Dog Portraits, Badger

Things have been moving on in the dog portraits area. I've completed another dog portrait which I cannot post just yet and I've also made progress on Fudge and Ruby but any photo I take is just awful because the light is so poor it looks awful. This is about the best shot I could get of Badger's dog painting but you can see the poor lighting in the background, it is in fact grey and yet looks graduated.
I've also been back to visit Cyril the squirrel, he is still very reluctant to be friends with Shizzle and is very defensive when the two of them meet, however, due to the fact he liked to hang in my hat which was getting wet in the rain, Alex, who is kindly looking after him, has donated a handbag which is waterproof, and it has been lined with Willow's old waterproof and fleecy dog coat and then his woollen hat is inside this. She's told me he is very proud of his new abode so hopefully he will stay a little drier! We are also trying to fatten him up as he does seem tot be a bit of a runt and Alex packs his handbag full of nuts each day to ensure he is stuffing himself silly.

As for everything else, it's been wet and miserable all week, the ugly autumn weather has taken over.

If you like my work please take the time to leave me a comment or become a follower. If you would like to win a pet portrait of your dog, cat, horse or any other pet please see my new competition. It costs nothing to enter, all you require is internet access.

If you are interested in commissioning me please visit my pet portrait artist website or my wildlife artist website
Now visit my picasa photo album to see completed pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting!

Horse portraits, Badger

Well I've added more dark areas to this horse portrait but now I need to ponder a bit to see if it needs more, this photo was taken in daylight so some of the colour has washed out but I don't want to alter it with photoshop (for one thing I'm no good at it anyway)

Plus I've added more images to my photography tips page with the help of my trusted assistants, Willow, Zac and Gypsy. It looks more like a photo album of my pets now rather than a photography hints page!!! Anyway here are my favourite images of them, Willow is a big girl now and looks fully grown although I have been told there is still some way to go, I'm just so glad she can jump in the truck on her own!

Willow

Zac

Gypsy

And the latest update on Cyril the Squirrel is that he opened his eyes today, it seems he has also found a voice, I had assumed squirrels just make a funny little grunting noise but he has squeaked out for food a few times. His tail is getting more bushy and as soon as I can I intend to take a little video of him to show you all how much he has grown. The best bit is that he is growing little tufts of reddish fur on his ears and they look soooooo cute!!

If you like my work please take the time to leave me a comment or become a follower. If you would like to win a pet portrait of your dog, cat, horse or any other pet please see my new competition. It costs nothing to enter, all you require is internet access.

If you are interested in commissioning me please visit my pet portrait artist website or my wildlife artist website
Now visit my picasa photo album to see completed pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting!

Horse portraits, Badger

Well this is where I am so far, I've had a couple of days without a pc, the laptop with a broken screen , then the internet connection died, alas I was unable to post!!! I did get plenty of other things done, but I lost time today as I had to use the new router which was a pig to connect to and load and finally after what seems like a lifetime I now have two wireless pcs...hooray! I still need to add some darks to Badger, but on the whole he is completed, I also managed to order to custom mounts from the shop today, they may take a couple of weeks to arrive but as soon as I sort Arthur and Macey out I'll post them too. I've also started a big trio of dogs, but I can't post it as it's a surprise but as soon as I can I will, plus I still have two more horses and a few dogs to do which I can post so I'll try to start one of those too, just to keep you all interested. 

And here is the charming Cyril the squirrel, he's now three times as big as when we first found him, his eyes are still not open but he's a very loud little monster and very greedy too. At long last his fur is starting to thicken up, this photo was taken a couple of days ago and his tail is much thicker already.
And for anyone else who ever finds a baby squirrel, this is what you need to do....
Milk formula:
1/3 full fat cows milk
2/3 full fat goats milk (it's easier to digest apparantly)
2-3 drops of adibec (toddler vitamins)
1 teaspoon of live, natural yoghurt
Make up 150ml (1/4 pint) fresh each day
Warm about 10 - 15mls in a container over warm water and feed to the squirrel with a pipette or syringe (the syringe could prove a problem unless you are able to administer milk drop by drop as you could force too much into it's mouth and so into it's lungs which will kill little squirrel)
Feed 5 -7mls every two hours through the day, meaning about 8 or 9 feeds until about 8 weeks old when weaning begins, we've not got that far so I'll update when we get there!!!
Make sure fresh milk is made everyday.
For sleeping I used a soft bath towel wrapped around a water bottle for warmth, plus a thick woolly hat (I used a thinsulate as the little claws can get caught in a knitted hat)
Then to stop little Cyril escaping (he has already got out into the bottom of the airing cupboard after being in a basket) a pet carrier with small mesh at the door!
So much for one so small!!!
So far the milk, vitamin drops, yoghurt, travelling, new water bottle, washing squirrel bed clothes has cost nearly £30 so he's the most expensive nut cracker on the block!!!

