Finished commission

Here's the final version. After much considering - and input from others - (thanks again, all!!) - I decided to first finish the areas that I felt needed more work, i.e., deepening and adding more blue purplish tones to the shadows around the dogs and in the foreground. I also softened that left post, added some warm tones to it and misted the greenery in the background so that it receded a bit more. Then I re-evaluated once again.

Portrait of Sassy and Katie, 36 x 48, acrylic on canvas. Private commission.

Among my friends, I'm known as a painter of "empty" spaces and lonesome landscapes. It's true that I like a certain austerity of composition for the most part. Formal compositions according to the book just, well, bore me. I like a certain tension - and I like to lead the eye by various means that won't be too obvious. By deepening the shadows and carrying those deeper colors down and off the left foreground, I feel there is interest without having resorted to a status quo solution. At least that's how I see it!

The client loved it - and let's face it - that's really important.

I've been enlarging some photos as I post them - but the proportions don't always come out perfectly, resulting in slight blurring. I'm going to leave this one alone, so to see more detail, just click to enlarge.

The original posting (before changes) is shown below:

Wide open spaces and a commission's progress

What Remains, 24 x 24, acrylic on deep cradle panel

Finally found some time to get back to a larger painting. I'd photographed this pine a while back with the intention of painting it just as was in reality, i.e., with its full quota of needles. I loved how its asymmetric branches reached to either side and up and away. As I began to fill in the needles, I realized it made more of the statement I had in mind as is, with just a crown remaining.

It's symbolic of the struggle against all odds: timbering, old age, pine beetles, and extreme weather. This will be part of my "Branching Out" show in January. It's a little out of focus, as I photographed it in the house with only incandescent light, so I'll replace this shot with a better one tomorrow.

Portrait of Sassy and Katie, 36 x 48, acrylic on canvas.

This commission for a portrait of two dogs is a large canvas - 36 x 48 - to go into a big timber frame home. I've still a ways to go on the shadows and highlights and both dogs' feet, but it often helps me to be more objective when I post things online. I'd love to hear any feedback or responses anyone has. For one thing, I'm wondering if the post on the upper left needs more softening? Wha'd'ya think?