Dog Portraits, Ruby the black labrador

Well I think I'm almost finished, there are probably a few things I will rework and a few minor adjustments to make, just little things that only I will know have been done. I'll stare at it for a day or so and make the little amendments and then resist the temptation to do too much.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse, on Thursday we suffered yet another 'snowstorm' and our lane was impassable but then an artic lorry was directed towards us (ever so slightly off course) and it jack-knifed in the snow blocking any access whatsoever. My other half always wants a sat nav and we do travel about quite a bit, but I'm pretty good at map reading and have to drive because of travel sickness but we always get there in the end. I think sat navs are not very helpful around the local areas as most are narrow lanes meaning every week some little lane is blocked by too large a vehicle!

Anyway, I'm sure you've all noticed the changes to my blog and website but I had a mad moment and decided it had to be done, hopefully this will be my last major overhaul for quite some time but I'm sure I'll add bits and pieces as time goes by just to keep things fresh. 

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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here.

If you are interested in commissioning me please visit my pet portrait artist website or my wildlife artist website

Thanks for visiting!

Dog Portraits, Ruby the black labrador

Just a little update on Ruby's dog portrait, her neck will continue down past the collar so still a way to go yet! It was also a very nice day today so we all played outside in the garden before the rugby started (Six Nations) and Ronnie has been arranging his shed to take delivery of his valentine's present.... a tractor! I brokered the deal for him and he is buying me a new lens for my camera so both of us are very pleased with ourselves at the moment!
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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here.

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!

Dog Portraits, Ruby the black labrador

Just a bit of an update on Ruby's dog portrait. I can see areas where I need to darken up the fur but there is still much to be done before the shadows and highlights are complete.

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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here.

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!

Dog Portraits, Ruby the black labrador

Well I have got on a bit but not as much as I'd like. I'm becoming very annoyed with the fact that things seem to be very slow at the moment. I'm not sure if it's my doing or if other things are getting in the way. I did visit the handsome Shizzle yesterday and Shizzle is absolutely huge and has now started growing tufty ear bits and does look just so cute. We (myself and Shizzle's adopted Mum, Alex) are now not so sure if Shizzle is a male after all. Cyril was a much smaller squirrel and was very obviously male but Shizzle is either so plump things are hidden or he is actually a she after all!!!

Also, I can officially blame Alex for preventing my artwork getting done as she gave me a desk which took me all of yesterday afternoon to set up so I now have a dedicated area to work in hence not a lot else got done!

 

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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here.

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!

Wildlife Art, Tiger and Dog Portraits framed

I've now completed the tiger painting in general, I've not decided what to do with the background but I have bought an airbrush kit so it may come into play. The thing is I've never used one before so it will take a lot of trial and error before I'm brave enough to use it properly. I'm not even sure if I can use it after the wildlife art has been completed or whether I should have used it first!

And the group dog portrait is now framed too so I thought I'd just let you see it finished off completely. Unfortunately the light has caught on the left side again but it's unavoidable under the current daylight bulbs I have to use.

Still lots of snow hanging around and we are due another heavy snow storm tonight, whether or not it will arrive is another matter, those weather reporters need shooting, they can't get it right for love nor money!

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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here.

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!

Dog Portraits, Willow, Gypsy and Zac

Hooray!!!!! I've actually finished this dog portrait now, at one point I thought it would end up on my ever growing pile of half finished work, I keep telling myself I will go back to them but I think we all know that will not happen so perhaps I need to clear them all out so I don't feel so guilty about them!
Anyway, this was quite a large dog portrait and it did take some effort to fill it in, pencils do not have the greatest coverage, in fact it's akin to using a ball point pen I think so I'm pleased will my staying power at least.

And news on Cyril....
Just for you Liz, unfortunately Cyril escaped just before Christmas leaving his sparring partner Shizzle behind and made a mad dash after bouncing from the head of the lady looking after him. We've spent almost two weeks looking for him, I travelled quite a distance each day due to holidays to look for him and feed Shizzle, but it seems Cyril has decided he's a wild animal after all and would rather be in the trees with his kith and kin. I was devastated at first as was the lady who was taking excellent care of him, but all said and done, this was eactly what was meant to happen, it just happened before we planned it. For a couple of days I had terrible thoughts about him starving to death as he'd have no store of nuts but I work for the Forestry Commission and they have a never ending battle with squirrels as they chew the bark from trees for food, well there are trees everywhere so there's no problem there, then I worried about the snow, well who heard of squirrels being wiped out because of snow! Cyril was nice and fat before his break for freedom, in fact probably fatter than any wild squirrel so I should imagine he's living the life of Riley now and finding himself a girlfriend for the spring. We have left all manner of squirrels traps and nuts out for him just in case he does decide to put in an appearance but I'm very doubtful now as he is a wild creature after all.
All in all I think that he's had the best start, he was he size of an egg without fur when the cat delivered him to the door step without much chance at all, so after I fed him up and Alex has looked after him so well I'm confident he's chewing on a beech tree somewhere!
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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here.

