Life Imitating Art

An adorable Lab asleep by Andrew Wyeth's "Master Bedroom,"

...truly life imitating art.

available on etsy

My 'gift' to A Place to Bark...

My gift to all the pups rescued by Bernie Berlin...

from now thru Christmas $10 of every 8x10 & 11x14 print 

from my etsy store

will be donated to 'A Place to Bark'

...helping to save lives,

 is there any better gift to give?♥

  

The Rainbow Bridge...

This was a private commission just finished & now available as a print in my store on etsy. 

Life With Dogs Giveaway! :)

Be sure to hop, skip, & jump on over to Life With Dogs for a grreat giveaway! Three lucky pups will win a fine art print signed by moi! ;)...and if you feel your precious pup needs to be immortalized in oil be sure to contact me and/or visit my website at Studio Lara .com
Cheers!

*•.♫♪Christmas.♫.•*¨*•♫♪Commissions

Busy as a bee working on Christmas commissions...fully booked for this Christmas but taking orders for the New Year! Feel free to contact me and visit my site at Studio Lara.com 

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Pet Portraits in OIL by Lara Harris: 4 Boston Terriers (Painting in Progress)

I've been busy most of the summer working on various commissions. This is a portrait I am working on of 4 Boston Terriers for a client in Chicago. The 1st & 2nd pup are pretty much completed and I am now working on the 3rd. I'm really happy with how the piece is coming together! Stay tuned for the grande finale! If you are interested in having a portrait done of your precious pup, feel free to contact me and/or visit my site at Studio Lara.com.

Summer Commissions. . . . Golden Retriever Portrait in OIL

I've been truly blessed this summer with a number of commissions which helps so much with Taffy's continued treatment for bone cancer! This is a piece I just finished of a beautiful Golden Retriever. If you are interested in having a portrait done feel free to contact me and/or visit my website at Studio Lara I am running a Limited Special for 5x7 portraits on canvas panel for $65 or $100 on stretched canvas or 8x10 portraits on canvas panel for $125 or $150 stretched canvas. Larger sizes are available on my website.

Summer Commissions & Update on Taffy

Working on a number of commissions...this is a Golden I've started...not done yet, but soon! If you are interested in having a portrait done feel free to contact me! I am running a Limited Special for 5x7 portraits on canvas panel for $65 or $100 on stretched canvas or 8x10 portraits on canvas panel for $125 or $150 stretched canvas. And I thought it was a good time to take a video of Taffy today...he's been a bit lethargic the past few days, but still eating & still wagging his tail...so we continue the fight against his bone cancer. If you know of anyone interested in a portrait we would be so grateful for you to pass along my name! God bless & thank you for your support & prayers! :)

Taffy's Ongoing Battle Against Bone Cancer...

Thought it was time for another video...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQlthHfcY20

Not Ready to Say Goodbye...

My parents Black Lab, Pepper hasn't been eating the past few days & has been getting quite thin. She's been sleeping most of the day as she is 12 now, but I just cannot even 'go there'...none of us are ready to say goodbye to her...we've had her since she was a puppy...I remember the night we got her. She came through the front door like a bullet...so full of life & energy. Our Golden Retriever, Cassie was not at all thrilled that night, but eventually grew to tolerate Pepper & in time they became the best of buddies. We lost Cassie a few years back & our hearts still ache for her...how will we ever let go of our Pepper-pot?...I hate that big dogs don't last as long as the little ones...Small dogs seem to live forever...life just isn't fair. She's been such a good ol' girl. 
  
(from my Mom): As I lay down beside her, our eyes met w/a special understanding of what our time together has meant. A pup, 4x given away, (no one would give her the ♥ & patience she required), to the strong, bright companion I knew she could become...our lives intertwined. I stroked her head, her tail thumped against the floor,& then she placed her outstretched leg on my shoulder & my eyes welled with tears.

(**she has an appointment with the vet at 10:15am tomorrow...fingers, toes, & paws crossed she comes home...if not she will be going to her Heavenly home.)

