Balancing Caregiving, Family, and Art
“The Hummingbird brings the gift of joy. Learn to laugh and be happy.” – Anonymous
A portrait of a client's outdoor pet: a little bird that returns each year. Last fall it hovered at her window before flying south, as if to say, "Farewell, see you next year!
Shout out to my friends at The Art Works Frame Shop and Gallery in South Burlington, Vermont. The frame really brings out the painting!
Hello friends and fellow pet lovers,
I hope you are all enjoying your summer and finding time to spend with your family and pets. I thought I’d begin with a burst of summer with the sweet little Ruby-throated Hummingbird I painted a few months ago. I always enjoy the chance to paint different animals!
In my little world, I continue to balance several meaningful roles: full-time caregiver for my husband, who has ALS; mother of four grown children; and pet portrait artist. I am also caring for our two senior red toy poodles, Dani and Rosie (below), as they move through various health and age-related challenges. Some days are full, and some days are difficult, but my easel remains a place where I can breathe.
Although I don’t make it to my studio every day, when I do sit down to paint, I can feel the stress begin to quiet. Focusing on color, light, shape, and expression gives my mind somewhere peaceful to go. I love relaxing at my easel and simply painting. Creating art continues to be one of the ways I care for myself while also honoring the animals and people who inspire my work.
I hope you can find those places in your life where you can find peace and tranquility.
Our Dani & Rosie are sisters from the same litter. They turned 14 this past March - (Shown before their haircuts!)
June Studio Highlights:
Marley & Simon 16x20 Oil on Panel
This June I finished a large oil painting of two dogs for a returning client. I’ve painted both of these dogs individually in pastel, but this time their owner/guardian was looking for a larger painting of them together. Oil paintings take considerably longer to paint than pastels due to their drying time, but after a month of working on it, It was finally ready for varnish!
I have an interesting video on how I varnish my paintings HERE!
I also finished “Jancy,” a light grey Miniature Schnauzer. His snazzy bow and turquoise halter made this portrait so fun! Let’s not forget that handsome smile!
Featured Pet Portrait of the Month
This month’s featured pets are “Mimi & Meisha”
A very happy birthday to Mimi (the dog), who just celebrated her sixteenth birthday! Her favorite hobbies are sleeping, eating treats, and sniffing around at the park.
Meisha (the cat) was a stray from Tennessee before ending up in Vermont. She is the sweetest little cat and is very vocal. She loves to be the welcome wagon when people come to visit her family’s home.
I used two separate photos to put this portrait together into one finished piece. This can be a little tricky when the animals are photographed in different lighting or from different angles. After some rough drafts and working back and forth with the client, we found a pose where the two pets fit together nicely and in a way that feels natural and balanced.
Below are the photographs that I worked from:
Gratitude
Thank you, as always, for following along and supporting my art. Pet portraits continue to be at the heart of my work, and I’m looking forward to creating meaningful pieces that celebrate the personality, warmth, and companionship our animals bring into our lives.
If you’ve been thinking about having your pet’s portrait painted, I’d love to hear from you. You can also place an order here!
Thinking ahead - orders for Christmas fill up amazingly fast and time will be needed for planning and painting!
Wishing you a safe and joyful July 4th with plenty of time to enjoy the ones you love—two-legged and four-legged alike. I hope you can find peaceful moments in your life to wind down and enjoy each day.
With much love and gratitude,
Kim
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