🐶🐱 “Lucky” and the Story of Pet Portraits 01.13.24

This is “Lucky.” He lives in dog heaven now - which is next to snack heaven. Lots of crumbs on the floor in snack heaven… it’s a win win.

I began painting pet portraits in Spring of 2020, COVID times. My friend, LLL Holloway of Salida, CO recruited me to participate in a charity event for the Arkansas Valley Humane Society. It’s called “Good pet, Bad Portrait.” People donate a minimum $20 and they receive a pet portrait of their choice from anyone on hand to draw. LLL (one ‘L’ is for lovely… she’s a great human being for the record and a champion of the animals) said, “let’s give them something nice…” So… I made an effort.

It was “shut-down”… and doing something… and something positive worked for me. I kicked out several to a dozen… and in return I received emails and hand letters in the mail with many thanks and tears and joy from owners of lost pets. Lots and lots of good feels all around.

The AVHS put me touch with people that wanted to commission work… and along with friends and Denver peeps… I painted dogs and cats that helped me squeak by the rough times of the pandemic.

And here I am still painting our beloved pets… Our time is only worth what someone will pay… something called ‘economics.’ If you’re interested in a painting of your own, send me a message. The range is $250-$1.2k… and it is on a sliding scale. If you’ve let me sleep on your couch while traveling through your town; it’s the low end. If you have a $2.5million home in Boulder county… and let me sleep on your couch while traveling through; somewhere in the middle. And understand… I need to get new glasses every third quarter because I’m going blind painting tiny bird eyes so it helps an artsy lad with the bills… and that’s how economics works. To learn more visit your local library…

Look… your dog would totally pay up to have a custom painting of you to look at when you’re not around. Your cat…? prolly not so much... be we love them anyways. And I paint them too. 🐱

“Lucky”, 8”x10”, watercolor 2024 🔴 Sold and delivered

Below are some pictures of my studio on Ledoux Street in Taos, NM. I’m reluctantly leaving it indefinitely in 2 weeks to be near the Pacific Ocean. Also, pics of my journey to Denver in a blizzard and how I finished the painting in an Airbnb sitting in my underwear with a cup of tea. Yes… my life is glamorous.

💙🐶🐱🐝

and Lucky aren’t we all…

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Farewell Taos Letter - 01.25.24

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🇺🇸 NYE 2024 - Truth or Consequences to Silver City, NM