RosieAcrylic on Claybord panel, 8 x 10© Xan Blackburn I’ve been reminded (ahem!) that I’ve been calling Rosie’s housemate, Fuzzy, by the wrong name all over the place! Hes not “Fluffy”, he’s “Fuzzy”! Sheesh. However, I’m pretty sure this is Rosie. Rosie’s portrait, at 8 x 10, did take me a bit longer than the … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #10 – Rosie!”
RugerAcrylic on canvas, 5 x 5© Xan Blackburn Handsome Ruger! His mom sent me a few pictures, and a description, as usual. She described a protector, her “Sheriff”, a “relaxed but aware” presence, always ready to lie down. But the pictures she sent had me laughing out loud. He looked to me like he had … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #9 – Ruger!”
AlfieAcrylic on canvas panel, 8 x 10© Xan Blackburn Alfie, the little love, is the brother to Fluffy, who’s portrait I did awhile ago. This cheerful guy is his people’s boon companion, on trips to the Oregon beaches, or just to the back yard. How can your resist this happy smile? Nah, don’t even bother … Read More “Portrait Marathon: Alfie is #8”
Tip TopAcrylic on Aquabord, 5 x 5© Xan Blackburn Tip Top’s portrait was a special challenge in that I only had one photo to work from, which was small and low-resolution, as well as being fairly dim. Her head is lit from the rear, leaving most of her face in shadow, with just a rim … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #7 – Tip Top!”
Bee Wisemanacrylic on canvas panel, 8 x 10© Xan Blackburn Wow! Miss Bee Wiseman is a fabulous creature! Her mom sent me a bunch of photos, but this smile just could not be denied! Even though she had not only the whole open-mouth challenge going, but the brindle thing as well, I just thought it … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #6 – Bee Wiseman”
Note to future participants: Have your photos ready! Keep an eye on your email if you know your turn is coming up, so I don’t have to skip over you. 😉 Miss StarAcrylic on canvas© Xan Blackburn Star’s portrait took a whole different direction than … any portrait I’ve ever done, I guess! Why is … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #5 Miss Star”
WaliAcrylic on panel (Claybord), 8 x 10© Xan Blackburn Whew! Wali’s portrait, on 8 x 10 panel, took me a little longer than the smaller 5 x 5 canvasses, but I could have been more efficient, I think. Also, working on the very smooth panel requires a different touch, as it shows watery brush strokes … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #4 Wali”
RileyAcrylic on canvas, 5×5© Xan Blackburn Gorgeous whippet-guy, Riley, with those smokey bedroom eyes … I’m in looooove! Riley has a brother who’s portrait I did awhile back, with a sort of flowery background. Riley’s reference photos included one with a fallen leafy background, and I liked that, but didn’t want to get too finicky … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #3 Riley”
DarcyAcrylic on canvas, 5 x 5© Xan Blackburn 2012 Alrighty! Darcy swam up out of a clear blue lake, or anyway, that was my experience of painting her! Watch the animation to see what I mean. Darcy’s mom calls her a “heart healer”. At almost 12 years old, with this sweet face, you can just … Read More “Portrait Marathon: #2 Darcy”
BeaufortAcrylic on canvas, 5×5© Xan Blackburn 2012 That was fun! Man, this will be great if I can keep up this speed, eh? Here’s Beaufort, who taught his daddy it was okay to love (oh, lordy! where’s my hanky??) Below, you can see a really funky animated gif of the steps of this painting, which … Read More “PM #1: Beaufort the Westie”
