald is Beautiful"

I have lots of new matted prints in the works. Available now in my Artfire & Etsy Shops :)

It's been very busy here the past few weeks. I've just finished up Hogan's painting in oil and will post an update on Calvin's portrait in the next few days. Here is handsome Hogan's completed portrait :)

Hogan In-progress

This is the latest stage of Hogan's portrait in oil. I will be adding the last few details as soon as the current layer is dry.

We have had our first dusting of snow on the high mountain peaks here in Alaska & we are surrounded by the beautiful colors of fall. On the weekend iggy-Django and I are off to Texas to visit family & friends for a few days :)

Calvin in-progress

It has been a while since I have posted an update. We have have had such a busy summer here and finally I am getting a chance to update the blog and post some of my current works.

I will have an update on Hogan in the next couple of days as his painting is now almost finished. Also -I have been working on a red-coated iggy with a fun patterned background...will post an update on that one soon.

And this is a memorial painting of a beautiful boy named "Calvin" in-progress :)

Hope you have enjoyed your summer as much as we have. We hope to go for a hike with the iggies on Friday if our warm fall weather holds on here in Alaska :) -Lisa

Art in Pink

There is a great new blog "Art in Pink" a group of artists committed to helping raise funds for breast cancer. I have posted a bit about my own experience with Breast Cancer. You can visit the blog here: http://artinpink.blogspot.com/

Hogan in-progress

Here is the recent progress on Hogan in oils. I'll just be here finishing up Hogan and getting started on my next couple of works before our trip in August. It has been so hard to be productive at full capacity this summer as it has been an absolutely gorgeous summer here in Alaska. We have seen day after day of 70 degree sunny weather....perfect for hiking and we have to make time to do all we can while summer is here. We actually have been hoping for some rain and as it's cloudy today - looks as we may get a bit :)

I am continuing my work on the italian greyhound painting "Hogan" and will have an update photo after today's session.

Our sweet senior IG "Spinner" has had a horrible eye infection and we have been to the vet several times in the past 3 weeks. It is finally better and I got this cute photo of her I wanted to share....she is the cutest little bug (Spinner came to us with no teeth at all...so she likes to show off her tongue..lol)

This has been a wonderful week here in Alaska....we have had absolutely beautiful sunny days all week. We have been taking the dogs for a hike almost every day on our local Flat Top mountain which has beautiful views of both the mountains and of the Cook Inlet. I will try and get some pics the next time we go. I LOVE Alaska in the summer :)

Hope you and your family are having a wonderful summer too!!

Roma in Oil

We are having a fantastic summer in Alaska!!

I am finally gettting sort of caught up after taking some time off for illness and family emergency which is all much better now :)

I've just finished up this large iggy painting of Roma. The source photo was a bit shadowy so I worked on it quite a long time and for the painting I made some of the areas especially on the face just a bit lighter so that Roma's beautiful unique features would shine through. Shelby - THANK YOU for your patience with the wait.

Biggy Iggy Auction for Rescue

IGCA /IGRF Italian Greyhound Rescue has it's annual fundraiser going right now.

Please visit: Biggy Iggy Auction May & June 2009
You can bid on all kinds of unique "Iggy Goodies" while helping the rescues :) All proceeds go to the IGCA 501c non- profit rescue. The iggies really need your help :)

Ibizan Hound Completed

Here is the finished portrait of Nefra in oil :)

(She just needs her whiskers..which will be done in a few days after she dries a bit)

Hogan in-progress

Just getting started on this small portrait of a sweet little italian greyhound named Hogan :)

Spinner is 16 Today!!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Spinner. Many of you probably remember when we adopted her just over 3 years ago. Spinner has brought such joy to our lives. She is still getting around very well and has a bounce in her step and a waggy tail! I have to say that adopting a senior is one of the best decisions we have ever made!!

Duke has been Adopted!!!

YAY!!! Our sweet rescued iggy "Duke" has found the most wonderful Forever-Home!! He even has an Iggy sister in his new home here in the Anchorage area :) Duke has had a rough go with his left leg which has been broken twice. He came into rescue here with us in Nov '08 with his second broken leg and his family could not care for him. We almost had to amputate the leg a few months ago as it had an infection that got in the bone. But somehow it got well and the break has healed... then Duke was neutered...and last week his Dream-Home came along :) We are so happy for him and we hear often from his new home where he is settling in very well :) They sent me this sweet pic taken of Duke a few days ago :)

Bark for Art Fundraiser donation

This little painting of our sweet Pug friend "Bella" is for a local fundraiser "Bark for Art" will be held at the fabulous "Paw Prince" boutique in May. A portion of the proceeds will go to the local SPCA and a portion also to Greyhound rescue :) I love how pugs manage to look "worried" and "smile" at the same time...I love these little guys :) Bella and her wonderful mom "Sandy" provided a foster home for the past 4 months for our rescued italian greyhound Duke. Duke has a new forever home and I will post about him too. Bella...thank you for modeling!!

Roma

Here is an update on Roma's painting. It's getting really close to being done...just needs some detail work and bit more work on the contrast and shadows. The source photo is very shadowy but I plan to keep it just a bit lighter for the painting. Roma has such a sweet face :)

Chase in Graphite

Here is a graphite drawing that I have just completed. A surprise gift for a friend who has done so much to help the Italian Greyhound rescues. A portrait of her first iggy "Chase"

Codie Completed

I am back from out of town helping my family and now able to get back to painting. Here is Codie the sweet little Doxie in oil...completed!! YAY!! This painting is for my dear friend Cyndi. A bit late for her birthday but hope she will enjoy it just the same.

More new works and updates coming soon....

Dashound in Oil - update

I will have several updates in the next few days. Here's sweet Codie :) Still a few more layers to completion but almost done :)

Things are staying busy here and I will be starting two new works in the next few days. Here's an update on Nefra...still a few more layers needed but I am pleased with it so far :)

Iggy Roma in oil

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!! Hope things are off to a great start for you and your loved ones :)

We are finally back from our holiday in Texas which got a week behind due to weather and airline flight back-ups. We had a great time visiting my family and have come home to some severe weather here in Anchorage. But we are gaining daylight now and in a few more weeks things will begin to thaw and spring will be upon us in no time; I am certain :)

I have 3 paintings in the works currently and will be starting on a 4th in the next few days. I have been invited to take part in a group exhibit "Godiva" at the MTS Gallery here in Anchorage. As you may have surmised, "Godiva" is a figurative themed exhibit which will include a lot of talented & well-known Alaskan artists so I really have to get going on this one as it is due in about 4 weeks. I am honored to be included in Godiva & I will post some updates on that painting as it begins to shape up.

In the meantime....Here is a sweet iggy named Roma in oil. It's a large sized painting of 24" x 24" Roma still has a ways to go and her left ear appears a bit strange right now ..that ear is mostly in "shadow" so will eventually be layered with darker shades.