If you like my work please take the time to leave me a comment or become a follower. If you would like to win a pet portrait of your dog, cat, horse or any other pet please see my new competition. It costs nothing to enter, all you require is internet access.

If you are interested in commissioning me please visit my pet portrait artist website or my wildlife artist website
Now visit my picasa photo album to see completed pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting!

Horse Portraits, Badger

I have been busy honest! Here is the latest update on the first of the horse portraits, this one being Badger. I've managed to get quite a bit done, although it is only for short stints at a time as Cyril the Squirrel is adamant he needs feeding on a very regular basis. We went to Kington Steam and Vintage Show today and I insisted on taking Cyril in his pet carrier along with a flask of milk, his pipette and a hot water bottle! As soon as I can I will take a new photo of him, he has fur now and his tail is definitely bushing up so he's a proper looking squirrel now instead of a Gollom look alike!

If you like my work please take the time to leave me a comment or become a follower. If you would like to win a pet portrait of your dog, cat, horse or any other pet please see my new competition. It costs nothing to enter, all you require is internet access.

If you are interested in commissioning me please visit my pet portrait artist website or my wildlife artist website
Now visit my picasa photo album to see completed pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting!

Horse portraits, Badger

A couple of updates on the first of my horse portraits, this one featuring Badger. I've managed to work down the face and across the forehead, still along way to go though so back to it!!!!

If you like my work please take the time to leave me a comment or become a follower. If you would like to win a pet portrait of your dog, cat, horse or any other pet please see my new competition. It costs nothing to enter, all you require is internet access.

If you are interested in commissioning me please visit my pet portrait artist website or my wildlife artist website
Now visit my picasa photo album to see completed pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting!

Horse Portraits, Badger

Just on case anyone had thought I'd given up with my blog, I am still here! I've finished Arthur and Macey as far as I can but until I get a mount for them I'm not sure how far I need to continue the grass around their feet so I will update them as soon as possible. In the meantime, the next of my pet portraits and the first of three horse portraits I have to do is the lovely Badger, he is a small pony and much loved by his owner. Badger is quite a calm little fellow and just the right sort of pony for a little girl to own. This has taken about 5 hours so far and is on drafting film, so lots and lots of tiny tiny pencil strokes for the fur effect. I'm off to a dog show this weekend and want to be able to take Arthur and Macey completed with me as well as this one either on the drawing board or completed so I'd best get on!!!
As for Cyril.....

....he has now started to grow fur, a good sign I think, he's very very greedy and gets a bit erratic when it's feeding time and scrambles all over the place looking for the pipette, I'm usually covered in his dinner and he does get a bit sticky, it's become a bit of a routine now that he has to be wiped all over with baby wipes to clean him up, by that time he's had so much milk he's asleep so doesn't take any notice! He's such a messy little thing he has a change of water bottle covers and woolly hats to sleep in but that didn't stop him escaping his basket over night and my having to empty the entire contents of the airing cupboard to find him curled up in a tea towel. He's now in a cane wash basket to prevent any further incidents! I've also found a very local lady who worked for a wildlife rescue charity but now does it from home, so I'll be ringing her for advice because I think Cyril's eyes will open before long and no doubt choas will ensue at that point!

If you like my work please take the time to leave me a comment or become a follower. If you would like to win a pet portrait of your dog, cat, horse or any other pet please see my new competition. It costs nothing to enter, all you require is internet access.

If you are interested in commissioning me please visit my pet portrait artist website or my wildlife artist website
Now visit my picasa photo album to see completed pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting!