What's on BZTAT's Easel? Pet Portrait of Lucy the Cat!

Artwork by BZTAT

Many of my commissioned pet portraits come from places far away from me, which is fun and exciting. Local commissions, however, offer me the chance to actually meet the pets I am to paint. Lucy is a cat in Canton, and I was so thrilled to meet her! She is quite the snuggler, and I got to pet and scritch her ears to my heart's content. I enjoyed meeting her person, as well.

Calico cats are a challenge to paint, as their markings always fall into interesting patterns that can be hard to abstract into simple shapes. Luckily, I have a calico of my own, Slick, so I am familiar with these challenges. Lucy actually looks a lot like my Slick, so their images look similar. Lucy's eyes are much more serious looking, and her markings fall into different shapes, but overall, the process of painting the two different cats was similar.

My first step was to paint the background black and then block in colors and shapes. Using my usual layering technique, I refined the colors and shapes, building up color by painting many layers of varied colors on top of each other. Each layer reveals some trace of the underneath layers.

I really liked how these initial phases were going, except for one thing. The shape of the head really was not Lucy's shape. Although I am not one to stick to strict details for an animal's likeness, it is important to get the essentials correctly depicted to give the viewer an accurate reflection of the animal's character. I made some adjustments.

The background of Lucy's painting reflects the paneling on the wall of her home, since she is an indoor cat.

I really enjoyed meeting and painting Lucy! Here is a photo of her person as she picked the painting up from my studio. She seems pretty happy with it, don' you think?

If you are interested in a pet portrait of your animal, info about the process can be found here. Please send an email about your interest to: bztat@artadventuresstudios.com before making an order.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

What's on BZTAT's Easel? Pet Portrait of Murphy the Cat!

Artwork by BZTAT

Meet Murphy, the light of my Twitter friend @DJillPugh's life! Murphy is one of 5 cats in her home, and since she is getting up in years, her family wanted to commission her portrait. Portraits of her housemates may follow some day, as well.

Murphy is a grayish tiger-striped cat with a pinkish nose and whitish cheeks. Everything is "-ish" with Murphy, as her colors all sort of blend together. This is a great challenge for an artist whose style is to paint bold distinct shapes with strong outlines and bright colors. Murphy also has a glass eye, which I did not deny, but also did not emphasize in the painting.

I tend to paint grayish cats in blue tones; striped cats with very simplified implications of stripes. More than anything, I rely on a depiction of the animal's facial intensity to give the portrait a likeness of the animal's character, rather than attempt to realistically render the animal's exact coloration and markings. I find that this is what my patrons seem to enjoy the most about my paintings--how they reflect the animal's character.

My first step with Murphy's portrait was to paint the background black and then block in colors and shapes.

Using my usual layering technique, I refined the colors and shapes, building up color by painting many layers of varied colors on top of each other. Each layer some trace of the underneath layers.

Murphy and her family have not seen the actual finished painting yet, but they have seen photos. The painting will be shipped in the next couple of days. I hope she enjoys it. I sure enjoyed painting her!

If you are interested in a pet portrait of your animal, info about the process can be found here. Please send an email about your interest to: bztat@artadventuresstudios.com before making an order.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

What's on BZTAT's Easel? Basset Hound Sneeky Pete!

"Sneeky Pete" by BZTAT

August and September were incredibly busy months for me, so I am just now trying to catch up with blogging about some of the work. I completed this painting a few weeks ago and wanted to share about it.

This painting is Sneeky Pete, a Basset Hound who lives in my hometown, Canton, OH. His people stopped in my studio on a First Friday and commissioned me to do his portrait.

Sneeky Pete is an older dog, and he has had eye surgeries that have affected his appearance. His people wanted his portrait to reflect his earlier appearance, so I worked from older photos as well as more recent ones. It was sort of a challenge, but it was an interesting one.

My first step was to create a reference image from the photos provided using PhotoShop. I then painted the background black and started blocking in colors and shapes.

I refined the colors and shapes, building up color by painting many layers of varied colors on top of each other, always leaving some trace of the underneath layers.

Sneeky Pete's family was very happy with the completed painting! Others in his family may appear in future BZTAT works.

If you are interested in a pet portrait of your animal, info about the process can be found here. Please send an email about your interest to: bztat@artadventuresstudios.com before making an order.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Boomer: Painting of a Dog

Artwork by BZTAT

August and September were such busy months for me, I have hardly had a chance to keep up with it all! From the Animal Instincts show, the Art of Kindness Paint-a-thon, working on a major commission for the Stark County Goodwill Community Campus (stay tuned--more to come about this), and developing the "Downtown Cats" mural project, I have been in a painting frenzy. And that doesn't even include the pet portraits that I have been creating! It's all good, because it is all what I love to do.

I completed the above portrait a few weeks ago but never got a chance to write about it here, so I thought I would go back. This was a very special portrait for a friend who lost his beloved dog Boomer in May of this year. Boomer was an American Eskimo Spitz who brought great joy to my friend's life for 13 years. My friend asked me to do a portrait of Boomer to remind him of all their great memories and adventures.

I started by abstracting an actual photograph of Boomer in his younger days using Photoshop filters to get a reference design for the painting. The reference design was then traced onto a canvas using an overhead projector.

I began as I always do, by painting the background black and blocking in colors for the basic shapes. I use a process of building up color by painting many layers of varied colors on top of each other, always leaving some trace of the underneath layers.

The completed painting is truly one of my favorites, partly because it was so special for Boomer's person, but also because I enjoy the overall artistic impact of the image.

Boomer's daddy was very happy with it as well.

