New Dog Portrait! Gypsy the Chihuahua

 

Painted this for my girlfiend's birthday.  She loves her little mutt so she was ecstatic to see this.  I used pen and ink for some of the details.  I've come to the conclusion that pen and ink on top of watercolor is the way to go.  I'm starting to go with what looks good, not what is expected or considered normal.  I don't see anything wrong with mixing media as long as the outcome is what you're looking for.  Even thinking of trying watercolors with colored pencils and pen and ink.  

 

 

Plein-air in Cyprus

Had a full day at the beach with no schedule so I took the oppurtunity to try my luck at painting outside for the first time.  I really enjoyed being able to paint between swim breaks.  I found that painting outdside was a bigger challenge than I thought.  I also felt like I was taking in a lot more information than just looking at a photo provides.  This statement seems obvious but I think it's interesting because I think a plein-air painting is capable of capturing the feeling of the moment rather than just a replica of what someone's eyes witnessed.  You get the other senses involved too.