The Pacifier

This handsome dude loves his favorite toy! Hershey first encountered his ball about a month after we adopted him. Its high- pitched squeak used to drive us crazy. We hid the ball for periods of time to save our sanity. Eventually, Hershey chewed his ball so much that the squeaker broke.

I've named this piece "The Pacifier", because my lab continues to chew on his favorite rubber ball. Whether he's resting our running through our home, there is always a hint of blue hanging from the corner of his mouth. The ball seems to soothe his spirit.

This drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 11 x 14" in size and available for sale.

Green Frog

Jeremiah was a bullfrog. Was a good friend of mine. This fella is not a bullfrog, but he sure is handsome!

I took the reference photo at my friend Nancy Down's destination garden in Langdon, NH. She has a small pond in her garden that was lined with tadpoles. This frog was perched on a rock on the edge of the pool. He didn't budge as I photographed him from every angle. I don't know what it is with frogs, but they become relaxed around me. I find them quite easy to photograph.

I have finally gotten around to drawing this frog in pastels. The drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 8 x 10" in size.

Grey Squirrel

I absolutely love grey squirrels. They sort of resemble cartoonish characters. There is always a rolly-polly grey squirrel in every yard that I've owned. They are perpetually scavenging for nuts and then bouncing across the lawn with their treats. It's amazing how such a chubby critter can remain acrobatic.

When I was young, I had a stuffed grey squirrel toy. He was a special surprise after I underwent surgery on my adnoids and had tubes placed in my ears. I always found him very comforting and I used to give him to my brother for comfort when he needed a plush, fuzzy toy to hug.

In honor of my plump, fuzzy squirrel friends, I have created this drawing. It is 8 x 10" in size and drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. I hope that he brings you much joy in the midst of the current snowy weather!

Northen Cardinal

When I was young, my grandparents' home was one of my favorite places to spend time. It was cozy and my grandfather always invented creative projects to calm my energy. One of our special activities was birdwatching. My grandfather had a birdfeeder in his yard, and we would sneak peeks at the feeding birds through the curtains.

One of his favorite birds was the cardinal. I always thought that the Bluejays were equally fascinating with their bright blue feathers and crested head. Dziedz, my grandfather, would remind me that the Bluejays are the bullies of the feeder. They use their size to intimidate the other birds and keep the food to themselves. The cardinals were equally beautiful, but gentler in nature. It was then that I began to appreciate the Northern Cardinal.

In honor of Dziedz, I drew this Northern Cardinal female. I also researched the traits of this beautiful bird. They are known for their song, which can sound like they are saying, "purdy, purdy, purdy". If you want to attract them to your yard, make sure that you have winter and fall fruits on your property, as well as plants, vines, and shrubs. They prefer American Bittersweet, Sumac, and Conifers for cover and food. (Information provided by wikipedia.org)

This drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 8 x 10" in size and available for sale.

Red Spotted Newt

The idea of drawing a newt has been on my mind since the summer of 2009. I tend to want to draw wildlife that I have an attachment to, and newts certainly have a special place in my heart. When we were little, my brother and I would walk along the dirt roads in Alstead hunting for newts. We would carry a plastic bucket & slowly check the roads for the orange beauties after a rainstorm. Newts always seem to come out after it rains.

I have to admit that I did not take the reference photo for this drawing. I did try to photograph newts during the summer, but I could never zoom close enough to capture the perfect picture. In my head, I kept seeing the newt face-on, crawling on rocks. So, I scoured morguefile.com and found reference that ended up fulfilling the composition in my head. Photoshop helped me fuse background and subject photos together to create the best reference.

The drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 8 x 10" in size.

There's No Place Like Home!

With Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow, I've continued to think about what I'm thankful for. There are so many moments that warm my heart. Without them, my days would be dull. I am thankful for my family, which includes my pets.

Hershey, our newest addition, can be a handful. He is very high energy, yet the happiest chocolate lab that you will ever meet. One of his bad habits includes jumping on the windowsill to observe our neighbors passing by. He also will wait by the window when one of us leaves. After all, there's no place like home. Especially when it's filled with cuddly dogs and a cat.

This 8 x 10" drawing is completed in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. I have been working on this piece in between work shifts since September. It probably took me about 2 hours total to complete. Lately, I've only had a few minutes at a time to draw. I'd like to change that!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

: )

Mia

Custom Portraits Notice

Since I haven't gotten a chance to update my site, I figured I would post this notice to my blog. I am taking a break from doing custom pet portraits for a while. I've just received a promotion at my day job & am adjusting to a new schedule. This makes it very difficult for me to devote the time needed to my custom work.

I will still be selling original pastel drawings, exhibiting in shows, and selling my giftware. My Etsy store will remain open as well. When I am ready to begin working on custom projects again, I will post to my blog & site.

: )

Mia