Cooper Commission

I am in commission mode for a few months. If you've read my blog or visited my website, you will have noticed that I do a fair amount of custom paintings. All of them are enjoyable, some are more enjoyable than others. This one I just finished was of a cat named Cooper. His owners are almost as quirky as a normal cat which made the process and the painting very fun!

When I went to Cooper's home to take photos, he was nowhere to be found. Evidently he is a very socialable sort and has made friends with all of the neighbors, so he is often off visiting. After a lengthy spirited search, they found Cooper in a hideaway in the basement. I guess he knew the photo shoot was about to happen! Cooper was not at all pleased about getting his photo taken! According to his "mum" she wanted him to look normal, ie. possessive and somewhat annoyed, so that worked out just fine. She also wanted his cat scratches and armchair tears on his favorite red chair in the painting. The rest of the painting would be her favorite flowers-star gazer lilies, Cooper's family portrait, a red mini-cooper (how perfect is that!), and a view appropriate to their northwest home.

It now hangs in the foyer so you see it as you come into the house. The family loves the colors, and Coopers reigns supreme, as it should be.

It is nice to be able to take my own photos and see critters in their "habitat". That made this painting go so smoothly and it was so much fun to see how much they adored this little furry creature that adopted himself into their home. I learn so much about the family and animal by just visiting and taking photos. If a subject is too far away, I like to get a selection of photos of your animals and home so I can get an idea of what you surround yourself with on a daily basis. A companion animal makes a home more a home. I like to paint the whole story. Sometimes folks are sheepish about having their animal painted, but I say, "That's nothing, I paint my dog at least weekly"! Dogs and cats bring out an adventurous and creative side. There is often an openess to colors and patterns that would not be in "normal" portrait type painting. It is also nice to not have to hide a percieved flaw...I don't have to make them an idealized version of dog or cat, they are beautiful just as they are.

Well, enough rambling about my favorite subject. Dog and Cat painting!!!! Back to the easel!

Order Cards of my Art!

I am pleased to announce the availability of cards of some my paintings. Easy to order and sent right to you! Zazzle produces cards, tshirts, mugs, prints, all that...for now I will have cards of some old favorites featuring colorful, whimsical paintings of dogs and cats. I will post new cards as I create new art. You can get to my Zazzle Gallery by clicking on any image below or from my website by clicking on the Buy a Card link in the navigation bar!

Here is the Zazzle flash screen.



Tell your friends!

Solo Show in Sun Valley, Idaho

Since my work isn't quite ready to show, I will post some photos of one of my favorite subjects, my yellow lab, Chamois (pronounced Shammie). Here she is looking beautiful in our last snowstorm which had me studio-bound for almost a week.

If you've never made the trip up to Sun Valley, Idaho, here is an excuse! Come to my show opening on Feb 16th at the Tails West Gallery in Ketchum. Besides the usual arty opening type goodies, I am inviting each visitor to bring a good photo of your dog(s) or cat(s) and I will select one lucky "subject" who will be featured in a fun, cosy, colorful painting. The painting will be unveiled at the gallery in August....and then, you will have another excuse to visit Ketchum in the summer!!! when it is almost impossibly beautiful there. Come by, and see the show, and don't forget to include your contact info with your photo.

More Chamois photos! She might even be considered my muse...if she wasn't such a dope and didn't snore quite so loudly. I don't know, do muses snore? Well, if nothing else, she is a-musing! (sorry) She is quite the picture of refinement, unless you get her near water, or near a ball. Then she becomes psycho dog.

Now I just have to decide which paintings I can finish up in the next week. Commissions are on hold, and I am busy, mixing colors and enjoying the process of putting paint to canvas and seeing my ideas come to life!

Hibernation

We have had about a half foot of snow up here on our hill in Oregon. This is our second snowstorm this winter...we usually get one in february, often none. My studio is downstairs and I get great light from the bank of windows on the side. A perfect time to hunker down in the studio and paint, paint, paint.

I just finished a group of dog commissions, here are two, five completed, ten more to do. My wintertime is full of dogs and cats to paint. I love hearing the stories and meeting them if I get the chance. People always think that I am just being polite when I ask more questions about their animals and how they are dear to them. Honestly, I am sincerely interested, and love hearing the tales, long and short. Not only to they provide fuel for the paintings, anyone who has had a dog or a cat know how many endless hours of entertainment and joy they add to our life.

