"Bailey," Australian Cattle Dog Painting in Oil by Lara Harris

"Bailey," 5"x7" oil on canvas panel
10% will go to Heeling Hearts ACD Rescue

(SOLD, thank you!)

This is a gorgeous Australian Cattle Dog named Bailey...I absolutely LOVE the colors in a Cattle Dog's fur...it's one of God's masterpieces for sure!

Here is a little bit about Bailey:

We got Bailey 12 years ago from East Texas. She had been under a house that caught on fire. The mama dog pulled her out along with the rest of the pups too. She is well behaved, playful and makes us smile as she always has a smile on her face. She loves to cool her paws in the pool on hot Texas days. She is also the peacekeeper among our dogs (we have 3). She is very loyal and keeps a constant eye on our 9 year old twins whenever they play outside.
She is our Bailey aka Bay Bay and we love her very much!

If you are interested in having your dog's portrait done, feel free to contact me!
(*Photo used with permission, flickr id garzaville)

Golden Retriever Portrait Painting "Meg"....Getting There!

This is a piece I've been working on the past week or so, an adorable Golden Retriever Pup named Meg. I've enjoyed doing this piece as it is a bit larger, 12"x12", and a unique challenge as Meg's fur is really light in color, almost appearing white to some degree. I have to watch that I do not make the shadows too dark but still use the shadows to help define her mouth, ears, etc. I should be finished with this piece in the next few days, so stay tuned. If you would like to have your dog's portrait done as part of my Painting a Pup a Day project feel free to send me an email at Loveall4Him@aol.com and I can send you my price list and get your name on my current waiting list.

Dog Artists United...Bringing Together Some of the Best Dog Painters in the World!

This week marks the beginning of a group I had wanted to bring together for some time, Dog Artists United. It is a select group of artists who paint dogs (as well as other subjects) and who happen to be some of the finest painters in the world! The group will be kept small, and each artist represented will be of a certain level of craftsmanship. I'm excited to bring such wonderful artists together as Nancy Bailey, Sandy Byers, Jerry Hunsinger, Karry Johnson, Anna Usacheva, Akiko Watanabe, Sheila Wedegis, Laurie Pace, Mary Jo Zorad, and myself, Lara Harris. Be sure to stop in often and see what new paintings are up on the easel!

Have a Blessed Good Friday!...& Special Thank you!

First of all, let me wish everyone a blessed Good Friday! For Christians this is truly a very special time of reflection and I would just like to take this time to thank God and to thank everyone who has been such a blessing in my life. My family, friends, collectors of my artwork, and many wonderful fellow artists who have been so encouraging, helpful, and supportive!
I would like to send a special thank you to Mrs.DeVincenzo who I am currently working on a commission for of one of her adorable Westie's pictured above (Kadie). Last year we needed to raise a substantial amount of money in order to fly our 2 dogs, both of whom were rescued off the streets of Cairns in Australia, here to Michigan and we could not have done so without the support of so many including Mrs.DeVincenzo. I will always remember her incredible generosity which helped to bring our 2 'boys' home to us in Michigan! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! (You can learn more about our dogs by visiting their blog www.aussiedogsupandover.blogspot.com)
I am excited to get started on this piece as it is one of the largest dog paintings I have done thus far and Mrs.DeVincenzo could not have taken a more perfect and endearing shot of her little girl!

Painting a Pup a Day:Daily Dog Paintings by artist Lara Harris...Pug & Golden Retriever Portraits

The past two days have been a bit crazy here in the Harris household as I have been in need of some rather extensive (and painful) dental work and then discovered today that my website seems to have all but disappeared?...thankfully it looks like it will be back online soon(fingers & toes crossed). Anyway, it was refreshing just to get painting today, a natural stress reliever. This week I will be working on three commissions, two of which you see here, the third I have not yet started but will this evening. I will be painting an adorable Pug named Ferris, a Golden Retriever Puppy named Meg, and another Westie. These are the very beginning stages of the Pug & Golden. I generally start out by doing a rough sketch in paint followed by blocking in color as you see here. I always worry that the owners will have a heart attack thinking this will be how the finished piece will look, but rest assured there will be much more detail than seen here so stay tuned! If you would like to have your pet's portrait done as part of my Painting a Pup a Day project, feel free to drop me an email at Loveall4Him@aol.com

The Canine Art Guild & Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond Charity Picnic!

