Animal Art: Pet Portraits and Wildlife Art by Michelle Wrighton

Animal Art and Photography Blog

2010-08-07T12:00:00.002+08:00

Even though I don't keep this blog updated, its still seems to get some visitors!

Please use the following links to visit my art and photography blog or to connect with me through Facebook or Twitter.

Michelle Wrighton Website and Art Blog: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

BUY CUSTOMIZED ART POSTERS, ART PRINTS, T-SHIRTS & GIFTS: Zazzle

BUY CARDS, PHOTO PRINTS, CANVAS ART AND FRAMED ART PRINTS: Redbubble

Win an Art Print - Paws In The Paint

2008-08-12T12:06:00.001+08:00

Hi!

If you have stumbled upon this blog, I just wanted to let you know that I have set up a Google group 'Paws In The Paint' as an announcement newsletter (therefore low volume) for posting new artwork that I have completed, new original artwork that is for sale or being reproduced as prints or gift merchandise. I will also be announcing special offers on this group that are only available to group members, and offering animal and art for sale here first so make sure you stick around!

Important Update: MichelleWrighton.com

2008-07-11T22:13:00.003+08:00

Time management is essential for artists, especially when they work from home studios. In order to maximize my time spent painting, I am in the process of consolidating my different websites and blogs into just the one on my main site http://michellewrighton.com
which has been re-designed, had new work and a blog added.

Therefore http://canine-artist.com will re-direct to my main website and as I am running a blog from that site, I won't continue to maintain this blog.

Please update your links and rss feeds to my new online gallery and blog:

http://michellewrighton.com

Cheers

Michelle

Arabian Horse Art - Shaka

2007-08-29T22:29:00.001+08:00

Arab Horse Art - Shaka
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Colour Pencil painting of the magificent arabian Shaka (Bla Bheinn Shakur), reference photo courtesy of James McWilliam (warpsta), thanks James!

Grizzly Bear Acrylic Painting

2007-08-28T17:53:00.001+08:00

Grizzly Bear
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Master of All He Surveys.

Acrylic on Gallery wrapped canvas.

2007

www.PetArtist.com.au

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Please click to return to my website and main art info blog Pet Portraits & Wildlife Art Home

To purchase a variety of wall art, greeting cards and t-shirts featuring my art and photography, Please visit my RedBubble Gallery. Purchases can be made in different currencies (USD, Euro, GBP, AUD) and shipped shipped worldwide.

A variety of wall art, gift ware and apparel featuring my artwork is available in my GiftShop at CafePress.

Technorati Tags: cat art, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, feline art, pet, cat pet portrait, painting, pet portrait, artwork, drafting film,color pencil,

Aspen - Shar-Pei Pet Portrait Painting

2007-08-27T15:13:00.001+08:00

Aspen - Shar-Pei
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Aspen is a beautiful Chinese Shar-Pei rescue dog. Aspen is blind due to untreated cherry eye.

Colour Pencil and acrylic on drafting film.

www.PetArtist.com.au

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Technorati Tags: cat art, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, feline art, pet, cat pet portrait, painting, pet portrait, artwork, drafting film,color pencil,

Horse Buddies - Color Pencil on Drafting Film

2007-08-26T13:16:00.001+08:00

Horse Buddies
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

"I'll Scratch Yours..." Colour Pencil painting on drafting film

www.PetArtist.com.au

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Technorati Tags: cat art, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, feline art, pet, cat pet portrait, painting, pet portrait, artwork, drafting film,color pencil,

Bull Terrier Cross Dog Pet Portrait

2007-08-25T18:10:00.001+08:00

bullterrier_cleo
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Ok, if I am going to cheat and post an image of artwork I did in 2006, the least I can do is give you two for the price of one!

Graphite artwork is almost impossible to photograph without getting funny reflection like appears on the left hand side.

Cleo,
Bull Terrier Cross Pet Portrait
11"x14" in graphite

Commissions Welcome.

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Technorati Tags: cat art, animal art, drawing, artist, artwork, canine art, pet, dog pet portrait, painting, pet portrait, artwork,

Chinese Shar-Pei Dog - Pastel Pet Portrait

2007-08-25T17:32:00.001+08:00

Tia - Pastel Pet Portrait
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Large pastel painting of Tia, black Chinese Shar-Pei dog. Yes I am cheating today, this is an artwork I completed in 2006;)

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Technorati Tags: shar-pei, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, dog art, canine+art, dog pet portrait, pastel, pet portrait, artwork, acrylic,

Tara Cat Pet Portrait: Color Pencil on Drafting Film

2007-08-24T19:41:00.001+08:00

Cat Pet Portrait
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Original pet cat portrait of a tabby and white domestic shorthair cat, Tara completed in color pencil and acrylic on drafting film. 9"x12".

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Technorati Tags: cat art, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, feline art, pet, cat pet portrait, painting, pet portrait, artwork, drafting film,color pencil,

Jack Russell Terrier Dog Pet Portrait in Acrylic

2007-08-23T12:31:00.001+08:00

Jack Russell Pet Portrait
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

8"x10" acrylic Pet Portrait painting on gallery wrapped canvas.

