Golden Retriever Dog Portrait - Buster - Finished

"Buster"

11x14

graphite on paper

Never has a pet portrait that has gone so well from beginning to end taken so long to complete. I'm pleased with the finish and I enjoyed every moment working on this piece. Above is the original photo provided so you can judge for yourself how successful it is. As I mature I find that I want to stylize these more and push the parts of the image that stand out as the key characteristics of the dog portrait. With each piece I get closer to the ideal for which I'm striving. Since my 39th birthday is only a week away, I figure another 30 years of doing this I'll be getting good. That would make 60 years of art coming from my hands. From my mouth to God's ears it should be true.

One reader mentioned to me she appreciated that I include the process in my blog. Sometimes I've questioned that decision but I wanted to make it clear why art costs what it does. Often folks think it is by magic that a beautiful piece of art appears. Nothing could be farther from the truth, at least not here at Soulful Studios. Let's just say I love what I do but I have to do my homework and put my time in.

My good friend Alex Alampi asked me a question on the day we were both doing demos for the public. He asked how I knew when a piece was done? This is such a good question because so often knowing when to stop is the key to success. Pencil is something that I find gets very stale looking easily. Some may think it forgiving because you can erase it but I disagree. Pencil marks change the integrity of the paper and in order to keep it fresh one has to make a mark and be sure of it and leave it alone. Only gently lifting the graphite from the paper is recommended, fully erasing is not. Perhaps that is very similar to his water color process. If you are not familiar with his work, this weekend is a good time to check it out. Saturday and Sunday he is holding an open house at his studio. His wife Dot always has goodies on the table so make sure you don't miss it. I know I won't.

I just want to take time to thank everyone for the kind condolences about Gracie. There is no doubt that my readers know me well and know when I need a little cyber-hug. Thank you again, it really helped.

See you next week with what should be the beginnings of my holiday card. I'm running out of time. Oops.