Also I am starting on some small pieces for my show coming up in Ketchum, Idaho. I will be the featured artist for a month from Feb 16th to March 16th at the gallery "Tails West".

Lots to do...better git back to work!

A Dog for All Seasons

The Fiberglass Dog is Completed!

What fun to paint in 3-d!

I delivered the finished and sealed fiberglass dog to Lyn and Terry Thursday evening. They were delighted with it and have it at thier "Fortunate Dog" cookie booth at the Portland Cash and Carry Show this weekend in Portland, Oregon. They have raised a lot of $$ for the Ketchum Shelter over the last few years with the painted Labrador project. I admire them both very much for all their great ideas and commitment to helping our furry friends.



This is the daybreak, summer side. The sun is coming up on a beautiful day in Sun Valley, the dog is looking out the window longingly, ready for an adventure. Maybe kayaking? Definitely, something in water!

This close up is the view on top, which shows the transition into night, on the other side.

This is the winter, nigthtime side. After a fun day of skiing, "Burt" is cosied up on his favorite red chair, getting ready for tomorrow, tennis balls at the ready on the table in case he needs to play a bit, painting of the tropics on the wall to remind him that winter doesn't last forever.

The dog will be displayed either at Lyn and Terry's gallery, Tails West, in downtown Ketchum, Idaho, or at one of the sponsoring businesses throughout town. It is for sale, all proceeds go to the Wood River Animal Shelter.

I miss my painted dog, already...but not to fear! There are more dog forms available, and if I want to paint one for myself, I can. Which also means if you would like me to paint a dog for you or your business, with your special images and/or mementos upon it, that is also possible. You can contact me at carrie@tasmanstudio.com, or Lyn or Terry at www.fortunatedogcookies.com. with inquiries or questions!Getting Burt into the van to drive to Portland. My two mutts want to go too, of course.

A Logger Blog

This weekend I took a couple of days off to help my husband log. We rent a house on 16 steep acres, very pretty and very neglected. The former inhabitants didn't do much to the yard or property except throw trash over the landing and into the woods. We found a wood cookstove, two bicycles, all colors of electrical wire, glass bottles, tires, truck canopies, beer cans, foam and more foam, plastic bags, there was a shed that crumbled, and it was filled with trash bin garbage! (Just 'cause there 16 acres with nothing but deer and a bobcat, doesn't mean it's a trash bin!) Our landlady is thrilled....and so are we to have wood for the fireplace to offset our heating bill.

So after trash clean up Michael got to work felling the dead trees. When he got 20 (!!) or so down, he called me out to help him yard them out. He pulled "green chain" (he actually pulled climbing rope) I commandeered the yarder/slash pickup truck. We took everything real slow, didn't want any crushed anything, with the dogs supervising from the safety of the back of the van. And lo and behold, after a bit of sweat and muscle, we gotta pile of logs. A HUGE PILE!!!! Perfect timing to get them in and covered before the rainy weekend ahead. A very satisfying, squirreling away for the winter.

Cutting out the deadwood is a good metaphor for me this week inspiring me to making more space to think and work. In a painting...taking out the excess, leaving only what is alive and thriving. A challenge for me since I love filling space with an overabundance of color and pattern. In my thinking...making room for new ideas or just letting in a little more air and light. Sorting through the old stuff, old ideas, old paint, doing some dump runs, and yarding up my new found treasures into a satisfying pile to fuel my creativity for the winter months ahead!

Now, onto my closets. Oh, how I love fall!

www.tasmanstudio.com update!

My web site is updated and ready to be viewed. There are a few technical issues to be resolved...just little formatting, link issues that I will work out as I see them. Please let me kow if you see anything...or if there is something you want to see that is not there. I will publish some of my older galleries in the near future.

Here is a new painting that is in my painting gallery of Winn, a dog class mate of Tully's when he was in training. Winn is a very delicate looking border collie, but she is all smarts. I may have to paint her again....I love her face.

I also have published some commissions that haven't been seen yet. I will let the page speak for itself. Have fun browsing. Tell me if you're inspired to order a dog painting of your own...my calendar is filling up for the 2006-07 winter painting year!