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Technorati Tags: jack russell terrier, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, dog art, canine+art, dog pet portrait, painting, pet portrait, artwork, acrylic,

Royalty; Greyhound Dog Pet Portrait

2007-08-22T14:10:00.001+08:00

"Royalty" Greyhound Pet Portrait
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Don't Greyhounds have such beautiful expressive eyes?

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Technorati Tags: greyhound, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, dog art, canine+art, dog pet portrait, painting, pet portrait, artwork, acrylic,

Pug Dog Pet Portrait Painting

2007-08-21T17:00:00.001+08:00

Pug Pet Portrait Painting
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

"Moe"

8"x10" gallery wrapped canvas, acrylic Pet Portrait Painting

He's either thinking "Go ahead make my day" or "This *IS* my happy face".

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A change of purpose

2007-08-20T19:43:00.000+08:00

Yes dear readers, I know I have suddenly posted a number of images of my artwork here after previously stating that I was no longer posting here because I was moving to my Main Blog ...well, I have done that and will continue using my main blog for all the informative posts, work in progress and art demonstration blog posts but....

This blog continues to receive a fair bit of traffic and I have just found out that I can re-direct my images from Flickr over to here, (and as I personally I hate coming across blogs that are not updated regularly) so I have decided that rather than leave this blog idle, I will send some of my finished artwork images over hear from my Flickr account. Finished artwork might end up being posted here before I get to post it on my main blog, you never know!

I just don't have the time to write posts here (and don't see the point of duplicating posts from my main blog) but if you are interested in reading about the inspiration or stories behind my artwork, or information about the animals that I portray, or if you like watching artwork come to life in work-in-progress and art demonstration posts, then please visit my main blog on my website PetArtist.com.au Blog

Thanks!

Michelle

PetArtist.com.au

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Blink by Michelle Wrighton

2007-08-20T16:32:00.001+08:00

Blink by Michelle Wrighton Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Cat Pet Portrait Colour Pencil on Drafting Film.

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Technorati Tags: cat, animal art, painting, artist, artwork, drafting film, cat, dog art, cat artist, painting, pet portrait, artwork, color pencil art,

Lion by Michelle Wrighton

2007-08-20T16:30:00.001+08:00

Lion by Michelle Wrighton
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Colour Pencil Painting on Drafting Film

Part II of the "We Three Kings" series.

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Technorati Tags: lion, wildlife art, wildlife artist, painting, artist, artwork, drafting film, cat, dog art, cat artist, painting, pet portrait, artwork, color pencil art,

Tiger by Michelle Wrighton

2007-08-20T16:27:00.001+08:00

Tiger by Michelle Wrighton
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

Part 1 of the "We Three Kings" series

First attempt at Colour Pencil on Drafting film

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Technorati Tags: tiger, wildlife art, wildlife artist, painting, artist, artwork, drafting film, cat, cat artist, painting, pet portrait, artwork, color pencil art,

Kruger Chinese Shar-Pei Pet Portrait

2007-08-20T16:23:00.001+08:00

Kruger Shar-Pei Pet Portrait
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

"Kruger" Chinese Shar-Pei Pet Portrait in acrylic on Art Spectrum Colourfix

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Technorati Tags: dog, shar-pei, painting, artist, artwork, dog art, cat artist, painting, pet portrait, artwork, color pencil art,acrylic art,

Chihuahua Pet Portrait

2007-08-20T16:20:00.001+08:00

Chihuahua Pet Portrait
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

"Kenny" Pet Portrait in Colour Pencil and pastel on colourfix

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Black and Tan Long Haired Dachshund Pet Portrait

2007-08-20T16:17:00.001+08:00

dachshund_pastel
Originally uploaded by Art By Michelle

'Marcus' Pastel Pet Portrait on Velour

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Technorati Tags: dog, wildlife art, wildlife artist, painting, artist, artwork, drafting film, cat, dog art, cat artist, painting, pet portrait, artwork, color pencil art,

Yoo-Hoo! I'm over here!

2007-05-06T21:36:00.000+08:00

While signing up for my new google account I thought I would just update this old blog with a reminder that if you are still subscribed to this one, you might wanna move to the new one, coz that where all the action is! Photos of dogs, cats, kangaroos and drawings of some more dogs, some pastel artwork (of some more dogs) and hey, you might even want to check out my work in progress acrylic paintings of - you guessed it, some more dogs! Of course there is a cat or three and a horse or two just for good measure, so hop on over and don't miss out on any more fun!

My NEW Blog - Where all the action is!

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

Transfered this blog to my website Domain

2006-04-23T23:51:00.000+08:00

To make life easier for me, my hubby has transfered both this blog and my pet portraits blog over to my website http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

If you have a link on your blog or website, or would like to continue to recieve notification when my blog is updated please visit my new blog for the site feeds http://pencilportraits.com.au/blog/

Thanks for reading my blog, and I hope you stay with me through my journey!

Michelle

My new Art blog

2006-03-21T20:36:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I started a separate blog for my 'other' art which is considerably different than the pet portraits that I do. The majority of my other artwork is created in the small format (under 14" in any one direction), and a lot of it is experimenting with different techniques and styles other than realism. In the last two weeks my Muse has taken me off in a completely different direction and I havn't yet started any of the animal breeds series that I have planned.

