DOG, HORSE AND BIRD PAINTINGS IN OILS

I love dogs. If it were affordable, I would have lots of them. Photographing dogs can be tricky because they are like naughty children, determined to do the opposite of what you want. Painting dogs, however, is enjoyable because their expressions, personality and mannerisms tell a story about their individuality. And they come in so many sizes, colours, and furriness that the challenges to relish come thick and fast.

Horses have similar characteristics, though their expressions aren’t as varied as dogs. It is more about capturing their look and distinctive marks, such as a blaze. Body sculpture is also alluring and pleasurable to render, especially with oil paint.

I don’t paint birds very much, apart from when they find their way into my still life artworks or a commission arises. When I do it is usually creating the feather texture in paint that I’m most interested in. The ostrich painting shown below was certainly a challenge, not in terms of painting it, but because of the photography. I was warned against getting too close to the fence to snap a photo. It fell on deaf ears because the bird clonked me on the head with its beak, sending me to the floor dizzy. Lesson learned!