Brothers, Black Boxer Dog Hoss and Brindle Flash Sarge

Black Boxer Dog Hoss & Brother Sarge
 

Sarge is my studio dog, my buddy who keeps me company while I paint and draw my pet portraits.  He's the flashy brindle boy on the right. 

On our left is his half brother, Hoss, who is, as you can see, a Black Boxer dog.  Hoss comes out and visits with us often, and we recently had him for a fun week.  What is interesting to me is that they have the same father, and their moms are sisters, so they are very close geneticallly.  But they could not be farther apart in personality!

Sarge is laid back, enjoys romping but likes to take breaks rolling and stretching in the sunshine, amuses himself in the backyard while I get some garden work done.

Hoss?  100% energy.  I think he really resents having to get some sleep, but the way his legs go and his "whooooo, whoooooing" while "sleeping", he's having fun in his dreams!

When you take Hoss out, he wants to play with either Sarge or me the whole time.  His favorite toy at my house is that flattened basketball you see at Sarge's feet.  He never gets tired of having me throw it or kick it and bringing it back.  He's been trained to "back up", so I can safely kick it right over his head and off he goes.

Sarge would rather run with Hoss than retrieve.  Around and around the willow tree, his "fort" is his favorite.

Hoss is skinny, too.  He is healthy as can be but he burns it off.  I want his metabolism and energy!  Since Hoss is a city boy, he actually waits til you put a sheet of newspaper under his behind for him to poop on.  Easy cleanup!

If you haven't seen a black boxer before, they are actually covered with the brindle stripes 100% over the tan.  So in the sunshine, he's a very very dark blackish brown.  His dad is a black boxer, too, and they are AKC registered, one hundred percent boxer...and one hundred percent energy!!!

Baby and Dog Group Custom Portrait from Photos

Custom Portrait from Photos

First custom portrait of this holiday season was of two little guys, one a brand new baby, one a more mature canine!  As usual, I have to apologise for my photo skills, I can't seem to get details and the transition to those cute pink cheeks is not that dramatic!  But you get the idea.

My client gave this as a gift for the grandparents of both of them.  Since the child and the dog live miles apart, I needed to work with separate photos.  And for a background, we used the quilt that my client had made especially for the baby!  I toned it down a bit, that gorgeous quilt could have been a portrait all its own.  My favorite part?  Doing the fuzzball head!  I forgot how downy and fuzzy those little guy's hair can be!

Cat Portrait or Cat Painting... Yours and Mine or Mine and Yours?

This cat painting is my latest piece, 6" x 6", in acylics on a fat, gallery wraped canvas.  Could be a portrait, but it's not...it's not a commission.

This year will be different from all of my other years as an artist; this year will be the one where I sell "live and in person" at shows and so I am painting what I like and hoping to find someone who likes it as much as I do!

This is so different from relying on commissions, only.  Before I start a cat or dog commission, it's been sold and the client has had as much input into the decisions surrounding it as they want.  I KNOW they will love it because it stars their pet or kid.

Art like this?  A little on the scary side!

But it's very rewarding, too.  There's something about just reaching deep inside myself and pulling out what I want, what I like, what I hope to accomplish that's exhilerating...sink or swim!

My gut feeling is that there is an "audience" for this type of work from me, but that means putting on my salesgirl cap and finding them.  It is a total reversal of "ownership" from commissions.  I feel like commissions are yours, then mine, then back to you.  With painting on the hope of selling, it's mine and it's yours. Hopefully.  So a key comfort zone portion is gone.

I think, though, that growth is so totally necessary for artists.  I have seen the by-products of artists who never take a chance, who are painting or drawing exactly the same way they did 15 or 20 years ago because it worked for them then.  They can't see the staleness and lack of verve in the art itself and blame the economy or other artists charging less than they do or Chinese copyists or too much competition or something outside themselves.  I don't want to fall into that trap.  I truly believe there's a home for art that's exciting and fresh and comes from the heart and YES, takes a bit of a chance.  You'll notice this isn't my usual medium, it's acrylics on canvas.  And I don't know about you, but I LOVE THIS!!!  Robin

My Commission Dog, Cat, Pet Portrait Site is http://robinzebley/
This piece and others like it are in my shop at Etsy or by contacting me.
My up to the minute Facebook Page is http://facebook.com/artistrobinzebley

I welcome your comments!!