I'm hoping that maintaining two blogs won't take too much time and I have contemplated moving this blog over to my website but will wait and see what happens in the next few weeks...or months as the case may be:)

If you would like to exchange links with my new blog please let me know. There is very little new artwork over there just now but I will be adding more throughout this week.

I've also started listing some ACEO's and artwork at Art By Us and Art Cards Wanted (see my links on the right), Ebay just seems to be having one problem after another with the search facility and category listings and it is costing too much in fees to be listing there at the moment when the majority of the time items arn't even showing up in searches.

Cheers

Michelle

Just to be different - Modern Contemporary Landscapes!

2006-03-14T13:14:00.000+08:00

Just to be different I have painted several modern/contemporary abstracts which are very different to the more normal highly detailed and realistic animals I normally do. My aim with these was in fact to avoid lots of detail and take the minimalist approach. These are all 4"x4" art squared pieces, acrylic on canvas. I really enjoyed doing these and have listed two on Ebay to see how they go - they were a lot of fun and in between commissions, I plan on doing a lot more in this small format size.

Solitaire

Tall Poppies

View From The Dunes

Michelle

Purebred Dog photos needed, can you help?

2006-02-19T14:45:00.000+08:00

As the next step in developing my career as an artist, I am planning on doing a series of pure bred dog portraits to sell as open and limited edition prints. I am looking for permission to use personal photographs as reference material (credits for use of the photograph will be given) so if you have, or know anyone who has a purebred dog, I would love to hear from you!

There is absolutely no obligation whatsoever to purchase the original artwork or any of the prints created from the reference photos, but if you would like to a discount would be given as thanks for giving me permission to sell prints of the artwork I create from your reference photo.

Obviously some photos will be more suitable than others - because I work in a very detailed and realistic style, I do require photos that are clear and detailed, without any camera distortion and of course of dogs that are a good representation of their breed. The other requirement is that the person giving me permission must be the copyright holder of the photograph - generally the person who took the photo is the copyright holder.

And just in case you you are wondering, I have absolutely nothing against mixed breed dogs, its just that prints of mixed breeds are unlikely to be saleable, especially in the main venue that I will be selling them on.

Thanks!

Michelle

Black Labrador Retriever

2006-02-14T20:54:00.000+08:00

This is my latest commission, a graphite portrait of a gorgeous black Labrador Retriever. Hasn't she got the sweetest looking face? I'm very pleased with how this turned out although getting good digital images of graphite work is near on impossible!

This scanned image is about the closest I can get to the original, although alot of the delicate shading in the original is not evident, particularly in the highlighted areas.

Labrador Retrievers are a loving, affectionate, intelligent breed that is one of the most popular dog breeds in Australia. Highly intelligent, loyal, willing, good natured and excellent with children they are ideal companions for families. Labradors are easily trained and need to be treated as one of the family, otherwise like many breeds they can become destructive. Labradors are medium sized energetic dogs that need a fair bit of excercise. Their smooth short haired coat, which can be black, yellow or chocolate in colour, is easy to groom and they should be bathed only when necesary. They have a life expectancy of about 10-12 years

Labradors originated in New Foundland where they were originally known as St John Dogs or the Lesser New Foundland (Newfoundland's are another breed of dog). Labrador is a peninsular in north-eastern North America situated between Hudson Bay, the Atlantic and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Labradors were originally developed to assist the fishermen in towing in nets as well as working in the snow and ice. These dogs were taken to England where they were bred as gun dogs and retrievers. Labs are easily trained and their intelligence and lovely disposition makes them very suitable for work as guide, service and customs dogs.

If you would like to be notified of updates to my blog, please click on the orange buttons in the colum on the right to add this to your RSS Feed (atom and feedburner) or enter you email addy and subscribe to recieve update into your mailbox.

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

Horse & cat "In The Night", German Shepherd & Gibbon & a Galah

2006-02-02T11:55:00.000+08:00

I've managed to do the next two of the "In The Night" ACEO series, #2 is a chestnut stallion "Trojan In The Night" and #3 is another cat (yes I have a real big thing for cats at the moment:) "Boo In The Night". I almost couldn't part with them, but ended up listing these two and the first one of the series "Jedi In The Night" on Ebay.

Here are a couple more, "Kaiser" A German Shepherd Dog. I'm really pleased how this turned out, especially as the eyes are only about 3mm in size!

A Pink and Grey Galah (a common Australian native bird). I tried a looser more painterly approach with this one, which was created as part of an International Artists swap.

And a Gibbon (a primate) - when I saw the reference photo for this one I couldn't resist the priceless look on his face. I havn't quite decided what to do with this one, but need to come up with a suitable title first.

As well as getting these ACEO's done, I've also been able to get everything uploaded to the new gallery on my website, it looks much better now, and should be fairly easy for people to navigate.

And now its back to work:)

Thank goodness for miniature art!

2006-01-25T21:56:00.000+08:00

I am so glad that I found the world of miniatures, the last couple of weeks have been so busy that ACEO size art is the only art work that I can get finished (LOL not that ACEO's are really that quick, most of them are taking me two hours or so, but compared to larger works they are quick).

I'm sure that things will settle down (time wise at least) when the kids go back to school next week and I will have some decent 'art time' and get back to my commission work (and go back to providing some informative blog entries about the animals in my art).

