Gadget (Blue), Bailey (Lavender) and Nikki (Ochre), 11x14 oil on linen. 2013.
I painted these three papillons with different color backgrounds because they will be hung next to each other on the same wall. I wanted to make the arrangement of the portraits an artistic display in its own right. There will eventually be another two portraits that make up this set.
When painting portraits of several people/pets in the same commission it is always a challenge to create a consistent look and feel across the set. To help mitigate this, I worked on the design and block-in of the three portraits at the same time.