Dog #2 - his favorite bowl

Beginning October 1st, SMAL (St Michaels Art League) will be hanging another exhibit in the gallery at our local library. We have 4-5 exhibits a year and try to make them interesting by using various themes. (Our last one was in July - "Red, White and Blue" - see blog of June 16, 2013)

This exhibit's theme is "Water, Water Everywhere." Yes, we live in an area where everyone is probably within 5 minutes of the Chesapeake Bay and/or one of its tributaries. There is indeed water, water everywhere! But, the suggestion in the exhibit write up was to be challenged by this theme and come up with some different ideas.  Suggestions were: someone jogging carrying a water bottle, a rainy day, children playing near a fountain or a dog lapping water from his favorite bowl.

Well, now that I knew I could paint a dog, this seemed the way to go - a dog drinking from his favorite bowl.

One of the art challenges I am working on is the combing of two (or more) pictures into one painting. It can be tricky to get the perspective, light and values correct so that it looks like it is really one picture - not several pasted toegther. I knew what I wanted to do for this dog painting . . .could it come together?

We all know what a dog's favorite bowl looks like, right? So, I am running around the house taking pictures of our toilets from many different angles - yes, and laughing at myself! Then I am looking at all the pictures on my computer and printing them out to see which ones will work with the dog picture. Don't you know I am also thinking, "What if I die right now before I have painted the picture and someone goes through my picture file and sees all those toilet pictures?"  Well, let's not go there!

My initial sketch wasn't right, but several sketches later I think I got it and began my painting.  A bit of tweaking here and there and voila . . .

"It's gotta be 5 o'clock somewhere"   9x12 pastel   $150 SOLD

Yeah, I know, it's probably NOT a painting you want hanging over your mantle, but it's fun and silly. Be sure to read the title.  Let's face it, it's bathroom art. You could hang it over your commode!

There is a reception for this exhibit at the St Michaels Library on Thursday, October 3rd at 5:30pm. Come and see what all the artists have done with this theme!