Day 27 - Rosie

 I have been appreciatively flush with commissions this month and this is one of the latest. This little lady is named Rosie and she and her dog mom Lauren have a special bond. Lauren asked if I could include a flower crown using the same flowers and greenery that were in her bridal hair piece.. such a great idea! One of my favorite features of this sweetie are her big brown eyes and intelligent gaze... yet another wonderful dog I had the honor of painting!

Rosie, Oil, 8"x8", sold commission

3 more days left to commission me to paint your fur baby 
and be guaranteed by Christmas... Contact me here

Day 22 - Kensington Porter

 More familiarly known as "Kenny", this longhaired dachshund is the latest commission in my Barktober line-up.  His mom found my artwork in Godfrey's, Welcome to Dogdom in Mohnton, PA (a wonderful all-things-canine mecca) and contacted me to paint this sweetie.  I am always honored to paint other people's beloved pets, and equally happy to do it because dogs and cats are generally a lot of fun to paint.  I feel sometimes as if I kind of get to know them by spending a few hours so near them.  :) I loved Kenny's tri-colored coat and soulful eyes.. Black fur is especially fun to paint because there is always unexpected hidden color.

There are still 9 days left in Barktober to commission me to paint your sweetie :) More information is below and you can contact me by clicking here. Thank you!

Kenny, 8"x8", oil on cradled panel, Sold

Day 11- Feeling Mello

 Today's painting was commissioned by a very sweet woman who is additionally a devout dog lover.  She has had me paint several of her furry friends and this painting will be given as a gift to her Aunt and Uncle who own this handsome pup, Mello.  My patron found out that Mello is sick and he may not have long to live so she wanted to give her Aunt and Uncle something to remember Mello by.  I do so appreciate that people come to me to paint such special paintings and it is not lost on me how important their pets are to them.  The loss of a beloved pet is one of the hardest things to bear and I can't tell you how honored I am to create a portrait for people who are grieving so.  In any painting I create of a beloved pet I make a conscious effort to open my heart and pour love and care into the animal's expression and spirit within the painting.  With commemorative paintings like these, every brushstroke is that much more special.  Here is to Mello. While he is still with us on this earth, I do wish for him happiness, treats and many, many scratches and hugs.

"Mello", oil on cradled panel, 10"x10"

Sold

To commission me to paint your furry best friend, please contact me here. 

I am offering discounts on all of my commissions through the end of October.

Day 13 of the 30 in 30 - Little Buddy

3rd in my mini-series of retrievers, I of course had to paint a chocolate lab. :)  I've only met a handful of chocolate labs in my life, but all have been so gentle with such kind personalities.  This guy looks like he too is filled with love and ready to be someone's little buddy, so, naturally, that is the title of this painting.  His eyes say it all!

Dogs can be our best friend, our therapies, our medicine, our heart. They are angels sent to help us through life.  They are teachers sent to help us learn unconditional love and compassion.  They are companions sent to help us learn to love. <3

Little Buddy, 7"x7", oil, click here to purchase

Day 11 of the 30 in 30 - Golden Through and Through

A smiling dog is one of the sweetest sights to see... :)

I have heard that Golden retrievers are some of the most friendly, steadfast and loyal dogs you will ever have the pleasure of knowing.  I've met many a Golden in my life and not one of them has yet to show me any different.  This guy seems like he fits that description, doesn't he? I also love that the retriever breed can have beautiful long golden coats, shorter yellow, brown or black coats... Such beautiful, rich colors and so much fun to paint.  A few years back, I painted a trio of retrievers, all of which have found forever homes :)  I decided it was time to revisit this special breed again..this time with hats.. :) Look out in the coming days for a few other variations on this theme and thank you!

Golden Through and Through, 7"x7", oil, to purchase click here

Hanging artwork in restaurants

You may have noticed a trend with fine dining establishments reserving display space for original fine art, usually by local artists.  When I first started painting, there were two modes of thought on this... Some artists felt that hanging your artwork in a restaurant was undesirable and was simply decorating another's space... for free! I was advised by some to not hang my art in restaurants... But, since I have been painting, I have had my artwork in many, many restaurants.  And it has almost always been a win-win situation.  If you are an artist and are thinking about hanging your work in a restaurant, here are a few pointers... Most importantly, make sure that certain things are agreed upon up front... The restaurant should always give you permission to have your work for sale and you should always be able to display label information with your artwork so patrons know your work is for sale. Along with your artwork, hang an artist statement with your contact info, website and social media links.  Make sure there is decent lighting and if the space has a hanging system in place, bonus! If not, make sure the owners are ok with you moving hangers if you need to. Determine the percentage the restaurant is taking (if any... some don't take a percentage!) and determine who will handle the sale, should someone want to purchase a piece.  Also, it doesn't hurt to have the staff on board and knowledgeable about your work so they can talk about it positively when you are not there, so you might want to leave a little info sheet for them to get acquainted with you..  I have had a lot of success hanging in alternative venues like this and would encourage any artist looking to put their eggs in more than one basket to give it a shot.

Take More Chances, Dance More Dances, oil, 8"x8"
Will be available at one of the 2 venues mentioned....

So, point of story....  I will be hanging my work in 2 beautiful restaurants on Monday! -  Say Cheese in West Reading and the Soltane Cafe in Phoenixville.  My gallery, Art Plus, has had a relationship with Say Cheese for some time and we hang our member's work there all the time. It is a wonderful restaurant and has a great gallery space towards the back of the restaurant where they even installed a hanging and lighting system to make it easier to hang your work! Things have been so successful, the owners are looking to expand the hanging space into the front of the restaurant. Very cool!  I have never hung in the Soltane Cafe before, but am so looking forward to getting my feet wet in the Phoenixville scene, and the manager, Emma Peabody is a total sweetheart. 

