Pet Portrait Commission

Sammy
© 2013 Claudia Ballard
8x10 on canvas panel
Private Collection

I just finished this 8 x 10 commission of a lab retriever named Sammy, who LOVES leopard.  She is a grand old lady of 15, but she still knows how to party...especially in the swimming pool!  Will let this dry today and then varnish and deliver to her owners.  Really makes me feel good to paint such a beautiful pup, knowing how much her family will enjoy it. 

Bonnie and Big Bird

Evening Deer

©2012 Claudia Ballard

Matted to 8x10 acrylic on Arches WC paper

Dark wood frame under glass

One day last week I heard my husband calling me softly to come to the back door.   He had heard a ruckus in the backyard from our usually quiet cocker.  A small flock of wild turkeys had wandered through the yard and Bonnie did not know quite what to make of such big birds.  Apparently she charged the fence and the gobbler turned on her, ruffling his feathers, and charged back.  Totally taken aback for a bird to behave that way towards her, the bird dog, she retreated. 

The gobbler was shielding his flock by staying between us and the hens while they made their way into the woods on the edge of our property.  Bonnie studied this some more and rushed the fence and gave one small bark, just to let him know this was her yard after all.  Once the hens had slipped into the cover of the undergrowth, the gobbler too disappeared into the woods and they vanished.

When we first lived here, before development around us, we would see huge flocks of turkeys on a regular basis, pecking their way through the tall Bahia grass and snacking on the acorns under the large oaks.  It was a grand sight!

Squirrels Are For Chasing

Out On A Limb
c. 2012 Claudia Ballard
5 x 7 acrylic on canvas panel

Apologies for having been missing in action so long.  I had a serious skin infection that landed me in the hospital for a bit.  But I am on the mend and loaded up with antibiotics for quite some time to come. Hurray!  It is good to be back home and back in my studio.

Of all the dogs I have known, only a couple of small poodles were not inclined to chase squirrels.  Sam, our “granddog” golden retriever, spent hours slowly stalking them...like they could not see his 96-pound frame approaching.  They would taunt him by waiting until the last second to scamper up a tree.  Sam would try to follow them up the tree, jumping wildly in a futile effort to get them to come back down.  He gave a few of the squirrels a near heart attack as his tactics improved.  ;-) 

On the farm we had a beagle named Barney…scrappy and fearless.  His hunting partner, Shelly, was a shaggy, white female, a wild dog who was adopted as a puppy and tamed (sort of).  She had good instincts for hunting.  They would each chase the same squirrel, working together, one straight on and one sneaking around the house to come up behind it.  The squirrels still usually won.    I think the real fun for them was in the chase.  Goodness knows it provided lots of entertainment for us watching them.

 

 

 

Sam's Story...The Beginning



Golden Smile
c. 2012 Claudia Ballard
12 x 16 acrylic on masonite panel

Well, this is not really him, but sure does resemble him.  I will do another painting one day of the real thing.  He was an awkward and lanky golden retriever pup that arrived at our neighbors´ home and quickly tried to climb their picnic table, but his wobbly legs would not cooperate with the rest of his fast-growing body.  He discovered we were home a lot more than his owners and spent the day camped out on our porch or following us around the yard.  Sam was quickly adopted as our “granddog”.  He grew up to be a strapping 96-pound lapdog!   He was exceptionally smart and talented (as any grandmother would tell you) and was always into something that made us laugh. 

Watch for more stories about Sam and the other dogs we have known coming soon.

 

As you will see, I am retooling my blog to reflect my new focus on animal art…specifically pet portraits.  Please see my pet portrait page here, if you would like more information on a custom portrait as a gift for a loved one or yourself.