Dogs vs. Pets
The dogs that I paint purely for my own enjoyment have a quality that's difficult to achieve when doing dogs-or other animals-for other people. With commissions I tend to tighten up. I want the dog to look like their pet. I have certain colors that I've been asked to incorporate. There is a size limitation. All of the sudden it becomes a challenge to be spontaneous. In the end I have a painting that the client is very happy with and that is, with commissions, the desired result. The above dogs were painted pretty quickly and done right after a few pet portraits. Needing to prove to myself again that I could do this stress-free and with some abandon, I am pretty happy with the way they turned out.