"Olive and Friend"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel 8" x 8"

Have you ever wondered why some words are invariably coupled with a particular qualifying adjective? For instance, have you ever heard pride described as anything but foolish? It's always "foolish pride." Olive drab is another. Why are olives drab, I ask you? I painted this painting of Anne Stark's Whippet, Olive, to prove not only is this Olive not drab, but she is quite vibrant. Well OK, perhaps her companion is the vibrant one but I say guilt by association. All that pink reflects well on her.

"Champion Piper's Roman Gladiator"

Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”

I deleted this by mistake so I am posting it again.  Be sure to look down for todays painting which is underneath this one.  It's a shame I lost this to cyberspace, there were some very lovely comments attached that I will miss.  BTW - this is another of Anne Stark's dogs.   You can find them at: www.piperspuppies4u.com

"Whippet Portrait"

Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”

I used Will as a model a few months ago and I was fascinated by the variety of hues in his fur. The subtle pinks and blues in the shadows begged for more exploration.  Also, the other piece was painted on linen mounted on a birch-wood panel.  While I enjoyed that painting, the use of gessobord allowed the brushwork to be more pronounced.  Tightening up the composition also changed the attitude of the painting by focusing on his lovely profile instead of his long, slender legs.  I'm not sure which I prefer.  To help you decide for yourself, here is a link to the May 2008 iteration of Piper's Will Power.

Will (a.k.a Ch. Piper's Will Power) and his progeny and canine cohorts can be seen at www.piperspuppies4u.com

"Let sleeping dogs lie"

Oil on linen mounted on birch wood panel - 8” x 10”

What is it about a patch of sunlight that draws an animal to it like moths to a flame? My cats JJ and Anna live for these hot spots. On any sunny morning, the competition to see who gets to sit in the chair by the east window in the kitchen begins, each cat vying for that precious patch of solar real estate.  My studio faces due north, so there is no direct sunlight, much to their dismay. When we were looking to buy our first house years ago, the realtor would remark about the wonderful sunlit room that would make the perfect studio. Perfect for getting a tan, perhaps. The reason north light is great for painting is that it is cool, constant and indirect. That beacon of bright sunlight is not a welcome guest in the studio, reflecting its warmth off the oak floor and onto my canvas. My studio has two huge north facing windows and skylights which are a wonderful source of illumination. However, two oval windows, high on the east and west walls, alert me to brave Helios' presence. The west window I can easily close off by going into the loft and covering it with a makeshift cardboard disk. The East window is more of a challenge. Closing this aperture requires a long telescoping pole and some dexterity to place the disk just right. 

The Wiktionary (sorry Daniel Webster) describes the expression "Let sleeping dogs lie" as thus - To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past. - Eventually, they decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss the matter any further.  I have found this to be sound advice in matters domestique.

These sleepy-heads belong to my friend Anne. In case you are interested, she tells me she has two new litters waiting in the wings.  You can see them at:  www.piperspuppies4u.com

"Whippet with Paperwhite Narcissus"

Oil on linen mounted on birch wood panel - 6” x 8”

I'm not sure why but this piece reminds me of something Gauguin might have painted. Perhaps it is the flat simplicity of the composition. Or perhaps that Tahitian pink at the bottom right. The visual repetition of Olive's spots in the flower pot is fun too. Her gaze is one of introspection, as if she is contemplating her own elegance and beauty.

"Olive"

Oil on linen mounted on birch wood panel - 6” x 8”

It may seem like I'm in a rut since I've been back in the studio - dog then seafood - seafood then dog. Fear not! I have no intention to paint crustaceans, mollusks, bivalves or any other sea creatures tomorrow. Of course I never plan these things. "What, never?" Well...hardly ever. Some days I wake up and everything is potential fodder for the daily paintings. I have a hundred compositions waiting in the wings. (Oh dear God, not another theatre metaphor) Other days those same images seem flat. (Here we go again with the self-doubt bull shit) I may have to paint dear little Anna, who is currently nestled in my lap, causing me to type with one hand. She looks like a furry Queen Elizabeth in her blue collar - very regal. We shall see. Tomorrow is another day.

"Pipers Will Power"

Oil on linen mounted on birch wood panel - 6" x 8"

Devo was playing in my head while I painted this piece - whippet, whippet good. Commissioned by his owner, the painting has more color than this reproduction indicates. That mushy orange color is actually a rich, cadmium red / rose madder, later toned down via a glaze to a rich mahogany. The warm creams, bright whites and subtle hints of pink and blue got lost in the translation. Oh well - it happens.