I'm also in the process of changing the gallery on my website, the new one is easier to maintain and looks a lot nicer as well. Hopefully that will be made live sometime next week.

In the meantime, here are my newest ACEO's:

'Cob', Rottweiler dog

Jedi In The Night, torti cat. This is probably my favourite ACEO that I have done so far, and is the first of my "In the Night" series. I like this one so much that I'm not sure if I actually want to list it on Ebay!

"Shakespeare's Whiskers", Tuxedo cat

"A Giraffe Called Azizi". This one was created as part of a group swap with other artists around the world and is now on its way to its new home in the USA. "Azizi" is a Swahili name and Kiswahili word that means "a treasure, excellent; precious one." LOL - I hope the artist who get's this one thinks so:)

And last but not least is "Surprised Miss Marmalade", a cute maralade and white kitten with a very surprised look on her face.

Marmalade, Cob, Shakespeare, Prudence the Persian and the polar bear are all currently on Ebay and can be viewed in my store Art By Michelle

Bye for now and Happy Australia Day for any aussies who read this blog!

Michelle

Polar Bears and Persian Cats!

2006-01-20T21:16:00.000+08:00

Well, I didn't get a chance to list the last challenge (SNOW) before the deadline, but I managed to create a new challenge piece and list it during the specified time this week as part of a 'theme week' for a group of ACEO artists that I belong to on Ebay.

Its great to see all the different ideas other artists come up with relating to the same theme - if you would like to have a look, just search Ebay for "ACEO Theme Week" or the theme title which is 'Baby its cold Outside'. LOL this was a bit of a stretch for me as its the middle of summer over here in Western Australia:)

Nevertheless, this polar bear is the piece I came up with, I'm quite happy with this guy, although it has scanned with more yellow than there really is in the original.

Click here to view on Ebay

And this one is 'Prudence' the Persian cat, who is also listed on Ebay - she ends in less than 24 hours so if you are interested click here!

I think I will hold off on starting my personal ACEO challenge until the kids start back at school in a couple of weeks, there just dosn't seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything that needs doing!

Cheers

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

ACEO: A Frog on a Log and going, going, gone!

2006-01-14T14:05:00.000+08:00

I finally have a chance to add an entry this week!

This is my latest ACEO of a green tree frog, titled "Frog on A Log" (ACEO #15), which I will be listing on Ebay either later today or tomorrow. This will be the only opportunity to own this cute little frog because if he dosn't sell, my hubby has claimed him!

This photo is a cropped enlarged version showing some of the detail.

and another landscape "Snow Covered Mountain"

I did this one for the Ebay ACEO Artists group weekly challenge, but I am not really sure about it - it might just be that I am so unfamiliar with snow that I am not sure I have rendered it in a believeable way (I've seen snow once in my life, and was aiming for an Impressionist style landscape, so it not surprising that I am unsure of the finished piece). Maybe it will grow on me over the next few days. LOL - if not I will just chalk it up to experience!

The first lot of ACEO's I have ever offered for sale (including the Golden Retriever, Siamese Kitten, the pelican, frangipani and Teddy bear) will be ending on Ebay in the next few hours, if you collect ACEO's have a look as some of them don't have any bids.

Click here to view current Ebay auctions.

Because of the cost of listing items on Ebay, it seems that many artists don't re-list items that don't sell at auction, but list them in their Ebay Stores at a much higher retail price. This makes sense to me - apart from the cost of Ebay fees, I think way to many artists undervalue their work - and is something I am considering on doing with my own Ebay store - I'd love to hear your opinion (as an artist or art collector) on having a policy like this.

If I am lucky I can run to my studio and grab a couple of hours to myself, and hopefully create a masterpiece!

Bye for now

Michelle

Pencil Portraits

Today's Art: A Chestnut Foal and a Bunny rabbit.

2006-01-11T17:23:00.000+08:00

I am just loving these Art Card's, it's true, they really are little gems! And for me at the moment they are particularly good as with my three darling children on school holidays I can still manage to complete some art as it it possible to get a couple finished on a good day!

I'm finding that they are more of a challenge than I originally anticipated - at least as far as my normal very detailed and realistic style. But the good thing about having such a tiny space to work with is that you really need to think before you act and make each pencil/paint brush mark count:)

This little bunny rabbit is 'Nibbles' ACEO #12. Prismacolor Artists pencils on matt board. This ACEO is currently for auction on Ebay, but if he dosn't sell I will put him in my Ebay Store at retail price...actually that's what I'm planning on doing with my Ebay art auctions, start them at a lower price on auction and then if they don't sell I will put them in my Ebay store at the normal retail price. LOL - unless my kids claim them first:)

This little cute chestnut foal is 'Toby', I havn't listed him on Ebay yet because I need to find my original reference as I can't remember what breed of horse he is. I am really pleased with the way this little fella turned out, unfortunately it lost some of the vibrancy in the colours when I scanned it so I will have to try a digi pic to see if that is better. 'Toby' has also been done in Prismacolor colour pencils on acid free mattboard.

I've added a few more birds and cat ACEO's and several pieces of handcrafted sterling silver and gemstone jewellery to my Ebay listings as well, so if you'd like to take a look, please click here.

Now I must run and get dinner sorted out for my hungry family!

