New Year Goals!

I think it is a good idea to make some goals for the New Year. These are not resolutions mind you, just keeping it loose and not full of guilt if they don’t happen to get completed! I am just going to write up bullet points to get a general idea of what my plans and goals are for this year. In no particular order:

·        Paint more paintings (wild animals vs. pets)

·        Deck of Cat Cards

·        Deck of Rescue Cards

·        Produce other inventory items to sell

·        Clean/Refurnish Studio

·        Get Newsletter going again

·       Do some giveaways!

·        Find gallery representation

·        Show around town (goal of 4 times)

·        Participate in an art fair

·        Travel and take more animal reference photos

·        Do more charity/support work

·        Research more into anatomy

·        Research more into zoology

·        Practice and learn more about sculpture

·        Re-vamp website?

·        Organize all computers! (seriously my computers are a mess!)

·        Start streaming on youtube or twich?

·        Play more soccer and ultimate so I don’t go crazy inside all the time

·        Walk the corgis at a consistent time!

·        Work in a café or somewhere other than my studio sometimes

·        Visit more galleries

·        Get better at promoting my art

There are probably way more things I could add to this list, but I think it is a good start. What do you want to get done this year?

Looking back at 2018!

Well it is the last day of 2018, it sure went by quickly. Looking back on the year I have definitely grown as an artist and learned a lot. I wanted to visually break down what I have done this year and since I started working on pet portraits. Here are the numbers:

1775 Total Paintings

1203 Dogs

502 Cats

20 Birds (16 Parrots/Budgies, 2 Pigeons, 1 Finch, 1 Hummingbird, 1 Chicken)

15 Guinea Pigs

12 Rabbits

4 Iguanas/Lizards

3 Pigs

3 Horses

2 Hamsters

2 Rats/Mice

2 Ferrets

1 Hedgehog

1 Turtle

1 Snake

1 Fish

1 Donkey

1 Chinchilla

This doesn’t include any of the commissions or other projects I did this year, such as all the dogs for the card deck. Cool and crazy to think about!

Have a Happy New Year!

Pet Profile: Rainier

Rainier is 10 years old today and that just seems crazy to me! These past 10 years have gone by crazy fast. 

I can't believe how little she was! About 9.2 years ago.

Rainier today, 10 years old

Rainier, or the grumpy corgi, is actually one of the sweetest corgis ever. She just does not like to have her butt touched so she will growl. (ALSO if you let her sleep in your bed you are NOT allowed to move, and will get growled at for doing so.) 

Rainier is named after Mount Rainier in WA or if you ask my college friends she is named after Rainier Beer. I got her when I was in college and we have been through a lot together the past 10 years. She has flown to Alaska, driven across some states to Utah. She has had to deal with getting 2 little (one large) brothers, Theo and Atlas. 

Majestically Floofy!

Rainier loves people and will do almost anything for pets or food. Other dogs are usually okay by her if they mostly leave her alone. She does love food, and the vet had her go on a diet this past year and it is actually working! She to normal weight and is as spry as ever! 

Doing her thing.

Painting of Rainier in Acrylic

Happy Birthday Rainier! I hope we have many more years together. 

Organizing a NEW YEAR!

Happy NEW YEAR! It is 2018 and everything is bright, new, and shiny! Well not really, but we can pretend the slate is wiped clean and we get to start again.

With this New Year comes planning and organizing for the New Year! While I attempt to do this to an extent every year, I usually end up with a hodge-podge organization system by, oh, February. I am the type of person who writes things down on paper, multiple pieces of tiny scrap paper that is.

So this year I am starting with a Bullet Journal. A Bullet Journal is essentially a planner where YOU get to (have to?) write everything down. The method was originally created by a gentleman who wanted a simple method to keep track of to do lists, it has evolved into a cult of crafty people who obsess with penmanship (not really, just people passionate about planning). While I am NOT passionate about planning, I do like getting my thoughts on paper and it does help me focus.

Monthly Layout.

Weekly Layout. 

Daily Layout. 

Another reason I am going with this planning method is, I knew I was not a fan of pre-printed pages, as they never really contain what I personally need. In this, I can add pages on goals, business plans, monthly, weekly and daily layouts, and more. I can create all my lists in one spot and work in (hopefully) one place.

So in planning out the New Year, one of my goals is to use this system and try to stick with it. If you have questions on this system let me know and I can direct you to resources!

Pet Profile: Theo

Today’s blog post is a bit different than usual, today we are going to do a profile piece on none other than the Birthday Boy Theo! (It does relate to painting in the end!)

Theo and his litter, he was the goofy looking one! 

Theo, still tiny.

Theodore was born this day 6 years ago, dubbed Rollie at birth, and I really can’t believe that my little Corgi is 6 already. He is technically a mixed breed dog known as an Augie, a mix between a Corgi and a Mini Aussie. He is 7/8 Corgi and only 1/8 Mini Aussie, so I just default to Corgi.

Theo is my athlete, all 20 lbs of him. He loves nothing more than fetch, he lives for it. I will be lying in bed and be brought a ball, a bone, or anything his little mouth can pick up that he thinks should be thrown. He perks up all happy and just stares until you throw it or he will push (he knows this command as I am too lazy to move forward to get his items) it at you. It can get annoying but I really wouldn’t have it any other way.

Theo’s best dog friend is probably Rainier, my 9 year old Corgi. He has just known her practically his whole life so he is okay with her. Theo seems to hate :( most other dogs though, he just thinks he is bigger than his britches in this sense, as most other dogs could body slam him. This hate includes Atlas the German shepherd puppy that joined the family last year this time (Atlas loves Theo though).

Theo, Rainier and Atlas in a very rare photo of all 3. 

Knowing all this I feel like I can capture a little more of Theo when I paint him. I can really see what the expressions behind the photos I am working from. That is why I really like to learn as much about the subjects I am painting, allowing me to have a greater understanding of them, and let that show in the painting.

Always majestic...

Anyway, Happy Birthday Theodore!