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Whimsey

“Why Pet Portraits Cy?…

… I know how much you love animals but is this a good choice as a subject to spend  all of your time and talent on?  Can you make a living Drawing and Painting pets and animals?  Art is a tough gig to make money at.”  – Myself to myself.  Spoken many years ago, and continuing to this day.

My answer to myself received in an email  earlier today;

Cy,

“I worked from home today so I wouldn’t miss the delivery of Whimsey’s portrait.   I had no idea.  I loved the photo of the Portrait, but had absolutely no idea of what it would look like in person so to speak.  My God, Cy, it looks exactly like my darling basking in the sun and it is in three dimensions!   I can count the number of eye lashes as well as the number of whiskers.  How can I thank you?  I would have been happy to pay you twice what you charged me to have my boy given back to me like this!  I feel like I could just reach out and touch him and he’d begin to purr.   I swear that Whimsey must have sitting on your shoulder when you painted this.  My baby has finally come home!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!”

And the questioning of my Art career and subject matter choice is answered.

This Blog post,  however,  is NOT about me or how good or average of a painter I am. This Blog post, and actually my whole career, is about animals like Whimsey,  pictured above, and the people that love and care for them like Elizabeth, who in her last, Hardest, and possibly greatest act of love for Whimsey had to release him from his suffering and the body that had finally failed him.

This is what it all means to me;

My Artist statement reads like this:

My motivation for creating and selling art is first to share my interest and enjoyment for the images that I paint, Secondly, to honor my subject matter. And finally when I am gone, I want to leave behind a body of work that will continue to accomplish the first two objectives.

I plan to help people and animals with my gift.  I want to make people happy, give them a reason to smile, or be moved, and in some cases also to help heal and gain some closure from the loss of a pet.  The second part is as it states,  I am honoring the animals that I portray.  In my mind I am giving each animal I Paint or Draw, whether they are with us still or not,  a small piece of immortality.  People will gaze upon them long after they are gone, and can still enjoy their beauty and personality.  And finally I find peace in knowing that all of these positives will continue far into the future long after I myself am gone.

Thank you for reading this Blog post, and please have fun with your animals. Remember you are probably the main thing that makes them happy!

Cy

"Maxx and Matilda" Pet Portraits In Charcoal

 Click on this picture, then click on the next version of it to enlarge!

Maxx and Matilda welcome you to my next Pet Portraits In Charcoal Blog post! You can learn how you and your pet can become involved in your own Pet Portrait/Blog Post at the end of  their story. Maxx and Matilda are owned by Kim and Alan from Niwot Colorado. Maxx is considered a “Yorkydoodle” by Kim,  equal parts Yorky and Poodle.  Matilda of course is an English Bulldog.

They make for a wonderful pair. Maxx is Kims dog, He is full of energy and was constantly running here and there during our photo session. Matilda was basically the opposite, although very interested and inquisitive, she was extremely laid back and pretty much stayed close by Alan. Both Kim and Alan told me that their respective dogs mirror their own characteristics perfectly.

Matilda actually came over to the States from England so she is a legit ENGLISH Bull Dog!  Maxx was specially picked out by Kim from a friends litter. Matilda loves to sleep and Maxx loves to play with children and give them kisses.  Both dogs love kids, and  have a happy life spending the days at their neighborhood daycare. 

The Yorkshire Terrier is considered a toy dog, the Poodle depending on whether it is the larger Standard, or smaller toy, also falls into the non sporting dog category.   Maxx exhibits great traits from both his ancestors. The Yorky is very active and devoted to his master. He was bred for the show ring in England during the 1800’s and shows striking good looks and fluid movement.  Few people except owners of show dogs go through the process, but there is an elaborate amount of grooming and coat care that these dogs go through for the ring. I guess they really do clean up nice!!  The Poodle’s native land is not known.  He is highly civilized and intelligent, is an excellent household pet and is also a protector of children.  He can swim well and is a fine retriever…Who’d of thunk?

The Bulldog has made the most radical shift in Canine history, from being bred as a fighter to now being a gentle companion. This breed is renowned for his courage and tenacity. He also possesses a great dignity, strength and noble heart. As a guardian of property and children, few can match his worth. As you have read both of these dogs make for excellent pets and are wonderful family dogs. It was a pleasure to meet them and portray them in a Charcoal portrait.

I hope you have enjoyed this story about Maxx and Matilda. If you would like your pet, or a friends pet portrayed in an 11 x 14 in. Charcoal Portrait sent to you, (or anyone you choose), anywhere in the world, and have the animal included in one of these blog posts for the world to see… Please visit this link and get the Info!   http://www.petportraitsbycy.com/?page_id=743

"Beamer" Pet Portraits In Charcoal

 Click on this picture, then click on the next version of it to enlarge!