Meet 'Buck'...the Black Lab

So thrilled with how this piece turned out & so is the customer so win-win for me! ;)) If you are interested in having a portrait done of your precious pup feel free to contact me or visit my website at studiolara.com

Custom Pet Portrait ...Westie, Daschund, & Labrador Retriever Painting in OIL

A large private commission just finished last night...3 pups kicking back and relaxing on a couch :) Feel free to contact me if you would like a portrait done of your pup or visit my website: studiolara.com

Custom Pet Portrait (Beginning Stages)

It's been a busy summer and I've been a bit neglectful of my blogs :(...hoping to get back on track soon! This is the beginning stages of a private commission I am currently working on. If you are interested in having a portrait done of your precious pup, feel free to contact me or visit my website at www.studiolara.com

Life With Dogs...Free Chuckles Each & Everyday

I discovered Life With Dogs sometime last year and I have to say it is one of THE BEST dog blogs out there! It is sheer genius each and everyday! I laugh so hard sometimes it hurts, but in a good way :) Hop, skip, and jump on over to share in the fun!

I'm No Longer Afraid of Blue...

For a long time I have avoided using some colors in my work for fear that I would make an absolute mess of something I had spent hours on, but I finally took the plunge and added a bit of blue to this black Lab. It may not be so apparent in the photo, but there are subtle hints of blue in some of the highlights and doggone it, it just works! And I have to say I'm really lovin the nice light brown of the blanket and the bit of brown in the eyes...both seem to complement the blue just right! If you are interested in having a pet portrait done feel free to contact me! 
(*Connecting this post to the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop :)

Boomer in the Summer Sun

("Boomer in the Summer Sun," 11"x 14",

oil on canvas, private commission)

I've actually painted this fella once before, but was given the opportunity to do a larger portrait this time around and I am really pleased with how it has turned out! Boomer is a much loved Lab from Illinois who loves his oversized tennis ball just slightly more than his naps on the family couch...I had to share what Boomer's Dad, Ray Howarth, shared with me last year about his precious pup:

"They say that the “runt of the litter” is always the last to be picked, but in our case, he was our first choice.
As you can see from Boomer’s expressive eyes, he is truly a gentle soul. The unconditional love he shows for everyone is amazing. He has never met a stranger….everyone is a potential partner in play.
Boomer (whose real name is Spartacus, Hillview’s Boomer Dog!) has one favorite summertime hobby…..figuring out how to get into the pool, which we wisely gated! Woe to the person who accidently opens the door to the house a little too wide when there’s people swimming. We have found out the hard way, it takes boomer about 1.4 seconds from bursting through the door until splashdown! It takes substantially longer to get a lab out of a pool.
Like all of our pets, Boomer has become a much loved member of the family….complete with sleeping on the couch and bed privileges! We look forward to many more years of love and adventure with “our” Boomer."

Christmas Commissions...

 

Just thought I'd share a couple Christmas commissions I've been working on...still have a few to finish! Such a GRREAT gift idea I reckon! ;) If you are interested in a pet portrait feel free to contact me!

When in Doubt, Get it Checked Out (Jedha's Visit to the Animal Cancer & Imaging Center)

Today Jedha went to the Animal Cancer & Imaging Center in Canton, Michigan

and I am so glad we took him there! We met with Dr. Joyce Obradovich who is an Oncologist

Specialist and it is so obvious upon speaking with her, just how much she cares for animals.

Jedha was given a thorough exam and to our surprise the lumps we had been worried about

turned out not to be cancer, however, something we thought was just a pimple

turned out to have cancerous cells!

We will now be going back to our veterinarian to see about scheduling the removal of this growth. We are just so thankful that it is small and it looks like we have caught it at just the right time! Please continue to keep Jedha in your prayers and if you are thinking of having a portrait done, it would be a great help to us if you consider booking it in soon as it will help to cover the cost of his upcoming surgery.

Thank you to those who have already booked in portraits

and those who have purchased paintings from me on ebay and etsy!

Every little bit helps and I truly appreciate it, especially at this time!

(Jedha looking out the window at the sparrows at Dr. Obradovich's office)

 

(Taffy came too, and waited patiently with Dad while Jedha was examined)

(Many cards, photos, and letters of thanks grace the walls at Dr. Obradovich's clinic)

Prayers Needed for Our Jedha...

For the next few weeks I will not be able to donate 10% of each painting to dog rescue, as we need to have some lumps checked out on our dog, Jedha, at a cancer specialist and need to save up the money to do this. If you are looking at having a portrait of your pet done, please consider scheduling it soon as it will help us pay for the examination, and if need be, any procedures they may need to do (fingers & paws crossed they will not). In the meantime, please keep our precious Jedha in your prayers that these lumps are not cancer. I just cannot imagine losing him. He is by far the most gentle, loving wonderful bundle of fur I have ever known. He helped me get thru my homesickness when I lived in Australia, and he is my little buddy here at home in Michigan.