Stella

"Stella" was painted in oil on a 9x12 panel.

Stella was a lovely hunting dog owned by good friends of mine in Calgary, Alberta. Sadly she is no longer with us, but it was my pleasure to paint this portrait as a tribute to such a gentle, sweet dog. This painting is based on a photo I had taken of Stella in my friends' family room, as she was relaxing in a spot of sun on the floor. She looked so peaceful and gentle, which is what I was hoping to capture in her portrait.

I followed my usual process of blocking in the main shapes monochromatically (in order to make sure the value structure was correct), and then added colour working dark to light. I paid special attention to the eyes, which show her gentleness.