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!

Dog Portraits, Willow, Gypsy and Zac

Apologies yet again for the poor photo, although the weather has improved the lighting is awful. It's not my fault honest! Anyway, this is where I've got to and the end is in sight now, thankfully.

I've actually learnt a few things doing this portrait

1. Never leave a piece half way through, I mixed up colours as a result and it did take a concerted effort to 'fine tune' them all

2. Never use the back of drafting film, I know a lot of others do, but all of my leaves were on the back, it was supposed to give a distant quality but it made them look very flat so I went back over them all on the front anyway, what a lot of work that was!

3. Derwent studios give a kind of painterly effect on drafting film. I used them on the paving stones and they do look like watercolour (apologies to all those professional watercolour artists out there, I expect you are shouting at my post now)

4. Never try such a bold background again! I think I'd go back to paper for another portrait of this size and complexity, then for the background I could use pastels and cover the space quicker.

5. Don't do a background so intricate and monotonous next time, those leaves felt like being lost in the jungle!

6. Never work with outsized portraits again, I had to search high and low for a frame and then it was a very long winded job to get a mount cut, and I wanted a double mount plus it's slightly too small, that'll teach me!

7. Give up the day job, I can't remember when I started this portrait, I think it was July last year, I know I've done many things in between but this is ridiculous, I need to give up my day job to increase my work rate!

8. Leave portraits until a pet is fully grown, Willow was only 7 months old when I took her photo, she is now coming 14 months and looks much more grown up, I feel I need to do another portrait of her to keep up to date!

9. Forethought! If I'd have known I was going to put them on a patio I would have liked to add watering cans, plant pots etc but I just beavered away without any planning, I will spend more time with the next one sorting out the compostion rather than just going for broke!

So I'd best get back to it, I have to go back to the day job on Monday and I would like to get things finished by then and start something new to put up at my display, tell you more about that soon.

Hope you all had a happy New Year! Oh and well done so far Oakley in the voting for a custom pet portrait, keep up the good work Bonnie!

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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here

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!

Dog Portraits, Willow, Gypsy and Zac

Apologies for the very poor shot but the weather is awful, we have severe weather warnings for the area and the snow has fallen and is still falling at a ridiculous rate, in a few hours we will be snowed in again even with the truck it will prove a nightmare to get down the narrow lanes to the main road so I'm not planning on going anywhere soon!
I have already fallen by the wayside with my art plans and spent a considerable amount of time updating my website, I expect if you visit it, you probably won't notice anything has happened, but believe me it has! I've added my new gift certificates designs and I think they look pretty good. I do intend to add some more soon plus I've added a new header image to all pages plus here on my blog.
Anyway, I did make myself get on with some more of this portrait....spot the deliberate mistake! The brown used for the vine stems has now changed colour, I've been working the background on the back of the film and it wasn't until I turned everything over to take a photo that I noticed. I'm going to ponder on it for a while but I think my best course of action will be to use the front of the film to correct the error rather than trying to remove the later stems as I think it could drive me mad!!!
Also some good news, one of my portrait commissions from Christmas has gained me another order so they must have liked it! I've also had a personal visit from Ace and Badger's owner when she came to say thank you for her portraits, which was fantastic news.
Off to find some wood to burn on the fire now, it's freezing here and unfortunately we've ran out of coal and our wood pile has got a bit wet so it's not burning too well!!!
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. The competition has closed for this year but there will be a new one in 2010. Join in the fun and vote for this year's winner by following the links here.

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!

Dog Portraits, Candy

Candy's dog portrait is now completed and has been approved. I now just need to choose the mount for it, I am stuck between a wide cream mount and a double cream/fawn mount so I will photograph them both later for Candy's owner to choose. I'm also off to buy a frame for Badger today and his portrait, along with Ace's horse portrait which is already framed will be collected on Monday in time for a birthday on the 23rd December.

And as you know the great British weather is a tad cold of late so we had a little bonfire at work yesterday, we only have our vehicles to use for cover when it rains and it is in fact warmer to keep working, however we do need to have a break and this is when everyone gets cold so we decided the bitter weather wasn't going to get the better of us and we cooked bacon and cheese toasted sandwiches as we warmed our toes and our dogs.....lovely!

