Tiger - Pet Portrait

"Tiger"
oil pastel on paper
8" x 10"
commission

This sweet puppy is headed to one of my favorite clients, who will be sending it to friends in Taiwan!

Painted using oil pastels over water soluble pastels.  See progress pictures below:

I'll be catching up on the blog for the next few months, posting updates to finished commissions and new works.  I've been painting much less during my pregnancy and am getting back in the swing of things.  Trying to get more work done now that I am feeling better... lots to do before Baby Bryant comes in October!

Stay tuned, and thank you for reading!

Bethany

Day 18 - Coco

"Coco"
oil pastel on paper
4" x 6"
available here

Here's a cute pup I met on vacation in Cape Charles, Virginia last summer.  He loved to pose for some pictures, and was quite a sweet boy!

Thank you for reading!
Bethany

Two Shepherds

"Niko and Raynas"
oil pastel on paper
11" x 14"
commission

Here is another holiday commission.  These sweet German Shepherds are service animals and love to help people!  

This was a surprise gift for their Daddy.  They work together at the Army hospital and retirement homes.  What a special brother-sister team they make!

I was especially honored to paint these incredible animals.  The colors came naturally and just seem to pop out of the photograph for me!

Thank you for reading!

Bethany

Just off the Easel: Lacey the Lab

Just finished this sweet little Lab named Lacey... I remembered to take pictures frequently this time to show some of the progress.

I'd love to capture enough images to make a video so you can see each color as it is laid down... soon I'm going to figure out to do it!

Lacey the Lab
oil pastel on Colourfix paper
8" x 10"

Lacey the Lab
oil pastel on Colourfix paper
8" x 10"

Thanks for reading!
Bethany

A Call for Wine and Animal Lovers!

Just over a week until I have a booth at the Artists for Animals Faire at Cloer Vineyards in Apex: 

It will be a great event benefiting local animal groups.  See the Apex Arts Council website and this WRAL article for more information!

I'm busy getting ready for the show, working on a few commissions, and enjoying some beautiful Spring weather!

Let me know if you plan to attend this event on my Facebook event page.  I'll have some special pricing on my pet portrait commissions, some new cards and prints, and new work to show off!  If the weather cooperates, I will be painting en plein aire during the event!

Just off the Easel: Chocolate Lab Portrait

Here's a memorial pet portrait I've just finished...

8" x 10"
oil pastel on gray Colourfix

I may make a few more tweaks to the eyes once the pastel has another day to set up.  And of course I'll sign it!

I hope this brings back fond memories for his Mama.  It's so hard to lose a pet, but my wish is that my portrait will make the owner smile and remember their beloved friend.

Just off the Easel: Yorkie Pup

Here is a sweet little pup that I finished for a client last week...

Yorkie Pup
8" x 10" oil pastel on paper

I tried out the Colourfix pastel paper for this portrait.  Typically I use the Colourfix primer from the jar on my own paper or board.  I didn't find it that much different, perhaps easier because I didn't have to do the priming and deal with warping issues.  Usually I have to contend with the paper or board curling when I apply the primer.  I have yet to find my idea surface, but I'm still looking!


This week I'll be working on another pet portrait and some larger pieces based on some photos I took at Mordecai Historic Park in Raleigh last week.  Stay tuned!




Update: See the Facebook event invite for the Auction Preview at the NC Museum of Art on March 30, 2012!  (mentioned in last blog post)

Just off the Easel: Jack the "Bassador"

Here is another pet portrait...two dog-themed blog posts in one day!  

Jack the "Bassador"
8" x 10" oil pastel
commission

Jack is a Labrador and Basset mix, hence the nickname his parents gave him of "Bassador."  After some rough patches, Jack has thankfully found a great family and is a happy, loving pup!  It is a testament to the love a rescued pet gives to the people who give him a chance in a wonderful home.  


Our own dog, Penny, was a rescue from a no-kill shelter in Liberty, NC.  She has been a loving friend and companion for almost ten years!  It was in February 2002 that Nick and I adopted her, just 4 months after getting married...she was and always will be our "first baby!"

Penny, aka "Pennypie"
at 4 months, 2/2002

Penny lounging in the studio 12/2011

Just off the Easel: Buttons the Poodle

Here's another pup that I did over the holidays... Buttons is the name of this sweet little poodle.

"Buttons"
8" x 10" oil pastel
commission

This was supposed to be a sketch, but I was having so much fun with the colors and blue background it ended up being a little more involved!


Stay tuned...I have a few more commissions to share!

