My youngest son always loved animals. So when his beloved dog, Amber, died unexpectedly last week, he was devastated. Amber was a very sweet, even tempered dog. My daughter in law often took her to hospitals and senior centers to cheer up those who were in need of some love and attention. I decided to paint a tribute to Amber to give to my son and his wife. I have taken a number of photos of her over the years but the only painting I ever did was of the 3 of them and Amber looked so bad I had to scrub her out and start over. I am not very familiar with animal physiology as I am the human figure, so it makes things a little more difficult. Photographing a painting and putting it on the computer to study is very helpful. Although the tail looks like this in the photo, it doesn't look right to me in the painting. I poured over photos of Labs and Lab and Beagle mix dogs trying to find a similar pose with the tail in a different position. It seems like laying down with her legs crossed in front is a gesture unique to Amber! I didn't find one photo with that pose. Right now I am thinking I will crop the image at the top and perhaps move the tail to the left side by the hind leg. I also need to align the hind leg with the back quarters a little better. A few more hours and the painting should be done. Then I think I will do one of just her head.
