When I decided to change my career and become a self-employed artist a few years ago, little did I think I would be selling my paintings and undertaking commissions, but even more surprisingly did I ever think I would be taking part in a prestigious art exhibition!
This painting, ‘Siamese’, from a photo reference by Charlotte White, has been accepted into the Paisley Art Institute’s 130th Annual Exhibition and I can’t tell you how chuffed I am 😁
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 ❤️
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.
This cat is not exactly my niece’s cat but she spotted it in the garden of her London flat and sent me the pic. Bengals are a fabulous breed, quite exotic and regal looking. They also make great subjects to paint, all those markings!
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 🐶💕
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.
In between painting pet portraits to commission or new paintings for my ‘wall’ at a local Antiques & Art Centre, I practice by using reference photos taken on my phone of anything and everything and also by using online photo reference sites which I recently joined.
This ‘Siamese’ is from a photographer called Charlotte White on a Facebook photo ref site for artists and she has beautiful shots of unusual breeds of cats which are always fun to try out.
Here’s a rejigged painting which has been lying around the studio for a few months. ‘Siesta’ is taken from a holiday photo of a Croatian cat enjoying a sleep right in the middle of a pavement, she obviously knew that there wouldn’t be much pedestrian traffic during siesta time. Bit of fun doing this one, flicking paint at the canvas with an old toothbrush 👩🏻🎨
These are a new venture for me which I’m quite giddy about! I’m so pleased with the quality of the prints on Hahnemule acid-free textured paper and I now have a strictly limited edition of 50 of each of the four images available. The square prints ‘George’ and ‘Basset Hound’ fit a 50cm square Ikea Ribba frame perfectly. All are signed and numbered by yours truly and come with an authenticity certificate. If you would like more details, please get in touch. Thanks for looking 🤓
Here’s a recent acrylic portrait of my brother-in-law’s beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Suzie. She is a sweet natured little Staffie and had a tough start in life, but has now found her forever home and is showered with love. I find it a little frustrating that this breed gets such a bad press in the media as the majority don’t deserve the reputation they receive, it’s usually down to bad handling and/or a lack of training.
The image was taken from a photo of Suzie sat looking out of a window into strong sunlight and I loved the way her eyes and coat shone. The taupe background and slightly offset composition was chosen to concentrate the viewer’s eye on the subject. I think I’m going to use this composition again, just need to choose another supermodel now!
Rosie Mark Artwork 