As you may have imagined, the past few weeks have been jam packed for me with preparing new work for these two shows.  I've painted 14 new paintings (which I can't even believe...) and am in the process of finishing frames.  The weekend will be spent deciding which work goes where, printing labels and putting the finishing touches on everything.  :) Life is good... 

Check out the details of both shows below, and happy Friday!

Day 25 of the 30 in 30 - "A Good Attitude"

Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while you wait.  This golden Labrador retriever is definitely practicing patience... Just don't ask how I got her to pose long enough to paint this picture... All I can say is that some dogs have patience in spades...  :)
For purchasing details, please click on the link under the picture.

A Good Attitude, oil, 8"x8", to purchase click here

Day 17 of the 30 in 30 - "Chihuahua de pato afortunado"

"The Lucky Chihuahua (With Duck)"
I decided I needed to switch things up today and paint a whimsical doggy with a duck on his head... I've been painting a variety of birds lately and I just needed something different. :)
Today's painting reminds me of St. Patty's for some reason. Sometimes you get lucky... I'm feeling lucky for a lot of reasons lately, and the fact that March, the luckiest month of the year, is right around the corner doesn't hurt matters. :) 

This Chihuahua is feeling pretty lucky, and I don't know why.  But he seems to know something about the little ducky on his head that maybe we don't... And that green tie!  Love it!

Chihuahua de Pato Afortunado, oil,m 6"X6", to purchase click here

Day 3 of the 30 in 30 - "Eagle Beagle"

Today's painting is dedicated to those underdogs, the Philadelphia Eagles!  I am rooting for them and can't wait to see them kick some big time butt!  Since I paint dogs, I couldn't resist painting this one today, and hope it brings a little luck to the Birds!  Fly Eagles, Fly!  This painting IS for sale.  If you would like to purchase please visit my Daily Paintworks in the link below Eagle Beagle. :)

"Eagle Beagle", oil on panel, 6"x6". click here to purchase

Labradors and Turtle Doves

Tis the season for Peace, Love and Labradors... <3 :) Since Labs conveniently come in 3 main colors, it was an easy decision to make a triptych, or more accurately, a series of 3 of Labs and Turtle doves.. A yellow lab, black lab and a chocolate lab. Equally easy is painting these fellas as they are so happy and cute, it makes every brush stroke pure joy to paint. :)

Yellow Lab & Turtle Dove, on hold

Black Lab & Turtle Dove, on hold

Chocolate Lab coming soon!

Day 7 of the 30 in 30 - Happy Birthday!

Today is my birthday, so I wanted to paint the cuteness.... Of course, chocolate labs are adorable, and lop eared bunnies may be cuter.  And the icing on my cake is the little bluebird on top.  Rest assured,  I will resume my travels around the globe and my "Glimpsed" paintings on Monday.  But the weekend is for the delightful.  

Happy Birthday, oil, 8"x8"
to purchase please click here

Day 28 of my Painting Spree & the Winner of my Commission Giveaway!

Today is the last day of my Holiday Painting Spree, Sale and Giveaway. I can't believe it!  This spree/challenge has been just about the most influential things I have done thus far in my career. I have had such a huge response from my fans, have given away 4 paintings, painted 28 paintings and even sold a few!  The 20% off sale on my paintings will continue until December 20th, so you still have time to get in on some great deals on my artwork

Today's painting is titled "Sam & Pete".  Sam is the dog, Pete is the bird.  They are 2 unconventional friends, but they go together like peanut butter and jelly.  I am definitely going to explore combining animals in upcoming paintings.  Like I said, this challenge has been so good for me and one of the great things that comes from doing something like this is the influx of ideas that flood my brain.  You don't run out of ideas when you do something like this.. on the contrary, you wind up with more ideas than you can handle!  But of course that is a good thing. :) 

 If you are interested in purchasing this painting, click here. :) 

Sam & Pete, oil on panel, 6"x6"
to purchase, please click here

I also want to thank EVERYONE who followed me through this challenge and everyone who entered for a chance to win one of my paintings. I wish I could have given everyone a painting as it feels great to give back to those people who support me.  I will definitely do this again next year! 

Without further ado, I want to announce the winner of this week's commission giveaway:

Nancy Kauffman of Birdsboro, PA!  Congratulations Nancy!  

I can't wait to get started painting your amazing pet!

Day 27 of my Holiday Painting Spree - "Bird Dog"

It's a good day when you can see a bird AND a dog in the same painting!  The question is, does this Corgi agree?  I was really digging the thick paint and textures today.  Also loving the warm tones in this pup! I have stuck with pretty much the same palette during the current painting spree I am doing, and I am just not getting tired of that periwinkle blue.  Maybe because its winter?

Bird Dog, oil on panel, 6"X6"
To purchase, please click here

Day 22 of my Holiday Painting Spree - "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"

I have been painting dogs for the past few days.  Another one will be comin up tomorrow too!  Dogs are one of my favorite subjects to paint, I guess because I love 'em so much.  I have found that when you love what you are painting, the painting comes out so much faster and easier, and dogs do fit into that category, most of the time.  This guy just captured my heart, because I have often just stopped and admired my own sleeping doggies. There is something so cute and peaceful about a sleeping dog.  And if you have one sleeping by your side, extra relaxing too.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, oil on panel, 6"x6"
to purchase, please click here

Also, today is the first day you can enter for a chance to win a FREE PET PORTRAIT COMMISSION! Enter every day this week! For all of the details and to register, please visit my website at www.karenweberfineart.com