Some news of the canine persuasion here! First of all, I am officially a member of the Canine Art Guild, a great group of artists specializing in dog art. Aside from that, I have created two groups known as Fine Artists of Michigan on both flickr and facebook. If you are an artist currently living in Michigan feel free to join these groups and upload your artwork!It's free and a great way to show off your work!
I also just completed a painting of an adorable Westie for the Charity Picnic being put on by Westie Rescue of Orange County & Beyond on Sunday, April 26 and this very painting will be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to the rescue. There will also be a Custom Pet Portrait by me (Lara Harris) auctioned off as well, so if you are in the OC area at the end of this month be sure to sign up for this grreat event!

Painting a Pup a Day: Daily Dog Paintings by Lara Harris, "Maggie" the Boxer

Painting 12,"Maggie," 9"x 12",
oil on canvas
(SOLD)

10% of the proceeds will go directly to
Best Friends Animal Society

This is the completed painting of "Maggie," the Boxer. I'm waiting to hear back from the owners for the final ok, and then I will sign and date this piece in the lower right hand corner & wait for it to dry. 10% will be donated to Best Friends Animal Society. Boy what a challenge painting a Boxer can be! They have a rather unique nose & muzzle and their eyes are quite different as well. I also found the shorter fur to be more of a challenge as opposed to longer haired breeds like the Westie, Sheltie, or Golden Retriever. However, this was a great learning experience for myself as I am trying to add a number of new breeds to my repertoire with my Painting a Pup a Day project...and now I can add the Boxer! I now will be starting a Westie Painting for a Charity Picnic on April 26th that is being held by the Westie Rescue of Orange County & Beyond. They will auction off a painting of mine as well as a custom pet portrait, so if you are in the OC be sure to sign up! I will also be starting on a painting of a friend's Pug and an adorable Westie who lives in North Carolina :o) If you would like to be a part of my Painting a Pup a Day project drop me an email at Loveall4Him@aol.com and I can send you my current price list & put your name on my waiting list!Pet portraits make a wonderful gift for friends, family, or for yourself!10 % of the proceeds of each painting goes to dog rescue.

Painting a Pup a Day: Maggie, the Boxer...in Progress

I have been currently working on a portrait of a Boxer named Maggie and thought it would be fun to show the stages of this piece so far. I am finding certain breeds that have a smoother coat with shorter fur to be a bit more challenging than breeds with longer fur, but I think Maggie is coming together quite nicely. I generally start off with a loose sketch in paint, block in color, and then go in for the details. I always start with the eyes, and then work from inside out...the nose, mouth, ears, body, and finally the background. I'm hoping to have this piece finished by the end of this week at the latest, so stay tuned! If you would like your dog included in my Painting a Pup a Day project please feel free to send me an email to Loveall4Him@aol.com and I can put you on my current waiting list! 10% of each portrait goes to dog rescue.

Last of 3 Black Lab Paintings: Meet Bebe!

This is the 3rd and final painting in the Black Lab Trio, Bebe, a Black Lab Mix adopted by Patty Defee in Alabama. It was a true pleasure to work with Patty and to spend some time getting to know her sweethearts! 10% of the proceeds of the trio will be going to A Place to Bark in TN, a no kill foster and adoption rescue dedicated to the welfare of animals founded by Bernie Berlin .
If you would like to be a part of my Painting a Pup a Day project feel free to drop me an email and I can send you my current price list as well as put your name on my waiting list. 10% of each portrait goes to one of the dog rescue groups I work with on a personal basis or thru the artists group Art 4 Critters.

2nd of Three Dog Paintings Complete!

