Long Haired Chihuahua pet portrait sketch

5 X 7 Oil on Canvas board commissioned pet portrait STUDY
Contact artist for pricing for YOUR pooch!

I am NOT, repeat NOT a pet portrait artist. But I love cute doggies and this is one handsome little dog. I am having fun painting him, too.
Beth and Barbara visited me last week, and Barbara wants me to paint her beloved Napoleon, her long-haired chihuahua. She emailed me a couple photos and is sending me a CD of more so I can get to know him better. Meantime, I did this one this afternoon to get the "feel" of him. I have a notion that this dog never stops smiling....

Merideth and Garret came by yesterday and were entertained by the chickens, which is becoming a regular pastime around here. I now send visitors into the yard with a slice of stale bread and instructions to call out "chick, chick, chick" and just wait. All 25 of them come running. Some are bold and will eat from your hand, while others hang back and wait for you to toss them a morsel. Merideth managed to coax a couple pretty close and nabbed them - startling the bird and surprising Merideth with their strength and flapping ability.

There are 6 roosters in the bunch, and we are going to have to butcher at least 3 of them. This is not going to be a fun job, but it's one that has to be done. One rooster has a disjointed leg, so he will be the first. I do not think he is in pain, but the other roosters pick on him, knowing that he can't run very fast. There are also 2 barred rock roosters, and like I predicted, they are very aggressive and one is already chasing the dog, which is hysterical! He's doing a good job protecting his hens, but he doesn't know the difference between a good dog and the hand that feeds him (he's gone after me, too!). That leaves three - a speckled Sussex, a Delaware and a White Rock. All are fairly friendly and not yet fighting with one another, so they are secure in the flock - for now!
Jeremiah 5:3
O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Bluebonnet Longhorn Mama 9 - University of Texas mascot bevo

8 X 10 Oil on Canvas
SOLD Commission
send me an email for YOURS!

Years ago I swore I would not paint bluebonnets like every other Texas oil painter. However, they were so gorgeous last year, I couldn't resist - and of course I had to put a cow or horse in the painting. As a result I have sold nearly every one I have painted with requests for more standing in line.
This is my favorite of Ron's cows that roam our pasture outside my studio window. This cow has had 3 pretty babies and never needs help raising them. Her horns are formidable, too, and she knows how to use them.
The lady who commissioned this painting lives in Florida and WISHES she could live in Texas. Occasionally I find myself longing for the coast - my favorite vacations as a child were on the beach - but then I look out my window and wonder why I would ever want to leave. Doesn't make sense, does it?

Texas Summer Sunset 3

8 X 6 Oil on Board $99
Includes Shipping and Insurance in US

I don't have to travel anywhere to feast my eyes. Like Dorothy says "There's no place like home" and this view is right out my studio window...

I have received 2 commissions this week - and one of them is an 18 X 24 Texas sunset painting. I have nearly EVERY size stretcher bars in my storage, EXCEPT 18". So while I am waiting on them, I am painting small sunsets. When we get to Colorado, I'll do more with mountains in the background. But let's face it - the mountains DO get in the way sometimes! We are on the edge of "Hill Country" and so we get a clear, long distance vision of the horizon and appropriately spectacular views of sunsets and thunderstorms. Our front porch faces Northwest, too - perfect alignment to watch them roll in!

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $99 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $99 USD
Or, send me an email

Summer Siesta 2 - detailed

8 X 8 Oil on board $125
Includes shipping and insurance

I did this earlier with a lot more paint & less detail in anticipation of this more detailed version. I like both for different reasons...which is an analogy of why I own more than 1 horse. Each has his own purpose and joy. One is easy going, BIG, in the prime of life, never gets in a hurry, gets along with everyone, but doesn't know much (Easy). Another is older, very well trained, sometimes challenging, can go after a cow if needed and tolerates greenhorns taking a lesson on her (PJ). And the youngest (third) never gets upset about being taught new things, is totally fearless and never spooks, and is on the small side so grandchildren can get on her in the pasture (Dandy).

I guess there is a horse out there that can do and be everything - and if I had $20,000 I MIGHT be able to find it - though tall/short and young/experienced are hard to get in one package! Hence the need for three....

Dandy modeled for this portrait, but I painted her more of a Bay than the seal brown that she actually is.