Just off the Easel: Wilson and Trey

Here's another holiday commission that I can share now:

Wilson and Trey
5" x 7" oil pastel
commission

These two fellas are big Redskins fans, so we had to show their team colors in the painting and in their collars!  According to Vikki, their mom and dad loved the painting!


It's so much fun working on pets and bringing photos to life in pastel.  Find out more about commissioning a portrait of your furry loved one here on my website.


Stay tuned for more completed commission posts this week!

WIP: Pet Portrait Commission

This is a work in progress... a commission from two different photographs.

Trey and Wilson
5" x 7"
oil pastel on board

If you're looking to commission a pet portrait, please check out the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale in my Etsy shop!  All prices are automatically discounted 10% through midnight tonight (Monday, November 28).  


There are lots of Etsy sellers offering discounts, so take advantage and shop handmade this holiday season!  For shops offering sales for this weekend, add "cyber monday" or "black friday" to your search terms.




I'm also working on a few winter scenes for an upcoming show...look for a post on those soon!

Just off the Easel: Drew

I finished this portrait last week for a client's husband for his birthday.  Drew was a sweet black lab who always was right by his owner's side and had a loving personality.  

Drew
8" x 10" oil pastel on paper
commission

I hope Drew's family loves his portrait, and that it brings back wonderful memories of their happy boy.  It's such an honor to memorialize a pet and I'm always grateful for the opportunity.


I've just finished another pet portrait that's very different for me...stay tuned!

Just off the Easel: Jack

I recently had the privilege of painting a sweet Golden Retriever, Jack, with his owner.

In Memory of Jack
11" x 14"
oil pastel on paper

We only had a snapshot taken with a camera phone, but we were able to make it into a lovely expression of their special bond.  

reference picture

I was so honored to be trusted with such an important task of capturing Jack.  These kinds of commissions are especially gratifying to me as an artist.


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For more information on my pet portraits, see the Pet Portraits section of this website.  I'm currently working on portraits for the Holidays, so don't delay if you are considering giving a portrait this year.  The process typically takes 2-3 weeks.   


If you don't have the time, or aren't sure what photo your loved one would want painted, I offer gift certificates in my Shop.    

Just off the Easel: Shih Tzu Pup

Here's a fun little puppy I just finished.  I haven't done many pet portraits lately, and this was a fun change of pace from all of the portraits and beach landscapes.

oil pastel on board, 8" x 8"
Click here to view in my shop

We had a Shih Tzu puppy named Bandit who passed away years ago... this one reminds me of her.  She was full of personality and loved to lick: her nose, anyone who got close enough to her squished nose, any inanimate object or piece of furniture.  She was a bit of a strange girl! ;)

For a change, I used the clear Colourfix pastel primer tinted bright red-orange with some Golden fluid acrylics.  It made for a bright ground, more fun and colorful than my typical terracotta primer.  In the future, I'll probably try white pastel primer if I want to tint it a color, since the clear was pretty transparent when I added the acrylic.  Several coats would have made the board more opaque, but I don't have the patience for more than one coat!

I have a fun picture of some cows in Vermont that will probably be next to paint.  I bought some Ampersand Pastelbord in gray that I want to try out.  

Happy Thursday!

Bethany :)

Just off the Easel: Lhasa Help in the Garden

After a fun weekend at the beach, I've gotten back to work and finished the painting I started last week... see previous post here.


Aren't Lhasa Apso pups cute?  


I used Sennelier oil pastels on sand-colored rag board, with underpainting using water-soluble chalk pastels.  

Lhasa Help in the Garden

11" x 14" oil pastel on rag board

SOLD

detail

The process was a good experiment, but for my next painting I'm using the Neocolor II water soluble crayons.  I've already started working on some new paintings inspired by the beach!


Stay tuned... :)

Just off the Easel: Sascha

Finished this adorable blue-eyed kitty yesterday.

Pardon the poor quality photo...  I took some good pictures in natural light outside, but evil gremlins made the photos disappear from the SD card.  Waiting for some good afternoon light to retake pictures outside.

This is an 8" x 10" oil pastel on board primed terracotta.  She took about 2 1/2 hours in two sittings.

Until the rainy mess leaves and I can re-shoot her, here she is on the easel.  Below her you can see a few of my favorite oil pastels in the large and smaller sizes.

From Bethany Art

Just off the Easel: Casey

I've just finished a portrait of our good friends' dog Casey. He passed away last year and he is missed very much.

This is an 8" x 10" oil pastel on paper, primed with Colourfix Pastel Primer in Aubergine. The primer gives the paper more tooth to accept several layers of pastel. It also prevents the oils and thinner from bleeding through the paper.