Pet Portraits!

This commission was completed without adequate photos and I had never met this beautiful girl! She has passed on and her family had many photos. However, the full face shots were overexposed with flash or taken as a young pup. I write this today to express my wish to others - get good photos of the ones you love. An artist's rendition gives a unique view unlike photography, but without the live model or good photos it becomes a challenge. Let me say I respect photography as art. It comes with it's own set of challenges. I respect photographers immensely.
As a matter of fact, photographing my work is a challenge. I had two adequate shots of this painting. One incorporated flash - it made my work look like a print, but was gorgeous to my eye. That said, I chose the photo taken without flash in natural light. Why? You ask. Because it more closely represented the painting. In it you can see the texture of the watercolor paper. All my runs and drips and blemishes are laid bare for the naked eye to judge. The integrity is there. I stand behind my work.
I can only hope my age progression technique does honor this lovely creature. She was described as mischievous, but sweet. I immediately tagged her as a "tomboy" and felt drawn to her spirit. I was considered a "tomboy" as a young girl. Sports, fishing and bike riding were a few of my greatest pleasures and I could hold my own with the "boys"!
Hope you are enjoying fall with its many pleasures.