Matthew 22:20-21 ²⁰and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"

²¹"Caesar's," they replied.
Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 8 in (20.3 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $125 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $125 USD
Or, send me an email

As Far As the Eye Can See

6 X 8 Oil on canvas
Available through benefit auction.

Save the Date!
Lake Granbury Art Association’s Fine Art Benefit Auction Saturday, September 18, 2010
Granbury Resort & Conference Center
Reception 5:30 – 6:30 pm; Auction 6:30 pm
All beautiful, original art by LGAA artists
Entertainment:
Granbury Saxophone Quartet
Cash Bar, Door Prizes, Admission Free
Great Raffle Items Including Rough Creek Lodge package
Proceeds for the renovation of Shanley House Center for the Arts
For details go to www.granburyartauction.com after August 1, 2010
Proverbs 6:5
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

nodp

Summer Siesta

7 X 7 Oil on board

SOLD to a collector in Alabama

Texas summer has started off blazing hot - impossible to ignore and complain about! It's only a matter of time before green turns to brown...

The garden is just about burned up. The few ears of corn that are left are buggy and hard, but the chickens still love 'em. When I turn the girls loose in the morning, it is my habit to pick over a row of the remaining corn stalks and pull and shuck a few ears for the birds to cluck over. It didn't take them long to fall into THAT habit! In fact they nearly lead ME to the corn now.

No one is laying yet - but my friend Sandy H. reports that HER birds have gifted her with eggs already. We are scratching our heads over why hers are and mine are not. Could be that her young birds are stimulated by the older birds in her flock (I have only young 'uns). Or it could be mine are laying in the yard since they are lose all day, and I just haven't found the eggs. I DO know where they spend the heat of the day, though, and a search of the area turns up no eggs. I have been told to place golf balls in the nest boxes...

Genesis 1:22
God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."

Media: oil
Size: 640 in X 8 in (1625.6 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $65 USD

This painting is SOLD

send me an email

Be Careful Where You Put Your Nose

8 X 6 Oil on Masonite $115
Includes Shipping and Insurance

The title of this little painting is good advice for all of us - don't you think?
I welcomed some out-of-town guests today. My studio door is almost always open, and today one of my collectors from Florida dropped in - with her Mom. Beth and Barbara are visiting relatives in Texas and thought while they were in the neighborhood, they'd drop in. Of course, within 200 miles means "in the neighborhood" if you are in Texas! I knew they were coming and warned them to get here early to try and beat the heat.
Beth had never been on a horse, so of course we had to do a riding lesson. She did great and took instruction well. Naturally Mom Barbara had to have a go, as well, and I was equally impressed with her daring! Happy 72nd Birthday, Barbara!
After filing them up with peach pie and homemade ice cream, I directed them to Granbury where Barbara was hoping she's find herself some cowboy boots.
These 2 were a delight to meet and I am hoping more of you stop by for a visit!
Matthew 25:36
I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Trail of Hope

16 X 20 Oil on canvas illustration for book cover
Commission SOLD to Texas novelist

Texas author, Dan Vanderburg, liked the first painting I did for him so well, that he came back for more and commissioned me to do this one. The working title is "Finding Rosie", but I suspect that may change.
The storyline is as follows: two white children are captured by Indians. The boy has a heartbreaking decision to make - escape, leaving his sister behind or remaining to face certain death. The tale is about his search for her.
I used my friend Tallen Halliday as the model for this painting (Tallen was quite convincing, both as a boy and as being very cold). The horse is my own PJ turned into a paint. I actually tied a leather strap to her lower jaw and we guided her around by it. She was great!
The buffalo robe I borrowed and eventually purchased (it is SOOOO soft!). I'll have to use it in another painting to justify the expense! We had enough snow in Texas this winter to give me a good feel for it - the large tree in the foreground stands in my back yard.
It was pointed out to me that this scene has to be in the afternoon, because of the shadow direction and the fact that the snow has to be on the north side of the tree's trunk. Details, details!
To purchase Dan's first book, A Legacy of Dreams, online (less than $20) go HERE. You can get it as an EBOOK or paperback. Great summer reading!
Contact me if you have a commission in mind...debbiegraysonlincoln@yahoo.com

Proverbs 16:30
A shifty eye betrays an evil intention; a clenched jaw signals trouble ahead.