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!

Dog Portraits, Badger

And at last Badger is on some grass! This dog portrait is due to be collected on Monday evening and before this I need to frame and touch up little bits and pieces, but on the whole it's there!

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!

Dog Portraits, Candy

Candy is now taking shape, all the basic light areas are in place plus I've started to add some shading. Candy's fur is very pale but very eye-catching so I'm trying to ensure that shows in this dog portrait. A little more to get on with though but she is beginning to appear.

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!

Dog Portraits, Lola

Well I've been very busy lately, this is an OSWOA (original small work of art) which are postcard size 6" x 4". This is Lola and the first of a pair with Hattie being the other.

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!

Dog Portraits, Badger

I've worked some more with Badger's dog portrait. As you can see the grass needs more work and I've also changed the backing and I think this has made a vast improvement in terms of contrast. Still some way to go though but it will be completed by the deadline.

I've also spent a while adding a photo album to my website and blog showing my pets and home. I will be adding more as time goes by, I hope to take some photos as I'm out and about at work so there will be a variety of local area photos.

You can find the link permanently at the top right hand column

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!

Dog Portraits, Candy

This is the start of another labrador, this one being Candy who has unfortunately passed away quite recently. Candy was apparantly very naughty as a puppy and a bit of a handful, but as every dog owner knows, this seems a nightmare at the time but as they age and settle down, the naughty but funny things they used to do make you smile and forget how much hard work those puppies were to begin with. This dog portrait could be a bit of a challange as Candy's fur was almost white with very light almost unnoticable shades here and there so watch this space!

And now it seems poor Zac my springer spaniel has caught the sickness bug from Willow. He is quite old now at 13 and has been allowed the use of his own personal chair which has been kept for him. He is currently curled up in it feeling very sorry for himself and is off even his favourite foods. Seems like another very expensive trip to the vet is looming!
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!

Dog portraits, Badger

As you can see my photo editing skills have not improved in any way whatsoever! This is Badger's dog portrait as it stands now, basically with the major areas in place now. I need to add a few more layers to his back flank and then it's grass, grass, grass! As you can see I have not taken this image in day light, which is pretty scarce when you work a day job as well. We finish relatively early compared to some jobs at 3.30pm but even then by the time we get home the light has all but vanished. I do hate winter, it makes me so miserable. I had worked in an office and thought it was the fact I drove to work in the dark and drove home again in the dark that made me so fed up with this time of year, but now I spend all day everyday in the great outdoors but I still hate winter (perhaps I just hate working really!).

 Aside from portraits, Willow has been quite ill for a few days, so much so that I rushed her to the vet yesterday as she was ill plus not eating and drinking very little. It turns out she has a tummy bug, which I didn't know dogs could get, but after an injection and some tablets she is a little better and having a nibble at food now, needless to say she showed off terribly when I tried to leave her at home instead of taking her to work this morning and so she's put in a full day of chasing sticks and cones plus followed us up and down the rows of trees relentlessly so I think she's getting back to normal now. Plus she was very very spoilt and allowed to sit in the cab on a lovely fluffy blanket as she was under the weather! Look at those ears! She's still not grown into them at all!

And finally, if you have recently sent an entry into my pet portrait competition and you do not see your image appear, that's because they are just too small. For example, I cannot produce a portrait from an image of 11kb which features a horse and rider, there simply isn't enough detail. I have received quite a few entries like this but if you can resend your entries with images which are 250kb or above I will happily add them to the competition.
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!

Dog portraits, Ben

So here is Ben completed, this dog portrait was completed in super fast time, I had speedy hands for this one.

In the meantime, I've managed to take a few more pics of Shizzle and Cyril, in their des res!

Well this is Shizzle, he's a bit  impatient and no sooner had I put the bag of squirrel goodies down than he'd got in it and opened everything up, he stole a baby sweetcorn and got his teeth into some avocado! Cheeky monkey

Cyril on the other hand is still a little bit coy but he does manage to look cute in his hammock!

Isn't he sweet!

In the meantime Shizzle is still trying out everything for nibble value! He'll have to provide all the food when the two of them are released.

Cyril, who has been watching Shizzle having a meal, decides he can wait no longer and tries my finger out as a tasty snack, only to be sorely disappointed it!

So he goes back to looking cute.

And Shizzle takes his spoils to his bedroom to eat in peace! He'll make a proper squirrel!
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!