“Beamer” welcomes you to my next Pet Portraits In Charcoal Blog post! You can learn how you and your pet can become involved in your own Pet Portrait/Blog Post at the end of  Beamers story. Beamer is a special dog with a special owner. I was commissioned to draw Beamer for Brandon.  His Mom Claudia contacted me from Texas and she needed a graduation gift for Brandon, who was graduating from Medical school. Quite the accomplishment but even more impressive because he also is a Navy officer having graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland.  He will be a Navy doctor.  I enjoyed this story because I grew up in a Navy family and actually lived in Annapolis while my dad worked on the Academy during my high school years.

Brandon  Rescued Beamer from a shelter so they are not sure exactly what breed he is.  They believe he is part Beagle and maybe some Boston Terrier. His looks, unique bark and love of chasing squirrels all point to these as the probable ancestry.  Brandon chose Beamer due to the fact that he was always wagging his tail, Claudia states, ” His name comes from the fact that he beams and makes you happy”

I have nicknamed Beamer  the “Navy Dog”  not only because of his military ties but also because of the picture below. This is the Bachelor cake for Brandon’s wedding.  As you can see another artist did a great job of portraying Beamer as a Naval Officer. I do not know if the cake tasted good or not….

"Boku" Pet Portraits In Charcoal

 Happy Easter everyone!  This is Boku, and He lived in Japan!  He was owned by Sachico who lives on Awaji Island.  This Island is located just south of the city of Kobe in the eastern part of the Seto Inland sea. It is connected to Kobe by the longest suspension bridge in the world.  Boku’s breed in Japan is called “Kiji Neko” I was commissioned to draw Boku by Sachico’s daughter.

I was Honored to be chosen to portray Boku in a Charcoal Portrait, and have it delivered all the way to Japan.  Sachico apparently loves the picture and even talks to it. I am very happy to give her some good memories and allow Boku to live on in this small way.  He was, as you will read below, a very special animal.

In her own words Sachicos daughter was gracious enough to share what her mom told her about this special kitty: 

There were something very funny and I liked watching was ” Boku ” used play with grocery bag. He liked running in to it and it looked like bag was moving alone . He used do it over and over. It was just funny.I think he was nicest looking guy in the ” hood ” and he used come home injured so bad often. Tough world!!! Right?

Welcome  to the Sixth, and last installment of my Pet Portrait Painting, Step by Step: Abbey Blog post!  Today we will actually finish the Abbey Pet Portrait! Here is how it will unfold:  I will, in sequence, show one or more pictures at a time with a brief explanation of  what was happening at that time during the work. To enlarge these pictures just click on them to get the full view, then click them again and they will enlarge! Lets Do It!!!

 In picture #30 we are starting to develop Abbey’s chest area and any other areas that exist in the foreground. I have, at this point, laid in the first layers of paint. If you look closely I have rotated this picture so it shows the upright position. Actually the canvas is setting on its left side.  The reason for this is that I am continuing to paint  the chest area under and around the bottom edge of the canvas.

Step By Step: Abbey #31

In picture #31 you can see the development of the bottom edge. As I mentioned at the beginning of this project, I always paint the edges of my paintings. It gives them a finished look and they can be hung as is without a frame.

Step By Step: Abbey #32

Step By Step: Abbey #33

Pictures #32 and #33 show the next two stages of Abbey’s chest development. As you can see I have added color and detail as this area has progressed. It was important for me to get her white spot just right, so a fair amount of time was spent here.

Step By Step: Abbey #34

Step By Step: Abbey #35

In picture # 34 I have finished the chest area and have finally added the whiskers. Aside from the signing of the piece, the whiskers will always be the last thing that I paint. This is because they are forward of everything else and they need to be very clean and sharp looking. If I was not finished with the fur areas of the neck and snout and chest, and painted the whiskers, then I would have to work around them and it would not look clean and convincing. It goes back to our first rule;  Paint from the back to the front, painting the areas closest to the viewer last.  Picture #35 is a closeup of the finished whiskers.

Step By Step: Abbey #36

We have reached our last picture! #36 shows the finished piece. I have made touch ups and I have signed it in the bottom right hand corner. What I will do now is just sit with it for a day and watch it. If I see anything that needs attention I will touch it up. Throughout the execution of the Portrait I have been pretty methodical about finishing one area before going to the next, so there usually is not alot of reworking or touching up to do. You still need to watch a finished piece, before you deliver it though, just to be sure.

