I must begin with an apology for my lack of posts lately. We have a couple of life changes happening. First, my husband is deploying soon and we are spending as much free time with him as possible, while preparing for his departure and subsequent absence, making sure all is in order for a smooth transition for each of us in our family. We are fortunate to homeschool and can adjust our schedules to fit our needs. Although this is not our first rodeo, it’s always emotionally taxing. Second, my father has been experiencing a mental decline over the past couple of years. He was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia (VaD) last year, but in the last 3-4 months his level of paranoia and verbal attacks have greatly advanced, which has occupied much of my free time lately. So, I ask for your prayers on both fronts.
With all that is going on in our family right now, family and friends have stressed the importance of making time for myself to care for my health, both mentally and physically. I was not taking very good care of myself in January and February, just eating a lot of comfort foods and not feeling motivated to move. I was exhausted all day long. So much for new year aspirations! That being said, I am determined to make a change for myself, and in the long-run for my family to be a better wife, mother and caregiver, by being in my best health.
I’ve embarked on a daily yoga routine and healthier eating habits. The one thing that I haven’t been as successful in is getting back to my art world and this blog. In fact, today is the first day I feel energized enough to even begin a post. I just don’t know what to share with you when I feel so depleted myself. So, I’m taking a break from weekly posts and aiming to complete at least one a month, hopefully more. When things slow down here, I’ll boost it back up to once a week again. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this season.
Today, I have the completion of a project that I began last year and finally have it hanging on our wall. It is a pet portrait of our own furry family member. Scout is an Australian Shepherd who has quickly became the center of attention with his antics and personality. He cracks us up daily.
I began by selecting a few high resolution photos that helped me develop the face structure and pose, along with the details of eyes, nose, etc. The ones I chose were actually from when he was a little younger so some of his spots hadn’t come out yet, so he did pose for a few of the details. And by “pose” I mean, he sat still long enough for me to figure out where his new spots were located. Some of the details had to be filled in from memory.
I sketched the outline and a few details onto 9x12 140 lb. hot pressed watercolor paper, which is ideal for painting details.
Then, using the reference photos, I began to layer the watercolor, beginning with the lightest areas first, followed by the darkest areas. You can see the progression below. I didn’t take photos at every step, but you can see the transition take shape in each picture.
Once the painting was completely dry, I sprayed it with a matte sealer, framed it and hung it on our wall. I smile every time I pass by it for two reasons: 1) he’s such a character and 2) I’m so thrilled that I finally completed it!
Painting pet portraits is a custom listing that I have available at my etsy store, so if you are interested for yourself or as a gift for the pet lover in your life, just reach out! I’d love to capture your bestie’s personality in watercolor too.
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