Michelle

My First ACEO's posted on Ebay & new Ebay Store

2006-01-07T22:50:00.000+08:00

Well I've gone and done it, it's taken me most of last night and today but I have successfully managed to create and Ebay Store for myself! I can't believe it has taken so long but I have added a couple of pieces of jewellery and have finally posted some auctions for the first lot of ACEO's that I have ever offered for sale.

Amongst this first lot is the ones shown below - Bronson, the Golden Retriever, Tao the Siamese kitten, Percival Pelican, River Reflections as well as a Fluffy Teddy bear and a frangipani. I have a few more to add in the next couple of days and a rather large quantity of jewellery to add to the store. That will be an ongoing project for a while seeing as I have yet to take photos of most of it!

If you would like to see the ACEO's and art jewellery in my Ebay Store PLEASE CLICK HERE

Cheers

Michelle

ACEO's - miniature dogs, cats, landscapes and more!

2006-01-06T16:32:00.000+08:00

It really is no wonder that these ACEO's are taking the art world by storm, they are so much fun to do and I am finding them quite addictive:)

I will admit that it is really difficult to get a lot of detail into a painting that is a maximum size of 2.5 by 3.5 inches (the same size as normal trading cards), I'm finding that they are a really good oportunity for me to experiment with a looser, less photorealistic style.

Here are a few that I have done this week, I might try listing some of them on ebay.com.au and the new art auction at the Art-Cards.Org site (I'll post an update when they are listed for auction).

The first one is a lovely golden retriever ACEO portrait:

A sweet little Siamese Kitten:

A bird this time, a Pink Flamingo:

and something different for me, a landscape - impressionistic in style?

I do have a few more but I will post them on the new ACEO gallery that I am setting up on my website Pencil Portraits as soon as I sort out an image size problem that I seem to be having.

I'm contemplating opening an Ebay store for my ACEO's, small format art and art jewellery...if I can find enough hours in the day! I'd love to hear if you think this is a good idea or not (what can I say, I'm a Libran and making a decision takes forever!)

Ciao for now!

Michelle

Something New - Art card ACEO animals & florals

2005-12-31T09:42:00.000+08:00

Well I have finally had a chance after the Christmas rush to sit down and have some fun creating art just for the sake of creating:) There are always so many things to inspire me, I don't think I will ever run out of inspiration for what to do next. LOL - the only hard part is deciding what I want to do first!

I did want to try something different, and seeing that there is such interest in miniature art - ACEO's - Art Cards, Edition's and Originals I decided to have a go at some just for fun. I even had a go at some florals and a bird!

If you have never heard of Art Card Miniature Art, there is a heap of information and a gallery of beautiful examples available at http://.art-cards.org. ACEO's started as trading cards that Artists world wide traded with each other, and eventually they were sold to the general public - affordable art for everyone! Many ACEO's are sold on Ebay - just search for the term ACEO and all the listing's will come up.

The main feature of ACEO's is that they are the size of trading cards - 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches (yes that is tiny!). ACEO's can be created from any medium that larger artworks are created from and can be framed in tiny miniature art frames or displayed in trading card sleeves or books. Some people even create special books using decorative scrapbooking techniques. (If you havn't heard of the craft of scrapbooking, check out http://scrapbooking.com - I won't go into detail as I don't really know much about scrapbooking and with my tendency to get sidetracked with new projects I am not going to start looking into it!)

I'm thinking of doing a series of 'Collections' with these ACEO's and selling them on Ebay. I'm still tossing around ideas but I'm thinking along the lines of a series of cards in each of the following (or similar) collections: 'Midnight Garden' - for florals on black backgrounds, 'Fur Babies' for dogs and cats, 'Feathered Friends', for birds, 'Down on the Farm' - for farm animals...and other things along those lines. I'd love to know what you think about this idea! I'm contemplating a personal challenge of completing one ACEO for a year. Now like I said I am just contemplating it! It sounds like a fun idea....but a huge commitment all the same. Definitely requires more thought, maybe seven cards per week as I am sure there will be days where I can't get anything done. Stay tuned, I will decide soon!

ACEO : Pelican in colour pencil and acrylic

Close-Up cat: colour pencil

ACEO Floral: Frangipani

Oh dear, those last two pics are showing a bit bigger than they should be. Oh well my computer time is up so I shall have to fix it later. LOL - Next year even:)

Anyway, last day of the old year and all that, I do hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

An Australian Kelpie for Christmas!

2005-12-22T16:23:00.000+08:00

Wow Christmas seems to have come around so quickly this year! I've finished my last Christmas commission, a commermorative portrait of a beautiful Australian Kelpie called Tas who recently passed away. This portrait was done on Art Spectrum blue-grey Colourfix paper, 9 x 12inches with a pastel underpainting and all the top layers of detail done in artists colour pencils.

Breed Profile: The Australian Kelpie

The Australian Kelpie was developed in the 1800's by a small group of Australian Pastoralists from the inter-mixing of offspring of three pairs of working sheepdogs from Scotland.

Kelpies are an alert, eager, highly intelligent, loving, gentle, easily trained, loyal and devoted breed. Although devloped as a sheepdog - a job at which they excel, Kelpies also make wonderful family pets for people who can accomodate their mental and physical activity needs with pleanty of excercise and activities that allows them to use their intelligence, like Obedience training, agility, tracking or other dog sports.

