Martin Greyhound

Martin was one of 28 dogs seized in a high profile hoarding case in Fort Worth, TX. Sadly, Martin and three other greyhounds didn't survive. He did get to know love, kindness, good food and comfort in his short time with his foster family.

This painting is dedicated to everyone involved with the rescue, care, fostering, and financial support of these dogs. I chose Martin to represent the 28, because there was something very special about him... he touched so many people's lives with his extraordinary beauty and sweetness. Thank you to his foster mother for allowing me to use his photo.

I sketched him on the canvas with his ears as they were in the photo. So sweet, but also troubled...


I decided to change his ears and perked them up a little. I want this painting to represent the love and hope for the future that these abused dogs found, and I think these ears help to portray that...


Martin is now ready for color! Stay tuned...
Painting specs: 11 x 14 inches, acrylic on Ampersand Gessoboard.

If you haven't heard about this case and want to learn more, you can find info here, but be prepared, there are graphic photos.

May all dogs be loved...

Summer is...

This Summer is...

Painting on location:

Remodeling:

My husband and Cloud going for a walk in the clouds:

A campsite with a view:

If you're awake to see it...

Flowers and butterflies:

A boat ride with friends:

A beautiful sunrise:

And gorgeous sunsets:

The weather in most of the country is incredibly hot right now, but Summer will be gone before we know it. I hope everyone is having a good one...

Much love,

Pede's portrait is finished!

Pede 12 x 12 inch acrylic on canvas
© 2010 Kathleen Coy

Pede's portrait is finished and I'm very happy with how it turned out. Pede is getting up there in years, and is dearly loved by her family in Australia. I wanted to capture her dignity, devotion, and gentle nature.

I made a short video of the progress, from start to finish. In it, you can see the photo I worked from, the concept sketch, and a few studio shots. I hope you like it:



Dogs give us so much, and ask for so little in return. It's truly a labor of love to paint them - it's my way of giving something back. I think every dog deserves a portrait, but of course that's just my opinion.

And as always, if you're interested in a portrait of your pet, you can find information here. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Much love,

More work on Pede's portrait

Here's an update of the progress of Pede's portrait. This was where we left off - with the underpainting complete and awaiting subsequent layers of paint:

Now comes the part where I refine and add detail.
Here, I'm building up the background, adding depth and richness:

Refining the right (her left) ear and eye:

Now working on the left (her right) ear and facial fur:

Refining the eyes, the most important part of a portrait:

The painting as it stands now. I just love those sweet and soulful eyes. The portrait is NOT finished yet, but is nearing the home stretch. As always, if you're interested in having me paint a portrait of your pet, you can contact me through the email in my profile.

Much love,

New art - Morning Nap

"Morning Nap" © 2010 Kathleen Coy

10 x 8" Acrylic on Ampersand Gessoboard

I created this painting for an online art show of the Canine Art Guild (CAG), of which I am a member. The theme of the show is "Here Kitty, Kitty..." which is a fun twist on the usual dog art.

I like to take photos while I paint, and put them together to make a short video of the progress. It's always fun to watch how a painting comes together. Enjoy:



Here is a link to the Here Kitty, Kitty show, where you can see Morning Nap and many other fabulous entries from CAG members, and vote for the People's Choice Award. I would appreciate your vote, but of course I want you to vote for your favorite... and if it's mine, I thank you! :-)

http://www.canineartguild.com/gallery/index.php

I want to thank my friend Jennifer MacNeill-Traylor for the photo reference of her kitty Pumpkin. If you like horse and Halloween art, check out her work!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Much love,

Wow, Thank You, and Welcome!

When I found out I was Blogger's Blog of Note yesterday, I was very honored and surprised! I'm sincerely happy and humbled that so many new people have visited my blog, and enjoyed and appreciate my work enough to follow it and/or leave a comment. Thank you all, and welcome!

I'm in the middle of a massive studio cleaning and organizing this week. I'd rather be painting, but it must be done... I do have several new pieces that are almost finished, so look for them in the coming weeks, as well as more updates on Pede's portrait progress.

Since this is just a quick post, I'll leave you with a photo I took last week of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at my backyard feeder. The light has to hit their throat feathers just right to be red, otherwise the "ruby" feathers appear black or gold...


Once again, I'm honored to be a Blog of Note. Thank you everyone for the lovely comments, and welcome new readers!

Much love,

Working on Pede's portrait

After the sketch, I toned the canvas with a beautiful warm yellow. Now it's time to start the underpainting, which is not very detailed, but gives me the information to build up details in the layers of paint to come. First I block in the background:

Working on Pede's eyes and ears:

Muzzle and body structure:

I started blocking in her collar and tag, but didn't like the placement of it:


So I moved over to the side a bit. I like this placement a lot better:


And the painting as it stands now. Still lots of work to go, but she's really starting to take shape:


More to come...

Latest commission - Pede the Pit Bull

This beautiful girl is Pede, who is a Pittie from Australia. She is 13 years old, and is dearly loved by her family. She has the most beautiful, soulful eyes! I'm very happy with this drawing, and know I'm going to have a lot of fun painting this sweet girl. The painting will be 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas.

American Eskimo Dog portrait

Junior, 18 x 18" acrylic on canvas
© 2010 Kathleen Coy

Junior's portrait is finished. Junior passed away earlier this year, and I hope his owner finds some comfort in this portrait. I really enjoyed painting Junior's thick, white fur reflecting the colors of sun, snow, and shadow. I wanted to use very little actual white paint, and reserved it for a few select highlights. Even with all these colors in his fur, it makes sense - the mind knows it's looking at a white dog.