All of the work you saw and read about today took me approximately 6 hours to complete. The whole Portrait from start to finish took approximately 38 hours to complete.  Thank you for reading my Blog here on Pet Portraits By Cy. I hope you have enjoyed this “Pet Portrait Painting, Step by Step: Abbey” series. If you know some art lovers or other painters out there who may find this interesting or educational, feel free to share this. Also I will be happy to answer any questions you may have throughout this series of  Blog posts,  You can Email me from my website,  or click the “leave a comment” link here in this Blog post, or you can comment on my Pet Portraits By Cy Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/petportraitsbycy  Have a great day everyone! Cy

Welcome  to the fifth installment of my Pet Portrait Painting, Step by Step: Abbey Blog post!  Today we will continue painting Abbey, moving down the length of her snout developing and finishing  her nose and mouth. Here is how it will unfold:  I will, in sequence, show one or more pictures at a time with a brief explanation of  what was happening at that time during the work. To enlarge these pictures just click on them to get the full view, then click them again and they will enlarge! Lets Do It!!!

Step By Step: Abbey #24

At the end of our last Step by Step: Abbey Blog post I had just finished with her left eye and was starting to work down the snout and into the nose area. We pick it up here with picture #24. I have laid in more detail on the nose.  If the eyes are the most important facial feature in a Pet Portrait, the nose is a close second.  As the observer, the nose, in most pictures and paintings, will be the closest thing to you,(Except if you are working with a Bulldog or Pug). For this reason it has to look accurate and natural. Dogs noses are moist, the light will reflect, this needs to be shown as well.  The nose is not finished yet in this photo but it is getting close. There are still no highlights and I need to make sure the nostril shapes are sized correctly and are even.

Also in picture #24 you will see a piece of paper with some notes on it. Throughout the execution of a Portrait such as this, I will periodically write down things I need to change, work on,or remember. This note is reminding me to rework the ears and the forehead a little. I will usually take care of these changes during my next painting session.

Step By Step: Abbey #25

Step By Step: Abbey #26

Step By Step: Abbey #27

 In Picture #27 I have been detailing the mouth region, and have continued as always with my initial base coats of the neck/chest area.  Again, always working ahead of myself a little to keep the whole picture flowing evenly and seamless.

Step By Step: Abbey #28

Step By Step: Abbey #29

Welcome  to the fourth installment of my Pet Portrait Painting, Step by Step: Abbey Blog post!  Today we will continue painting Abbey, moving right, across the painting to her left ear and left eye.  Here is how it will unfold:  I will, in sequence, show one or more pictures at a time with a brief explanation of  what was happening at that time during the work. To enlarge these pictures just click on them to get the full view, then click them again and they will enlarge! Lets Do It!!!

Step by Step: Abbey #17

At the end of the third installment on this Abbey, Step by Step  blog post series, I had just finished painting her right eye. Now as you can see in Picture #17  I have moved across the canvas to the right and am developing the left side of her ear and eye area. Other areas, the snout and lower, are recieving primary medium tones. As I mentioned in the last post, I always work ahead of myself a little so I am constantly blending one finished area into  the next partially finished one to keep the transition seamless.

Step by Step: Abbey #18

Step by Step: Abbey #19

 Pictures #18 and #19 show the further development of this area. Picture #18 is the first pass, if you will, and the subsequent finish, which, as you can tell is more detailed, is featured in #19. At this point I have detailed all of the areas around her left eye, and can start laying in color on this most important section. Also you can tell I have worked my way down the bridge of Abbey’s nose and the left side of her face in preparation for the painting of the snout.

Step by Step: Abbey #20

Step by Step: Abbey #21

Step by Step: Abbey #22

Pictures #20, 21 and 22 show the first progressions on Abbey’s left eye. Picture #21 is a close up of picture #20. Just as with the right eye, I have first just laid in the color, carefully matching it to my reference photos, and my notes..AND, now I need to match it to her right eye color as well.

Step by Step: Abbey #23

In Picture #23 I have finished Abbeys left eye. As I have stated before, throughout the rest of this painting I will continually be scrutinizing both eyes and may make small modifications to further dial them in to perfection. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is in any Pet Portrait, that the eyes be ACCURATE.  Directly after I finished the left eye, you can also see in picture #23 that I have continued work on the snout and have laid in the first strokes in the actual nose area.

All of the work you saw and read about today took me approximately 6 hours to complete.  Thank you for reading my Blog here on Pet Portraits By Cy. Check back next week for Blog post #5 in this “Pet Portrait Painting, Step by Step: Abbey” series. If you know some art lovers or other painters out there who may find this interesting or educational, feel free to share this. Also I will be happy to answer any questions you may have throughout this series of  Blog posts,  You can Email me from my website,  or click the “leave a comment” link here in this Blog post, or you can comment on my Pet Portraits By Cy Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/petportraitsbycy  Have a great day everyone! Cy