The Australian Kelpie is of medium size, with males usually between 46 - 51 cm (18 - 20 inches) and females betwee 43 - 48 cm (17 - 19 inches).

The Kelpie has a moderately short coat (imagine somehwhere between a German Shepherd Dog and a Doberman), and has seven different colour variations: Red, Red and Tan, Black, BLack and tan, Chocolate, fawn and Smoke blue.

Follow the link below to see photos of different Australian Kelpie dogs:

http://images.google.com.au/images?q=Australian+Kelpie&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

Now I just have to finish and frame Amarok's portrait and I can have a short holiday over Christmas and do some 'non-commission' art for myself:)

I hope you all have a Happy and Safe Christmas and New Year, wherever you may be in the world!

Cheers

Michelle

www.pencilportraits.com.au

Japanese Akita Portrait

2005-12-16T16:53:00.000+08:00

I've just finished my second last Christmas commission, this one is a gorgeous Japanese Akita dog. I'm really pleased with how this turned out, combining a pastel underpainting with color pencil for all the top layers.

One more Christmas portrait to finish in the next day or so (another dog, this time an Australian Kelpie) then I can do some art for me! And at some stage I *will* get this blog fixed so that my profile/links/archive side bar is back at the side where it is meant to be and not down the bottom. I think its an IE thing as I have been told it works ok in Firefox.

This one is 11 x 14 inches on dark blue Art Spectrum Colourfix sanded paper - my new favourite support for pastels and colour pencils. And whats more its an Aussie product so easy to get here:)

Dog Breed Profile: The Japanese Akita Inu

The AKITA INU is a Japanese Breed of Dog, reputedly bred as a hunting and guarding dog in ancient Japan. The Akita Inu (which means 'big dog' in Japanese) were originally bred to hunt boar, elk and even bear but were also versatile enough to catch water fowl and other small prey. They were also used as a guard dog during feudal times and has always been regarded as a dog of luck - new babies and the ill are given Akita carvings even today. Archaeological evidence indicates that dogs migrated to Japan 4000 years ago, and since the 12th century drawings and artifacts depict a dog with erect ears and curled tail - the early ancestors of the modern Akita.

This breed is characterised by its noble and dignified bearing, its great beauty, aloofness with strangers, and unsurpassed courage. They are a heavily built, powerful dog whose devotion to their owners is typified by the legendary Haichiko - a dog who attended the railway station at Shibuyu in Japan every morning and afternoon with his master who travelled to work by train. When Haichiko's master died at work, he continued to visit the raliway station morning and night for teh next ten years.

The Akita is the largest Japanese native dog - powerful and heavy boned, with a big bear-like head and thick coat up to 5cm long at the withers and rump. They grow up to 71cm tall and weigh approx. 55kg. The Akita coat does require regular brushing but only infrequent bathing.
Akitas have a strong ego and will not tolerate abuse. They can be obstinate and rather jealous if treated harshly but will always co-operate and are incredibly devoted companions if treated kindly, and kept as one of the family.

Akita's are an active breed that require regular excercise. The Akita is a strong, large, impressive working dog - obedience training and a great deal of socialization as a puppy are required as they have a tendency to be aggressive towards other dominant dogs. Not a breed for the timid, first time dog owner.

Click the following link to view some photos of Akita's (to open the link in a new window, simply right click with your mouse and select 'open in new window') http://images.google.com.au/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=Japanese+Akita+&btnG=Search

Cheers

Michelle

www.pencilportraits.com.au

'Waiting' Bullmastiff portrait in colour pencil

2005-12-13T09:16:00.000+08:00

This is probably my favourite piece that I have done this year. The look in this dog's eyes just says it all, he is laying there patiently waiting for his owner to come back.

This piece was completed purely in colour pencils on cream Stonehenge paper and took well over 55 hours of work to complete. It was worth it though, because it was awarded First Place in the Painting & Drawings: Animals class at the second Art Show I entered last month - pretty amazing seeing as colour pencil is such a new Fine Art medium, and because the other entries included oils, acrylics and pastels!

Cheers

Michelle

pencilportraits.com.au

Rhodesian Ridgeback - Graphite Portrait

2005-12-09T10:16:00.000+08:00

This is one of the commissions I have just finished - definitely one of the hardest I have done due to the poor quality of the reference photo which I have posted as well. Unfortunately this beautiful dog recently passed away and no additional photos could be taken. Considering the lack of detail that was in the photo I am really pleased how this one turned out. What do you think?

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

Bay Arab Filly Portrait in Pastels

2005-11-29T14:16:00.000+08:00

I havn't done a portrait of a horse for a while, so decided to do one of this lovely Bay Arab filly in pastels. I'm quite happy with the way the horse turned out, but the background grass and trees still needs a bit more work to complete it. The horse itself is pretty much complete although I will leave it for a few days and see if any minor adjustments are needed. Pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix sanded paper.

Cheers

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

Wearable Art -Sterling Silver wire and gemstone Jewelery

2005-11-23T07:32:00.000+08:00

Or maybe I should have spelt that jewellery, jewelry or jewellry. LOL who knows, and does it really matter - I'm sure you know I am talking about, no matter which way I spell it.