This is the 2nd painting of three completed for my customer in Alabama! Her name is Taffy, just like one of our dogs! I love painting senior dogs, their faces have so much character....it's like they have hidden stories to tell. Taffy's eyes are so soft and expressive. I bet she is a real sweetheart! Stay tuned for painting #3 which will complete the trio! Can't wait to see how all three paintings will look once they are grouped together! If you would like to be part of my Painting a Pup a Day project feel free to send me an email at Loveall4Him@aol.com I would be more than happy to add your name to my current waiting list!

One Down, Two to Go!....

I thought it would be fun to share the 1st of 3 paintings I have been working on this week. This is Ozzy, a Black Lab mix owned by Patty Defee. She owns three dogs, all of them rescues, all of them black, and of course, all of them dearly loved! I am now working on her dog, Taffy....and how cool is it that we also have a 'Taffy'?:o) Stay tuned!

The Canine Trio: Bebe, Ozzy, & Taffy

So, yet again do not adjust your screen! What you see are not three completed paintings, but rather the beginning stages of a triptych if you like. Some may find the way I paint a bit crazy, but hey it works for me so I'm sticking with it! I generally start out each painting with a very rough sketch in paint, and then I block in color as you can see here. Then I go in for the details, usually starting with the eyes which I find to be one of the most important parts of any portrait. From there I work on the nose and mouth, and finally the ears and fur. I often feel a bit like a sculptor when I paint, which may sound a bit odd, but that's how I feel with each painting. I think this is why when I start with a blank canvas I cannot wait to cover it completely with blocks of color. Once the white is covered , I begin 'carving out' the image through many brushstrokes and layers of paint. Stay tuned for the finished pieces!

If you would like to be a part of my Painting a Pup a Day project, feel free to send me an email to Loveall4Him@aol.com and I would be happy to send you my current price list and put you on my waiting list. 10% goes to one of the many dog rescue groups I work with. My work is currently in private collections throughout the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Once Upon a Time There Were 3 Little Dogs....

Well after being under the weather the past couple of days I am back in the studio and ready to unleash my creative juices! This is a shot of the very beginning of three commissioned pieces I am doing for a customer of her three adorable dogs, all rescues she has taken in and adopted. There is Bebe, Ozzy, and she even has a Taffy like we do! I cannot wait to get going on these as I think in the end they will make an awesome grouping to hang on her wall! Stay tuned!

If you would like to be a part of my Painting a Pup a Day project please feel free to drop me an email at Loveall4Him@aol.com . I would be happy to send you my current price list as well as put your name on my waiting list! 10% of each painting goes to one of the many dog rescue groups I currently work with!

Cropped Study: Maternal Admiration(Bouguereau) Oil Painting by Lara Harris

Do not adjust your screen! You are right, this is not a pup but a portrait of a mother and her babe...let me explain. I have been busy the past few weeks with my Painting a Pup a Day project, but I will still be making time to do some other pieces such as this portrait study. Now don't get me wrong, painting dogs is my passion, but I also enjoy painting portrait studies, wildlife, and still life. This is a cropped study of "Maternal Admiration," by one of my favorite artists of all time, William Bouguereau. My customer wanted me to change the colors around and I have to admit that I actually like this version a bit better than the original! I will be getting back to painting pups very soon, but I wanted to share this piece with you so you know I am still in the studio painting away!

Painting a Pup a Day: Stay Tuned!

Life has been crazy busy the past couple of weeks and I have been working at getting some commissioned pieces done so I have not yet posted anything new to my Painting a Pup a Day project, but I will be soon! Besides painting dogs I also paint still life, wildlife, and (what I am currently working on) portrait studies! I will post a photo of the completed piece hopefully in the next day or so and then onto some more pups for my project!Thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support!Stay tuned!:o)

Painting 8, "Mosby," the Golden Retriever Painting in Oil by Lara Harris

Painting 8,"Mosby," 11"x 14"

oil on stretched canvas (nfs)

