Chatty

I love a custom touch a portrait. I also love the use of symbols in art. Everyone has their sentimental symbol. For this portrait it was bleeding hearts. The family loved this flower because when hearts are broken they may bleed but they are still beautiful. These flowers tend to grow in abundance and that is what love is. Abundance.

My customer is the young girl in the photo. Her name is Bonnie and she is so much more than a customer to me she is my friend. This portrait she commissioned was an "in memory of" for her childhood pup and a gift for her Mother. 

Chatty was an energetic sweetie and companion. She had no regard for her size. A lot of chihuahuas don't but she loved her family so much bigger than herself. She also chose her family. Bonnie's mother was to pick up a different puppy altogther the day Chatty came home. This little girl was jumping to her "chattering" and doing whatever she could to get her attention. Hence her name, Chatty. 

I cropped the photo to get the best composition reference to incorporate flowers. The lighting was great in this photo! I didn't have any trouble with values. 

This sketch was a lot of fun. I love a change in pace every once in awhile. I usually do a bright color wash background. This portrait was an 8x10 which involves a bit more color pencil work that usual to keep lines defined. 

This is AH-Mazin'! I used up an entire white color pencil. I honestly tend to lose pencils before I acually finish them off. I use white color pencils the most because they art like a blender. they can soften a color and smooth a pastel streak. 

"Chatty" 8x10 Original oil pastel and color pencil portrait

The details.

That face! Sweetie.

She just pops up in the foliage all pretty. 

I adored this piece. The illustrative quality of this dog's story was the very reason I love working pets. I also love story illustrations with oil pastel and color pencil too. I hope to have more of it in the future. Thank you, Bonnie, for letting me honor your fur family's memory.