I thought I would post a few bits of my Art Jewellery, although I have had a brief hiatus from creating jewellery lately, I can feel my muse heading in that direction of late:)

The first photo below is a Sterling Silver, Turquoise and Red Coral bracelet that I made for my Mum's birthday in June. All the silver work, coiled links and clasp are hand forged. I just LOVE working with sterling silver and gemstone beads.

This second bangle is based on the wire weaving techniques taught by Brazilian Artist Eni Oken, and is probably my all time favourite. As I was working on it, the piece named itself 'Amazon Sunset', the turquoise focal bead represents the depths of the river, the faceted amazonite - the endless blue sky, the orange aventurine is the setting sun leading to the black onyx of a moonless night sky lit only by the silver twinkling stars. Its a hefty bangle - not for the faint of heart, but it is this style that I am being pulled to create...just gotta finish the Christmas Pet Portrait commissions before I let myself get distracted!

I probably should post some piccies of the jewellery pieces I have made that have won awards. One day. As a full time mother of three, and with working from home there just never seems enough time to do everything I should be doing. Which of course is why the housework never gets done - or at least it sounds like a good reason:)

I do have a temporary website for some of my art jewellery if you would like to see some more, the url is http://uniquelychelle.dgshosting.com/

Cheers

Michelle
http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

A tribute to our Jack Russell Terrier, Harley

2005-11-21T19:16:00.000+08:00

We lost our little girl Jack Russell Terrier over two years ago to a brain tumor. She was nearly 11 years old and such a gutsy happy little dog - a true Jack Russell in every way. It has taken me all this time to be able to do Harley's portrait, I never felt that I was good enough to do her justice. Yesterday it just felt right to start her portrait, and even though this is a new medium for me, I decided to do it in pastels on Art Spectrum paper.

This is one of those pieces that just seemed to paint itself and I am really pleased with the result. And now I can really understand why people who have portraits painted of their 'Rainbow Bridge' pets feel like it is almost like having them back again, that probably sounds strange, and in fact it feels a bit strange but in a way it does actually feel like that.

Here she is 'Harley' in pastel:

Michelle

http:www.pencilportraits.com.au

A Portrait for Christmas On Ebay

2005-11-20T17:34:00.000+08:00

As part of my website promotion I am offering a small number of Christmas Special Pet Portraits on Ebay and at well below the normal price, so if you are looking at ordering a portrait of your favourite pet now is a great time to do so!

Click this link for the current auction http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7367613399&amp;rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&amp;rd=1 or go to my About Me page http://cgi3.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=uniquelychelle or you can search Ebay for my user ID uniquelychelle.

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

Ginger Cat in Pastels

2005-11-19T22:41:00.000+08:00

I needed a break from my graphite commission and decided to have a go at this ginger cat in pastels using the Art Spectrum Colourfix sanded paper I just got. I am quite pleased with the results and can see myself doing alot more pastel work on this particular paper! If anyone else uses this paper for animal portraits, I'd love to here your experiences with it.

'Ginger Megs' 9" x 12" on Light Blue Colourfix.

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

How to take Good Photos of your Pets

2005-11-19T17:58:00.000+08:00

If you have ever tried taking a photo of your beloved pet, you probably already know that it is not always as easy to get the perfect shot. Whether you are taking photos to add to your family album, or a trying to get a great shot to use as reference for a pet portrait, hopefully the following tips will help!

The number one tip for great looking photos is take them from the subjects level - for pet photo’s, that may mean laying on the floor! By taking the photo from the pet's level, you will avoid the camera distortion that makes some photos look like caricatures.

Use natural light if possible, no flash or artificial lighting. The best outside photographs are taken on overcast days with light cloud so that there is plenty of light. If it is sunny, position your pet in the shade and take the photos with the sun behind you. Don’t take the photo in direct sunlight as this will make your pet squint (not to mention get impatient).

If you do need to take the photo inside, take it near a window that allows plenty of natural lighting, and try to avoid using the flash. Take the photo with your back to the window with the subject facing the window.

Take photo’s from a distance of 6ft or less. You want your pet to be the main object in the photo, not the surroundings, so zoom in and fill the viewfinder with your pet's image. This is really important if you are taking a head shot, as you really want to see the eyes and facial expression clearly.

Make sure you allow some space around your pet in the viewfinder so you don't accidentally chop off an ear or a nose!

Take as many photos as you can, a digital camera is excellent as you can keep taking multiple shots in the same pose to give you a good range to choose from.

When taking photos of pets, enlist the help of another person to stand beside you and get the animals attention with a toy or treat. A shot of the head looking forward and slightly to the one side usually makes a more interesting phot enlargement or pet portrait than a full side-on profile pose - try to take the photo from an angle that shows both eyes (for dogs and cats).

Photos that capture the subjects personality and character are important. Be patient and be prepared to spend a fair bit of time, possibly over more than one photo session. Dog’s in particular will sense if you are getting frustrated or grumpy, and this will reflect in their demeanor. Try to make it fun – toys and treats usually work!

Always keep a camera handy and know how to use it in a hurry - candid shots can often truly capture the personality of your pet, but you usually don't have a lot of time to get your camera organised before the pet moves!

