Miss Emmy

Meet Emmy...she is a cockapoo and she likes walks in the park, car rides and she will work for treats...Is there anything more joyful than a dog who has his/her head hanging out of the car window? We could all learn a lot from dogs about finding joy in the simple things in life...They have it down to an art form. I hope little Emmy brings a smile to your face today...

Ollie

This is a new portrait of Ollie the Schnauzer...What a handsome boy he is! I have had a really busy week here so I have not been posting as often as I would like...sorry. I have two different groups of friends visiting and I have been spending my time with them catching up and eating far too much food. Whenever we have company in town it seems to turn into a never ending food fest...why is that? I am going to have to do some serious dieting after this week and to be honest, the idea of another big meal leaves me cringing. It is time to step away from the table or at the very least, order a salad...

I also went on the local garden tour here this week and I have to say I love going through other peoples homes and seeing how they decorate, live, etc. It is always inspiring to me because I am not very talented in the home decorating department. I did not get that gene or the gardening gene...The theme of the tour this year was historic beach cottages and they were so quaint and homey. My favorite belonged to an artist of course whose eye for detail was amazing. She had this subtle wave theme that went through the entire house. The walls would have a curve to them or the railing on the steps had slats that were not straight, but slightly curved...The art was amazing and the colors in the home were sooo soothing. I would move in tommorrow if I could. I wish I could share photos but that was not allowed...I guess that is all for now. I hope you all have a nice weekend!

New Photobook Arrived today....

Jamie over at Cowbelly Pet Photography told me I had to try out this book...I have been using Asuka books (which I love) but the turn around for the photobook is one week compared to four and the price is even a little bit better. The look is totally different than the Asuka...The photobook has really thick pages, kind of like a board book, and the pages are super glossy. I wasn't sure how I was going to like the glossy finish but I have to say it really is a stunning book...The colors are really saturated and the feel of the book is nice and heavy. It's build is more like a wedding album I think and it makes a big impression. I plan on adding these to my current line up of photo related products and look forward to offering them to my clients...I think they will be very pleased! Thanks Jamie for the heads up...Here is a sample I did for Clancy...sorry the photos are not better (shame on me) but I was so excited to post, I couldn't wait...I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Thank You Linda!

I received the most wonderful, heart felt gift the other day from my dear friend Linda O'Neil over at Abby Creek Art...She took a photo of my dog Clancy who recently passed away and made me this beautiful collage. The photo does not do it justice..the colors and textures are so rich and it captures his spirit in a way I will cherish for a lifetime...Thank you Linda...

Here is a recent commission I did of a Shitzu named Rhett. His owner wanted him posed in front of the cherry tree in their front yard and after he held him in the air for me, I got this shot and turned it into a painting...How sweet is that face? I love spring and all of the wonderful flowers and trees in bloom. It always chases away those winter "blahs" and makes me want to get outside and enjoy the day instead of staying holed up in front of my computer all the time...It is supposed to be 70 degrees here today...YAY!

Benny

Here is a recent digital pet portrait I did of a clients dog named Benny...he is too freakin' cute with a face only a Mama could love...he is a big, goofy, slobbery mess and bad to the bone. I am sorry I have not posted a whole lot of art lately...after being out of town and then being sick I have kind of been out of the loop. I will probably have to bore you with a few more Costa Rica photos but after that, back to my regular stuff...Have a great weekend!

Costa Rica...the rafting incident....

While we were in Costa Rica, we decided to go white water rafting again since we enjoyed it so much this past summer...We had a great time even though I am convinced we had the Kamikaze raft guide from hell...he was really sweet and knowledgeable but a bit reckless when it came to the actual rafting part of things. Long story short, he pitched me from the raft while going down the largest Class 3 rapid of the trip by going over the rapid sideways...of course it was all caught on camera for your enjoyment...I was scared to death at first because I thought the whole raft had tipped and my nine year old was in the water as well...when I came up the first time and saw that she was still in the boat I felt 100% better until I started slamming into all the submerged rocks as I was sucked down stream. OMG, I am too old for that kind of abuse....every rock I hit, I was thinking "that's gonna leave a mark". By the time I landed in calmer water and was hauled back into the boat my knee was bruised and bleeding, my back was killing me and every other body part was wondering WTF? I can only equate it to a human version of a rock tumbler...Anyhow...I got back in the boat and had a great time for the rest of the trip, even though I was wondering what this madman was going to do next....he decided going down one of the rapids backwards and slamming us into a wall at the bottom would be fun and then doing the "washing machine" down another which basically spins the boat in circles while going down the rapid and into another wall...I think we are lucky to have survived Vladimir the raft guide. With all it's ups and downs (ha ha) it was a beautiful river and we saw wild Toucans and many other animals..the rapids themselves were really fun besides the almost drowning part...I would totally do it again, just not with Vlad...

Everything is going along fine here...

Then the swan dive...I give myself a "3" for style, form & grace

My sweet husband trying to save me while holding onto the child...impressive...

All I see is that really big rock and I am heading straight for it...ouch

Safe at last....Thanks Hansel!

This is Vladimir one on the rapids, just having "fun"...he was insane....

Caroline having fun at the end after she realised I wasn't going to drown...I will post more photos later when I get a chance...Have a great day! (P.S. - disregard my copyright on these photos, obviously, I wasn't taking these pictures...the photographer was from Hacienda Pozo Azul Rafting Company...like any good photographer he got the money shots!)

Back from Costa Rica....

Sorry I have not posted in awhile...I needed a little break after a difficult month and we also took a trip to Costa Rica to visit my best friend who recently moved there. We had a really wonderful trip and I have a bunch of pictures to share with you of this beautiful country. The motto there is "Pura Vida" which translates into "pure life" and that is how the people there try to live. Costa Ricans are really warm and friendly and go out of their way to make you feel welcome in their country. We spent the first half of our vacation just outside of Jaco at Hermosa Beach with our friends the Dolsey's. Hermosa is a popular surfing beach and has a very laid back feel to it. The waves were huge, the black sand beach was beautiful and I met the coolest dog in the world there...her name was Buddy Girl. She was the ultimate beach dog who spent her days walking the beach, playing in the ocean, hanging out with her other dog friends and entertaining herself with coconut husks for hours at a time. She came along at a time when I needed a sweet dog to ease my own aching heart...Here are some photos of her and Hermosa Beach...

You can really get used to this kind of lifestyle...I didn't have a clue as to what else was happening in the world and I have to say it was nice for a change...just to unplug. I will post more photos tommorrow...Pura Vida!