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The “soundtrack” to a portrait…. Yesterday I shared how I read the client’s words about their loved one before I start on the eyes. Another thing that helps me connect with the loved one is the music I listen to in the studio.. Having the right music playing is very important while I’m working, the “soundtrack” to that individual, as it were. On Apple Music I have thousands of songs in a variety of custom playlists I’ve created. I choose the playlist that seems to fit the es

I always ask my portrait clients to tell me about their loved one. The day I work on the eyes in a portrait, I start out by reading what they wrote. Before I started working on Cooper today, I read what Brandon and Rina wrote about him. I hold that in my attention - in my mind and heart - as I’m working and try to get the essence of him in his face, especially the eyes. Below is what they shared about Cooper… From Brandon: “Cooper loved being outdoors and was happiest out in

This portrait was commissioned by Rina Carrillo after the loss of Cooper, her partner Brandon Hedrick’s dog. When Rina contacted me she wrote: “Honestly, we thought we had months left with him too. It just came so suddenly :( He was a unicorn of a dog, and thankfully has left an impression on us all that we will never forget.” 1 A scan of my outline drawing, done with colored pencils on “Flannel Grey” paper. This initial line drawing is the “skeleton” of the artwork, I’ll th

Mothers carry us....in so many ways. Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers. Dog and cat moms too!

Most people know me for my 35 years in Dobermans. The only other breed I've owned was a McNab, a herding breed developed in northern California (where I'm from). In my opinion, Dobermans and McNabs are the two best dog breeds in the world. McNabs have temperaments very similar to Dobermans, with the addition of strong livestock herding instincts. Both breeds were developed by one man (Louis Dobermann in Germany, Alexander McNab in northern CA) to be the ultimate dog for a spe