Well, I finally got “painting our three doodles” out of my system, with last, but not least, Katy, our almost 5 year old goldendoodle.
I have to admit, I absolutely love painting all animals, but have a special bond with painting dogs. I love who they are and how each breed has a particular trait that no other has. For example: Katy is a Goldendoodle. She has the brilliance and grace of a Standard Poodle and the unabashed loyalty of a Golden Retriever, making an exceptional “designer” pup. I think I could have a dozen or so of these wonderful pups. Katy has such an outgoing, affable personality. She is so affectionate (loves to sit on our laps or lie down across us), very cheerful, gentle and can use telepathy to let us know she wants a cookie (the stare) or cocking her head to the side before she announces she would like breakfast or dinner, or a ride in the car, and oh yes, a walk, where she dances with the leash in her mouth.
I love Katy’s soft, silky tight curls. She has the most beautiful apricot coloring around her muzzle, eyes, ears and the tip of her tail. Her body is mostly cream, but seems to be getting a little more apricot as she puts the weeks, months, and now 5 years behind her.
Katy came to us by way of another family deciding a dog was not a good addition to their family of 3 people. Actually, the parents were clueless about dogs, but thought their little girl of age 3, needed a puppy. Katy lived with her family for 1 year before she stole the little girl’s mac n’ cheese and wouldn’t give it back. So, the parents decided to rehome this lovely girl, and we were the lottery winners. Katy (name she came with was hideous, I can’t repeat it) she became katy and it fits like a glove. She had been crated 12 to 13 hours a day and was about 15 lbs. or so underweight. She resembled a curly haired greyhound if a greyhound had curly locks.
Katy always lays down on one of our ortho dog beds like the regal pup that she is. But, oftentimes, she loves to sleep upside down on anything that will support her 78 lb frame. She usually surrounds herself with stuffed toys and balls. She is quite the ball aficionado though. The ball in the painting is red and purple and is quite soft. She loves mouthing the wooly surface and turning it over and over until she decides to give it to one of us to throw to her. I think she likes it because we can throw it to her and she will catch it in mid-air. After she has caught it, she prances around like she owns her space, until she decides to share it again with her adoring “parents” to continue to throw it until she tires of it and then trades it in on a stuffed animal, like the gray and pink possum in the painting, that has an awesome squeak. She never seems to tire of squeaking her pretend friends. We love the way she goes to one of the three large baskets of toys that are placed throughout the house, browsing through, pulling them out one at a time until she locks on to a stuffed animal that she thinks she can’t live without. Unfortunately, we did not teach her to put toys back into the baskets.
The most beautiful gift in the world about painting, is about capturing that split moment of connection that you just want to share with the viewer. Just like music washes the dust from the soul, I think paintings do the same thing. It is always an ‘ah ha’ moment for me when, at the split second in time, the subject I am painting is captured on canvas and leaves its sound in the air.