This is my 8th painting for my Painting a Pup a Day project of a beloved Golden Retriever named Mosby. He was a young Golden, despite the fact that he had the white coloring around his eyes and mouth, more typically found in older Goldens. He was one of the many Golden Retrievers taken care of by Carol and Skip Free of Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue, a sanctuary for older Goldens and other dogs who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected. Golden Retrievers have a special place in my heart as we have had the pleasure of having two Goldens in our family throughout the years. Sassy was our first Golden who died of cancer at only 5 years of age, and Cassie, our second Golden, who had to be put to sleep at only 11 due to horrible arthritis (among other health ailments). If you would like to make a donation to Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue click on their name or on their logo to the right. With the way the economy has been, many, many dogs have been abandoned or surrendered to such rescue groups , and more than ever these groups need your help! It costs hundreds of dollars each week simply to feed the dogs under their care. Every little bit counts, so if you can help them out in anyway please do so today!

"Mosby," Golden Retriever Commission (in progress)....and Computer Woes!

("Mosby," Commission in Progress)

So, let me start off by saying that this piece is in the beginning stages, I still have much more detail to add, but the past 2 days have been a bit stressful to say the least.... I had heard from a couple artists friends last week that they were having computer problems and I remember thinking, 'oh I am so glad that is not me'...and wouldn't you know all of a sudden my computer starting having issues this week!? It scared me enough to start going through all my files and saving everything to disks until we could get up to the store to purchase an external hard drive. Thankfully we were able to get one this evening so I will now start saving all my files to it in the event that my computer were to crash. I just cannot believe how much I could have lost...my art files, reference files, family photos, etc. etc. ...many things that you just could not replace. I will now be making it routine to save my files to this hard drive every week or so as I would never want to be in that position. So if you are someone like me, either an artist, or photographer, or someone who just has a lot of important information stored on your computer I would highly recommend getting an external hard drive. You can find one under $100....and believe me it is well worth the money for the piece of mind you will get in return!

Luigi the Westie...Painting in Progress

I've been working on 3 different pieces this week, and thought it would be fun to post a photo of where I am now up to with my Luigi the Westie painting! It is definitely a challenge with all the colors and different shapes but I am having quite a lot of fun with this one. I haven't actually started Luigi except for a rough sketch, but I figured it would be best to get the intricate background done first. Hopefully in the next day or two I will have this piece finished, so stay tuned!

And in the Beginning There Was Luigi, the Westie....

(copyright photo used with permission by: Stephen Ghigliotty)

...and I should be clear that his full name is actually Luigi von Tortellonfish :o) So, can I just tell you I came across this photo sometime ago and just knew I HAD to paint this little guy someday. True not only is he one of THE cutest ever West Highland Terrier dogs you ever did see, but the colors & composition are just an artist's dream! Granted in starting the sketch today I was thinking to myself, who-boy what am I getting myself into, with all the various shapes & unique colors, but heck I thrive on challenges I reckon! I am actually working on a few pieces at the moment, but just had the itching to get started on this one today....as I said it's been beckoning me to paint it for months now! So, Stephen & Luigi today it begins....hopefully I will do you both justice!Stay tuned!

Painting 3, "Bernie" the Bernese Mountain Dog Painting

Painting 3,"Bernie," 5"x7"x 3/4",
oil on stretched canvas

(sides painted black) (sold)
photo reference: Büşra Merve Özçelik
10% of the proceeds will go directly to
Heart of Michigan Bernese Mountain Dog Club Rescue

(http://www.hmbmdc.org/rescue.html)

This is an adorable Bernese Mountain Dog named of course "Bernie". It is my 3rd painting for my Painting a Pup a Day Project. The owner is Büşra Merve Özçelik, and her Flickr id is mervecan_156. This is what she wrote about her beloved Bernie:

"My dog is so special for me...I was imagining that breed when ı was 5, and 11 years (later) I got my baby. Now she is my everything ..I am living for her... I really admire her, because of her colours, fur, smile, and so many kinds of things like this."

I just love Bernese Mountain Dogs because their coloring is so interesting. I was shocked to learn that they don't have a very long life span, generally only 7 years. But I would imagine the love they bring into their owner's life makes it well worthwhile to own one!