Free Pet Portrait for the Holidays!

I am giving away a free custom pet portrait for the Holidays and the lucky winner could be YOU! Do you love your pet? Do you know someone else who LOVES their pet? Then you are eligible. All you need to do is email me your name and why you love your pet to carrieclay@yahoo.com. You are entered to win. The lucky winner will be announced December 1, 2011. They will receive a custom pet portrait of their choice just in time for the holidays. I have been enjoying painting pets so much lately that I felt it would be in the spirit of giving to provide a lucky winner this heartfelt prize. The best part about painting people's pets is how happy they are with the results. I love seeing people's faces light up when they see their beloved animal on canvas and that is why I offer pet portraits for a service. This is valued at $150.00 so it's a real treat for someone to win. Here are some recent portraits I did for a client who had a whole family of dogs

I have painted many animals and more can be found on my website if you are interested. Here is the link.

http://www.hipchickdesignsca.com/Art.html
My favorite pose for a portrait is close up and personal. If you can get the animal to show it's personality that makes it really special. I started painting pets after I painted my own dog, Chester. He is a German Shepherd/Poodle mix with lots of wild hair. He was such fun to paint that I thought "hmmm, pet portraits.." and that was that. The winner will also get their portrait and story featured on my blog, so don't even think of passing on this fun opportunity! What's better then free?

"Jane" my portrait painting and it's progression

I am not highly skilled at portraits, quite the opposite.  But the only way to get better is to practice, so I decided to take an online class from one of my favorite artists "Gritty Jane" or Jane DesRosier.  Here is her link if you are interested...
http://grittyjane2011.blogspot.com/
She does amazing work, and I would love to be able to emulate her style.  So part of the class is of course making your own portrait.  This was my attempt.  I called her "Jane" in honor of Gritty Jane and her style which is layers and texture mixed with paint.  I am amazed at how much my portrait changed every time I worked on it.  I think it's pretty good for my first attempt at this style, and the fact that I don't typically paint people.  I can say that people are very challenging, there are so many components, mainly proportion.  That is always a challenge for me, and really it comes back to the basics of drawing.  There is no over estimating the importance of this practice.  It is the back bone of all art essentially.  What I tend to do is jump in without first laying down an accurate drawing.  I am so excited to start painting that I jump in too quickly, thereby making more work for myself later on.  But try as I might this is how I am.  I have always done it, and probably always will.  The good news is I choose a "forgiving" medium in acrylic paint.  You can just keep going til you get it right.  Watercolors were never for me due to the fact that you make your mark and it's there, if you need to move it, too bad.  It's stuck and it ain't never going to move again.  Oils and acrylics are so forgiving you can virtually paint an entire new subject over another and never even know it.  That's for me.  I can't stand being rigid when it comes to choices.  I want to loosen up and paint with total abandon, and I feel like this happens after years and years and years of work.  I am not there, not even close.  But at least I am painting, and I am learning and I am trying.  I quit art years ago after being so frustrated with my inner critic yelling at how bad I was.  I challenge that critic now, I stand up to it and I say "go away, you aren't needed right now...." I am allowing myself to learn, to grow, and to try all kinds of ways to create.  My biggest hurdle is ME.  My critic and my expectations, if I can get past that, I am a success...I hope you enjoyed my process and if you can relate please share...