"Bane"

Bane
11"x 14"
oil
NFS

A client asked me to do this portrait for her son and daughter-in-law for Christmas. I had the son tell me about Bane:

"We spontaneously bought him the day we mentioned the idea of getting a puppy. I spent the entire day at work calling breeders. We drove to Sheridan to see the last boy of a litter - he was the only one lazily sleeping in the back of the pen. We brought him back to our apartment which he quickly outgrew. We moved into a house so he could have a yard. My mom - a known animal hater - even fell in love with his kind gentle demeanor. He fit right in with our family because he is abnormally large for his breed - a gentle giant (our family is full of large people). We love him very much - he is our "practice baby" - and all the vets bills, early morning potty breaks, and chewed up clothes, are worth dealing with to come home at the end of the day to someone who loves you more than anything in the world. He is pretty much our main source of joy on a daily basis. It's fun watching him grow, play and learn! -he's the smartest boy. Bane won't live much longer than a decade - but Annie's painting will be with us forever. She truly captured his personality in a frame. 

Thanks for making our Christmas."

That is one thing I enjoy about my drawing or painting - the chance to make something that will be special, significant, important to whomever for years to come!

Listening to while I paint:

Audio Books:

"Love Does" by Bob Goff

Podcasts: 

Food is the New Rock, hosted by Zach Brooks
The Lede, hosted by Jerod Morris
Artists Helping Artists, hosted by Leslie Saeta
Social Media Examiner, hosted by Michael Stelzner
"Wait, Wait.... Don't Tell Me!", hosted by Peter Sagal
Splendid Table, hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
American's Test Kitchen, hosted by Christopher Kimball

Music: 
My iPod

Really helpful!:
I am continually checking a dictionary, thesaurus, spell check, but one thing that has been particularly helpful is the grammar check. Please excuse any errors that I make and tell me! :)

Stroke Update - "Not Leaving"

Rose Bush
11"x 14"
acrylic on gessoboard
$375
Click here to purchase

"The Book Thief", an audio book by Markus Zusak, takes place in the fictional town of Molching, Germany between 1939 and 1943. Often, a little girl in that town had nightmares and her Poppa, would come to her in the middle of the night and "not leave" her alone.....

A quote from the book:

                "A definition not found in the dictionary, 'not leaving'; an act of trust and love often deciphered by children."

I cried when I first heard this because, ever since my stroke, I've had to depend on people "not leaving" me. Everything I do, driving, walking and especially my one armed reverse double flip hand springs (just kidding!), requires having them near me.   

There have been many people in my life who are "not leaving": acquaintances, friends, 

but most of all my family. :)

Listening to while I paint:

Audiobook: The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, read by the author

Podcasts: The Nerdist, by Chris Hardwick

                 Social Media Examiner, by Michael Stelzner

              Artist Helping Artist, by Leslie Saeta

                 Oh So Pinteresting, hosted by Cynthia Sanchez

Music: my iPod