Speaking of white dog, Junior was featured on an album cover titled "White Dog" by Vlasis. You can see Junior on the album cover here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/vlasis

And here is an "in-progress" video I made of the painting. Enjoy!

Need a good laugh?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with my painting of Nigel Buggers from Life With Dogs, start here to get the story.

After the auction, there was a demand for prints, so I made a limited editi0n of 40 with 50% of the total price going to the rescue group. What happened next has put a huge grin on my face that hasn't come off for weeks! People who bought the prints (affectionately called Flat Nigel) started taking pictures of him in funnier and funnier situations. There was even a celebrity sighting!

See for yourself:

http://lifewithdogs.blogspot.com/2010/04/witwinb-pt-2.html

(Be sure to click the link in the first paragraph as well, which will take you to more funny pictures of Flat Nigel's adventures.)

Words cannot describe how it feels as an artist to a. have people appreciate your work, b. see them having so much fun with it, and c. to know it's helped raise desperately needed funds for a very worthy cause (well over a thousand dollars so far, which includes donations, auction of the original painting, and print sales!)

This whole experience has been amazing to be part of. I can't thank Nigel's fans enough for their generosity, creativity and wonderful sense of FUN!

Much love,

Max in South Africa

Max, 11 x 14" Acrylic on Ampersand Gessoboard
© 2010 Kathleen Coy

Once in a while, something comes along that touches you so deeply, you can't help but reach out. That's the story behind this painting...

I started a blog for my dog Cloud last year, after seeing some dog blogs and thinking how much fun it looked. Little did I know how much fun it really was! There's something so satisfyingly fun and silly about writing about life from your dog's point of view. (If you care to visit Cloud's blog, you can find it here.)

I was blown away to be so welcomed into the world of dog bloggers, of the friendships I've made, and the kindness of the "two-leggers" "moms" and "dads" behind the dog (and cat!) blogs. From the common ground of loving your pet enough to give them their own blog, they are always there for each other with kind words, encouragement, and humor. What a sense of community!

There was one blog in particular that stood out to me from the first moment I read it, and quickly became a favorite. Maxdog, a Golden Retriever in South Africa exemplified everything that is good and true. The kindness and devotion of his "mom" shone through every word and photo. He appointed himself "Official Tour Guide" of South Africa, and delights in sharing the beauty of his country with his blogging friends.

Max's "mom" Caryl writes in a way that speaks dearly to my heart. She says with words what I try to convey with my art...about love and connection. I always look forward to reading Max's blog, and always leave it feeling uplifted and even moved to happy tears.

Not long ago, Max received a frightening diagnosis, and his family were told there was nothing to be done. He was not expected to live much longer. My heart ached for Caryl, knowing how deep her connection is with Max, and since Max is so relatively young, to be so unprepared to loose him.

I knew I wanted to surprise her with a painting of her dear friend. I truly believe there is a "spark" of life, of that dog's spirit in each portrait, and is a way to keep a part of your dog with you always. I've felt this first hand with the portrait I painted of my dog Benny, who passed away last year. It is such a comfort to me, and I wanted to give that same feeling to Caryl, to return some of the joy I've gotten from her over the last year.

Max is dearly loved among his blogging friends, and I knew many of them were feeling the same longing to do something for Caryl, to help ease her pain. I asked another dear dog blog friend if she could "test the waters" for me, to see if there was interest among the dog bloggers in being a part of this gift. The response was overwhelming! I can't thank Khyra's "mom" Phyllis enough for organizing "The Max Project," as we lovingly called it.

I'm so humbled to have been able to provide an opportunity for Max's friends around the world to show how much they love him.

Caryl called me today from South Africa. What a joy to hear her voice, to laugh and talk and cry together. What a beautiful world we live in, what a global village!

You can visit Max's blog to see pictures of Caryl opening her gift, and Max with his portrait, and links to all his blog friends who contributed to The Max Project. You may want to have a cup of tea and plan to stay awhile, as you will probably fall in love with her blog just as I did...

Max continues to astonish his vet. His family and blog friends have been counting each "Day of Grace" with Max as he awakens each morning. Today is his 51st "Day of Grace."


Love one another...

Latest commission - American Eskimo Dog

I realized I haven't done a work-in-progress post for some time. To remedy this, here is the beginning sketch on canvas of my latest dog commission. The canvas is 18 x 18 inches.

This is Junior, an American Eskimo Dog. I've been wanting to paint an all white dog for a while, so I'm excited. Since white reflects the colors around it, I plan to keep very little of his fur a very bright white. I think a little will go a long way and make more of an impact in the end.

Next step, PAINT!
Stay tuned...

Not so wordless Wednesday

I'm back from a little blogging break. Coming out of blogging hibernation, so to speak. Not that I haven't been busy....

A solo show at Tazza di Caffe, my favorite little coffee house. If you're in the southwest Iowa/Omaha NE area, my work will be up through March.


The elephant painting is now on display at University of Nebraska in Lincoln for a group show of the Nebraska Women's Caucus for Art until April 2nd.

I'm getting ready to start a new portrait commission of an American Eskimo Dog, and am presently working on a very large painting of a black bear, that I'm not quite ready to show yet. (Very soon!)

Cloud is well and is happy that the snow is melting. We were buried for three months straight!



The geese are honking overhead, spring is finally in the air, and my studio is humming with activity. I hope you are all well and happy.

Much love,