Pug Dug Making An Exhibition Of Himself

We visited the Paisley Art Institute Annual Exhibition last week and wow what a fantastic selection of artwork there is.  It was very well attended at the preview and there was a great buzz at the venue.  The ex-supermarket location was spacious and well lit with plenty of room to manoeuvre around the viewers.

I was delighted to spot my little pug, sharing wall space with other small paintings by artists I greatly admire.  I hope he enjoys his time at this exhibition and maybe, just maybe, he might be lucky enough to find a new home.

Paisley Art Institute 131st Open Art Exhibition – 2019

Following on from my delight at having a painting selected for last year’s Paisley Art Institute’s annual exhibition which consequently sold, I am absolutely chuffed to bits to let you know that I have been selected for this year’s PAI exhibition too.

‘Pug Dug’, acrylic on canvas panel, will be taking part and I couldn’t be prouder!

Exhibition runs from 7 September – 20 October 2019 at the Piazza, Central Way, Paisley, PA1 1EL, Scotland.

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‘Pug Dug’

 

 

The Frame Game

I’ve been having a sort out in the studio.  This is always dangerous to my bank account, as I clear out brushes that need replacing, dried up tubes of paint that need replacing and creased paper or damaged canvases…that need replacing!

It didn’t stop there, I started looking at paintings that I haven’t got round to framing and decided that one or two, or three would look more presentable if they were.  This is always a tricky decision for artists. Should you leave them frameless so that the buyer can choose a suitable frame according to their tastes or interiors.  Or do you bite the bullet and invest in a frame to give the artwork a finished feel and ‘ready to hang’ option?

Well, after biting the bullet, here are some before and afters to let you see the difference.

 

National Pet Day

I think we all need a bit of cheering up now and again in this mad, mixed up world of ours and how better to thank our four (and two) legged friends who always bring a smile and provide unconditional love, than with a day to celebrate them.

Happy National Pet Day!

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Oz Dogs

These two beauts, Kiku and Kura, are owned by friends who live in Australia.  They both have faces full of character and expression and I couldn’t resist trying to capture them.  They are done with soft pastels (Unison) on Pastelmat paper which has a good ‘tooth’ for holding pastel.  Fortunately, the drawings/paintings survived their global journey from the UK to the other side of the planet and arrived unscathed within a fortnight.  Amazing!  Well done postal service.

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A Bit Of Comfort

The saddest time of owning a pet is when the inevitable happens and we have to say goodbye. This latest commission is of a beautiful black Labrador who sadly passed away just days before his portrait was completed. Hopefully, the painting will provide a bit of comfort to the owner. R.I.P. Toby ❤️

TAE18

This year’s Twitter Art Exhibition in aid of Pegasus Riding For The Disabled is taking place in Canberra, Australia from 7-29 April 2018 (extra details can be found on the TAE18 website).

So with that thought in mind, I set out to paint a little French Bulldog on a postcard size piece of mountboard. He’s called ‘Ozzie’ and he’ll be up for sale along with several hundred other postcards that artists around the globe are donating

Hope he sells and helps raise funds for this great cause.

Dylan

This is Dylan, a commission recently completed for a friend’s birthday of her beloved Springer Spaniel.  He was great fun to do as he has an amazing rock star hairdo!

Oil on canvas to give a soft, hazy effect.

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Well Hello Dolly!

Here’s a photo of a recent commission of Dolly, a young golden cocker spaniel who was a delight to paint.

Her owner sent me really good crisp photos to work from, always a bonus!

The best part was getting to meet the model when the client arrived to collect the painting. She’s such a cutie 🐶💕

National Dog Day

On Saturday 26 August, it is National Dog Day – celebrating our canine friends all over the world.  With that in mind, here is a collection of a few of my paintings of pooches who are awaiting their forever homes… or walls!  A mixture of breeds and all lovely characters who make, or have made, our lives just that bit more fun.