Thursday, January 19, 2012

Painting In Memory of a Yellow Labrador Rescue Dog

Jade's family adopted her as an adult from a rescue group despite knowing she had numerous health problems. They fell in love with her and gave her all the support she needed. As a memorial to her sweet spirit (and surprise birthday present her "Dad"), I was commissioned to paint this dog portrait.

This painting was a challenge because the reference photo was so small - her head was barely 1" square. She was a very light cream-colored yellow Lab with a full, thick coat; very overweight and sitting in the snow on a bright sunny day in the reference photo (hence her eyes half closed). When I enlarged it the whole thing turned into a white blob. It was hard to find her in there! But it was her family's favorite photo, so how could I refuse? It took a little longer than some, but I am pleased with the end result. More importantly, her family is thrilled. It was my honor to preserve her image for them.

If you would like to commission a dog portrait painting of your own, please visit my OtterTail Lab Art Portrait page for basic information and contact me for details.