These two photos of Jess are examples of good close-up and detailed reference photos. I took these photos following all the advice I have have listed above - so you can see these tips will help:)

Of course, some pets are easier to photograph than others - I have taken several hundred photos of my own dog Tia, a black Shar Pei (you know the dog's with all the wrinkles) and only one is suitable for use as a reference for her portrait, so I shall keep trying for some better ones.

Happy snapping!

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

Life gets in the way!

2005-11-17T17:17:00.000+08:00

Well so much for daily posting! After a full week of all five of us having an awful gastro, then hubby being hospitalized for four days (unrelated but serious medical condition), I was finally able to pick up my pencil yesterday to do some more work on a graphite commission. I am reasonably happy with the way it is progressing, considering it is a shocking reference photo (the nose, muzzle and lips are a solid black blob when they shouldn't be - its a brown Rhodesian Ridgeback dog and the photo has very little definition of the eyes). Unfortunately the dog has gone to the Rainbow Bridge so additional photos are not possible.

I will post a photo of the piece later, I did take a couple of shots but the camera batteries are going flat and they didn't work. In the meantime I am off to do some more work on this portrait.

Bye for now!

Michelle

www.pencilportraits.com.au

Multi Award Winning Animal Artist

2005-11-07T11:57:00.000+08:00

That would be me! I am very proud to announce that I received a number of awards for my artwork in the show I entered over the weekend - seven awards in fact!

I receieved First and Second for my two entries in the class for Painting/Drawing - Animals/Birds; First and Third for my two entries in the Painting & Drawing - Any Subject class, A Third in the Painting & Drawing - Portrait class, First in the Article of Silver Jewellery and Third for my entry in the Article of Beading class:)

I am feeling pretty pleased with myself as this was only the second show I have ever entered:, and like I mentioned before, the other artworks were something special!

Definitely a GOOD day!

Michelle

http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

Patience is a virtue...

2005-11-05T10:51:00.000+08:00

...or so I am told. I definitely need to develop more I think! I have entered some of my art and jewellery in a local art competition this weekend. Judging was yesterday but I will not find out until tomorrow how I went. Mind you, after the glimpses of the really outstanding artwork that I was able to see when I dropped mine off I am not expecting any awards at all, I just can't wait to have a good look at the other artwork!

I managed to do a little more on Amarok's portrait, havn't taken a pic of the updates as yet, I think I probably need to do a bit more before there is anything really noticeably changed. The white fur on her muzzle is still not to my liking - it has lots of colours, creams, greys and blues but it still hasn't got the depth that I am aiming to achieve. Time for a bit more painting I think. If it fines up later today I might be able to get a better photo of the portrait.

Bye for now!

Michelle

A progress pic of my latest animal portrait

2005-11-02T16:51:00.000+08:00

Well what do you know, its day two and I am actually posting! Today has been one of those Blah type days, you know the kind that you'd rather forget? Seeing as I am quite please with this so far, I thought I'd cheer myself up and post a progress shot of Amarok's portrait...Amarok is a seven year old Siberian Husky. This started out in pastel and colour pencil but has ended up mostly acrylic, what can I say, I got carried away with my paintbrush:) This is my second attempt at an animal in acrylic so I am actually pleasantly surprised that it is looking pretty good. And I am really enjoying slapping the paint around. It still needs alot more work on the right ear (viewers right) and the large expanse of white fur needs further layers and modelling, and I am not yet happy with the mouth. Of course this is a pretty cruddy picture and the colours are not true to life - there is actually a good amount of cream fur above the eyes up to the base of the ears.

So here she is, Amarok in progress (after about 10 hours work)...hopefully I can finish her by the weekend.

My First ever blog entry:)

2005-11-02T14:02:00.000+08:00

Yay for me, I've finally joined the rest of the world and started my own blog. LOL, I really have NO idea what I am doing, but I guess I'll learn as I go along, right? I'm not sure that I can manage to update daily (probably don't have that much of interest happening in my life on a daily basis), but I think I can manage acouple of entries a week:)

Actually, one of the reasons that I have finally created a blog is to keep a bit of a diary on my artwork, not so much the pet portrait commissions that I do, but on my personal choice artwork. Not only a visual diary, but also as a bit of a record of the thoughts and emotions that go into creating an artwork. I know that many artists who work by commission end up loosing their enjoyment of their art because it becomes a job just like any other, so I am setting myself a personal challenge to produce at least two pieces just for me every month. I'd love to be able to do more, but my style is highly detailed, realistic and very time consuming, so two pieces is a realistic goal at least for the rest of this year.

On the other hand, I'm determined to teach myself how to paint with acrylics and pastels, both of which should be much quicker than my main mediums, graphite and colour pencils (no, not the kind you had in primary school!). So when the kids go back to school in February and I have a little bit more time, I'm might just up the challenge to one piece per week. LOL - I don't think I will ever be one of these artists who can create a painting in a couple of hours, unless of course I start going abstract!

But for now, I guess I should have a bit of a wander around and work out how to set this whole blog thing up so it looks halfway decent!

Cheers

Michelle
http://www.pencilportraits.com.au

'Intense' Tabby cat in pastel and colour pencil

2005-11-01T20:44:00.000+08:00

An example of my artwork. This piece recently won an award in the first art show I have ever entered.