SUP Dog

6x6
acrylic on gessobord

This is our friends' sweet dog, Fathom, on our old sup.  She is a true water dog, and such a cutie! I played with the colors and reflection to suite my desires.  I wanted to portray a beautiful sunny day in the San Juan Islands.  We're hoping to sail north this summer, so I hope to capture more moments like this!

Splashing Labrador

8x6
acrylic on gessobord

I was recently going through my photos and I came across a few that I had forgotten about.  I used one of those photos as a reference for this painting.  I did a little cropping and then added my own colors.  I'm really happy with how it came out!

My New Friend

6x8
acrylic on gessobord

While on vacation in Mexico this past February, I met this curious guy.  He and his buddy were having a great time frolicking in the water and wrestling in the sand when we first saw them.  It didn't take long before this friendly boy came over to say hi.  I'm always up for dog time when I'm away from my own boys!

Painting the warm, clear water has pushed me into a daydream state.  I wish I could be in Mexico now!

Blown Out Tourists

6x8
acrylic on gessobord

I have been admiring a lot of  Lori Mehta's art (#lorimehtaart) lately and that is what inspired me to paint this one.  She has a way of painting fabrics blowing in the wind that just impresses me so much. This was a bit of a challenge for me, but I feel like I've learned a ton!  I painted this from a photo I took last year while visiting my mom.  I love when a wonderful photo opportunity arises and the subjects have their back to me (this way I don't get the strange stalker accusing looks!).

Chimi

6x6
Acrylic on gessobord

This is a portrait I did for a client recently. He commissioned me to paint  Chimi for a friend of his.  Sadly, this adorable pup passed away recently.  It is so darn hard to lose a beloved pet.  R.I.P. sweet Chimi.

Swimming Shepherd

6x8
acrylic on gessobord

When I was a young girl, my favorite breed of dog was a German Shepherd.  They are so smart and loyal.  I used to join my mom when she'd take our dogs to obedience training. The instructors had German Shepherds and that's where I first learned about the breed.  Now that I'm grown up, I love ALL dog breeds!! 

 It was relaxing painting this piece.  There's just something about glassy, calm water that I enjoy so much.  It's actually hard to stop painting it, because I like it so much!  Thanks to Pixabay for the photo I used as a reference!

Cooling Off At the Lake

8x6
acrylic on gessobord

Who's ready for Summer?  I am!  I can't wait for swimming weather.  Usually around this time of year I am visiting my mom on Oahu, but that's not going to happen this year, so I'm just hoping summer comes early here!

This painting started a little differently. I was using a reference photo from Unsplash, and it had a dark background.  I painted it like the photo but it looked a little too "dramatic", so I decided to brighten it up a bunch and I'm quite happy with the result.

Can We Go Outside Now?

6x6
acrylic on gessobord

This kind of sums up my feelings right now;  I'm tired of being in quarantine, but thankful to be healthy.  I really like this sweet pup's eyes and their vibrancy against his black and white fur. I chose to keep the background muted as to not take away from those soulful eyes. Hang in there everyone!

Treasure Hunter

6x6
acrylic on gessobord

This water was really fun to paint! Creating the illusion of waves is something I'd like to work on more.  There's something very gratifying about the sun-reflecting water against the deep shaded areas.  Thanks to Pixabay for the photo reference.

Hula Dog

6x6
acrylic on gessobord

Labradors are such patient dogs. This adorable guy was at one of our daughter's regattas last fall.  The kids absolutely love having these sweet mascots around.  It's not unusual for the canine team members to get dressed up by some of the sailors.  I especially loved that they adorned him with a lei!