Dog Portraits, Ben

And just because yesterday's update was such a poor shot here is a little bit more of an update on Ben's dog portrait. It has actually stopped raining, although I do think it will start again later on so I took a photo update when I could, no doubt if I had left it, it would be black skies and torrential downpours later on so a new photo would prove impossible, but now I've managed to capture a more truer photo, I expect it will turn out sunny so I could have left it longer! The moon is still out but it is reasonably bright so I can get on with some more work today. I was beginning to find Christmas portraits a little stressful at one point, I'm on top of things now but for a few weeks I seemed to be getting nowhere fast, the unfortunate/fortunate thing is I have to work full time and I cannot do as many paintings as I would like but there simply aren't enough to do to go full time! Oh the trials and tribulations I encounter!
I have lots of ideas bobbing around in my head about my website and I did have a little revamp (no idea why as I just couldn't take on anymore just yet) but I think I need to have a tidy up of it in the New Year. I've also got quite a few commissions for January plus I have a display to get ready for in February so in fact I think after Christmas will turn out to be just as busy for me!

Anyway, simply because he really is so cute, here are a couple more photos of little Cyril playing in his pen.

He's just so sweet! I'm of for my squirrel visit tomorrow and to take Cyril and Shizzle some treats so I'll take my camera again to see if I can get any more photos of them.

And on the home front, we are collecting a new tragopan hen today to go with the male shown above. He will have two girlfriends then, what a lucky boy!!!
I also feel as though I've made a fatal mistake today. I've stayed at home to finish pet portraits and allowed my other half to go to an auction on his own, he manages to buy all manner of things when I'm there and my back is turned so I just have no idea what rubbish he'll come home with! Oh well, at least he'll keep out of trouble down in the tractor shed!

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!

Dog Portraits, Ben

I am dotting about with portraits at the moment to keep myself keen and busy. This is the latest of my dog portraits and features Ben, a yellow labrador. Ben's owner sent many many images to use but this one was his favourite pose in the end. I've also worked some more with Badger's dog portrait plus I've framed Murphy and Dizzy and Pepper which will both be collected in the coming week. Phew!

And just because she hasn't featured for a while, here is little Gypsy making herself very comfortable on the sofa! She looks like a cushion sandwich!
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!

Dog Portraits, Badger

A little update for Badger's dog portrait. I've added more shadows and have began to add the grass highlights.

A couple of close ups of Badger.

And I also visited Cyril today, and things are looking up. He's back to his happy little self, he was playing with his toys in the pen although he and Shizzle are not best friends, they have a little squabble and then forget they've fallen out.

So here he is hanging about!

This actually Shizzle, I did try to photograph them together and the shot above was as good as it got! You can just see Cyril's feet in the cargo net.

So I'm pleased to report Cyril is doing just fine and is on his way to freedom!!!

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!

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!

Dog Portraits, Dizzy and Murphy

Almost done with this dog portrait, I need to work on the legs and tail of Murphy but the light is so poor it is impossible to see the pale greys I need to add even under the daylight bulb.

Next on the drawing board will be Fudge and Ruby and this will started this evening as it is in graphite so I should be able to see things a little better.

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!

Dog Portraits, terrier in graphite pencil

This dog portrait is all but completed now, I just need to leave it for a couple of days to check things over and fiddle about with some of the shadows.



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!

Dog Portraits, terrier in graphite pencil

I've started work on one of my graphite pencil portraits, this is of a little terrier how has sadly passed away and also for a returning customer.

This was the customer's first commission from a past Christmas of their black labrador.

And pet news flash.....

I cannot believe I forgot to mention it was Willow's first birthday yesterday. She has a new football to ruin as she does like to puncture them and she has a collection of four flat and torn ones to choose from already. I expect it to last only a matter of days before a hole appears but then she will have weeks of tearing it up to keep her happy.

And here she is with one of her footballs, spot the hole!!!

Anyway, these are our muscovy ducks who have now taken to sitting on the fence by the house waiting for any treats to be given to them. These are all females, mum is closest to the camera and all the others are from the brood shown in this little video from June

The boys are all too lazy to fly up to the house and seem quite content to stay in the orchard all day as it catches the sun.

We also took delivery of a pair of himilayan monal pheasants today. The male is still very plain but his colours will change rapidly and they are one of the prettiest pheasants to be seen. The weather is a bit rubbish today so as soon as the skies brighten up a little I'll be out taking photos for you all to see. They have a massive enclosure and will join a female we already have so fingers crossed they'll settle in quite quickly.

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!