New painting completed.

Here is my latest. A commission of another flyball dog. I don't currently have anymore commissions lined up so I'll probably start on another portfolio piece although more commissions are welcome with Xmas lurking around the corner.

Some new artworks

Here's a few artworks I've completed since 'Observe' which is the last painting I posted here.

The first is a commission of two Border Collies called Monty and Beau. Their owners live in france but I was commissioned by their relative who lives local to me.




This one is called 'A Fine balance'. I entered it into the 2010 Grainthorpe festival of arts and it won the Jackson's arts award there which was excellent.


Last but not least is a painting of my own little Wrenny Wrenster. I called the painting 'Attentive'. It's from a photo I took when she was only about 10 months old but I always knew I'd paint this at some point.


I'm currently nearing the completion of a new commission so I will post that soon.

Sleet and Wrens new Amazing double trick!!

I know this blog has been seriously neglected of late. I should get around to posting news more often...if anybody bothers to come check it out anyway.

Meanwhile, here is a video of a new trick I taught Sleet and Wren to do.

New tabby cat painting..

So, I decided to add another cat to my portfolio. My technique has improved somewhat since the last tabby cat.

'Observe'


Got something a little different planned next.

Sleet and Wren tricks video.

Here's my first ever Youtube upload of some Sleet and Wren tricks. My first real attempt at video editing too.

Enjoy!!

Sham - Hairy Mutt painting.

A new one I just finished. I was contacted last autumn about donating a pet portrait to the Rotherham Dog Rescue Xmas raffle and this is it. Shams' owners won this prize. It took a while for them to sort out suitable reference photos which gave me chance to paint the other pieces I posted not long back.
I just have to take it to the framers now.

More agility.

The agility training has continued Two more sessions since the last post about it. Sleet and Wren have continued in the fun class for the time being. I've booked a place for the training day on March 27th with Alistair Bray so that should be quite interesting.
Neither of them have a problem going over the higher stuff such as the A-frame as evident in the photos below that I took of them posing on top of it. Sleet even went to have a second go as we walked back past it without me actually asking her.
They've also both been through the collapsing tunnel without it being held up and so their confidence is definitely growing. Sleet just needs to learn that the tyre needs to be jumped through...not detoured round even if the detour is longer and takes longer.:D
No training this week as I have to work..boohoo!!

Most recent paintings.

Since last updating my blog with art, I have created a few more paintings. Conan the Bull terrier, a commission I created back in November after the greyhound painting. Then i started the snow leopard. I put that on hold at the beginning of January to do a last minute commission of Belle the border collie x and then resumed the leopard afterwards. Once that was finished, I started a new piece of the foal from a ref photo I took a couple of years ago. I have used the airbrush I was bought for Xmas 08 for the first time with the snow leopard. I used it again with Belle and the foal painting but only for the backgrounds. I'm quite pleased with the effects I can get with it although it does take some getting used to and can be quite fiddley with swapping colours and constant cleaning it out etc...

Here are the four paitings. 3 completed so far this year quicj is pretty good for me. I now have to start a small portrait of a scruffy looking heinz dog that I donated as a prize for the Rotherham Dog rescue Xmas raffle.

Very long overdue update...Agility.

Well, it has been a long time since my last update. I've not felt motivated to post anything new due to a number of problems and issues. I no longer do flyball with the dogs since the autumn due to a number of reasons. I still teach them their numerous tricks etc...but also fancied finding something else I could do with them but there wasn't really anything close and the little that was charge silly prices.
Anyway, after another search, I found a new agility club not far from me and after a few weeks of not being able to attend due to dog health issues and work, I finally got there yesterday to give the dogs a go in the fun class. They just did a bit of basic stuff like recall over a couple of low hurdles, introduced to a straight tunnel and also a tyre. As Sleet has shown a fear of tunnels she's seen the odd time before, i thought she might have taken some convincing but we managed to get her to go in and through pretty much straight away. Wren had no problem with it either. They did really well with the recall and sendaway using a toy. Sleets only blip being her usual habit of missing something out if she thought she didn't have to do it. She did that with the tyre so will need a bit more manipulating to teach her otherwise. I will also need to work on my own handling and body posture.
A couple of friends, Paul and Heather, from flyball also turned up. I knew they were looking for an agility place too so told them about it so it was nice to catch up and have a chat in person again. We all enjoyed ourselves and so back it is next week.:D I'm itching to do more training with my two.

A group shot of the people and their dogs that took part in the fun class.