If you are interested in a pet portrait of your animal, info about the process can be found here. Please send an email about your interest to: bztat@artadventuresstudios.com before making an order.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Animal Instincts: Gallery 6000 Art Exhibit

"The Boss"
Artwork by BZTAT

Although my artwork explores many themes, painting animals is my greatest joy and passion. Animals connect with our spirits in a way that humans cannot, and that phenomenon is a constant wonder to me. Animals also have a way of revealing the most human qualities in us, a paradox that continually amazes me.

Knowing that animals are a favored theme in my artwork, you can imagine my excitement when I was asked by my friend and fellow artist Tom Wachunas to be a part of an animal themed art exhibit at Gallery 6000 at the the Kent State University Stark Campus!

I created 5 artworks for the “Animal Instincts” exhibit, each one exploring a different element of style. The works range from whimsical playfulness to a more pop art style of pet portraiture. Two paintings take on a deeper psychological exploration, one in a paradoxical whimsy; the other through a colorful exuberance balanced with a somewhat cryptic title. All are painted with acrylic paint on wood.

“The Boss” (see picture above)—Anyone who lives with cats must learn quickly who is the Boss, and it certainly is not the human of the household. This painting of the ultimate Alpha cat of my own household, Brewskie Butt, takes a humorous look at the feline-human dynamic that “cat people” know all too well.

"Predatory Instincts"
Artwork by BZTAT

“Predatory Instincts”—This work takes a playful look at one of our most basic instincts. To some extent, we are all predators at heart. In this picture, the cat spies the fish, his typical object of desire, yet it is not clear who will be the winner in this scenario. Will the cat capture the fish and enjoy a tasty dinner, or will he doom himself to ridicule as he fails in his attempt to overpower another? All too often, our predatory instinct becomes our undoing—not our nourishment.

“The Look”—In recent months, I have developed a somewhat new style in order to capture the essence of actual animals in commissioned pet portraits. The new style has been described as Pop Art by some. It is a little more hard-edged and descriptive, yet still non-literal. Most of these paintings still have my characteristic bright colors, however, this particular painting did not lend itself so well to that. I kept the colors more monochrome because the painting dictated it. The animal depicted is a friend’s Border Collie named Rosie. (Rosie's"human" has requested to purchase her painting at the conclusion of the exhibit).

"Anonymous"
Artwork by BZTAT

“Anonymous”—This work is reminiscent of a smaller painting that I created for an earlier series entitled “Anonymous Feline Spirits”. The earlier series has 4 cat images painted in a similar ghostly fashion with a limited palette. All of the works reflect upon the callousness of communities that fail to invest in spay-neuter programs to control feral feline populations, instead euthanizing healthy animals needlessly. It is a very sad commentary on our society that we chose to eliminate animals instead of helping to manage them in their habitats in effective ways. I grieve for the anonymous spirits of these lost animals.

“Survivor”—As a child, I grew up next to a horse farm, and I drew many pictures of horses in my youth. This work, however, is my first formal painting of a horse. I have been inspired by equine artist friends in the Canton Arts District, and I wanted to challenge myself to take on an image that was new to me.

This particular horse has a story of survival that has moved me deeply. The horse depicted is an actual animal that twice fell into the hands of people who mistreated and neglected her. Twice rescued, she has required considerable patience and compassion to restore her to health and beauty. Her current owner understands her well, as she too has a story of survival that is moving and inspiring. Both have amazed me in their zest for life, emerging from the direst of circumstances to not only survive, but also to thrive. The will to survive is, perhaps, the most astounding of animal instincts.

Kent State University Stark is proud to host the Gallery 6000 exhibit, entitled "Animal Instincts". The exhibit, which is open to the public, is displayed in The University Center (Professional Education and Conference Center), 6000 Frank Avenue NW in Jackson Township.

The Animal Instincts exhibit will be on display from September 1 through November 20. Each of the displayed pieces is for sale.

Kent State Stark will host an opening reception on Tuesday, Sept. 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Rebecca DeHart at 330-244-3518 or rdehart@kent.edu. The reception is free and open to the public. Representatives of the press are encouraged to attend.

Animal Instincts features the distinctive visions of four artists who are passionate about the animal kingdom. While each artist has a unique visual approach, all four communicate not only a clear appreciation of the character and beauty of the animals they depict, but also a personal sense of stewardship.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Custom Portrait: Painting of Three Dogs in a House

Recently, I started painting on site at Canine Action Sports Dog Training Center on Thursday evenings. Since people seem to enjoy watching me paint, and I enjoy painting dogs, it is a great place for me to meet fellow animal lovers who are interested in my work.

One of my biggest fans is the owner of the center, who commissioned me to paint a whimsical painting of her three dogs, Mattie, Rosie and Tasha.



Having seen a drawing that I had made previously, she asked if I could do a similar image with her dogs in the windows of the house. She also requested that the piece be done on a textured wood that adds to the whimsical effect.

My models from the left: Mattie, Rosie and Tasha

I began the painting as I always do, by painting the background black and blocking in colors for the basic shapes. I use a process of building up color by painting many layers of varied colors on top of each other, always leaving some trace of the underneath layers.

As you can see in the last image above, I ended up changing the base of the house, to make the black dog seem a little more plausible. The thinner house base made her head look too big for what we imagine to be her body hidden from view.

It takes many hours to paint a painting such as this, ranging anywhere from 15 to 25 hours and more, depending on the difficulty. This one was a bit more difficult, as it required some detail and had 3 animals featured. As you can suspect, every artist has intense thinking going on during the process, sometimes reflecting joy and confidence; sometimes insecurity and trepidation. It is all a part of the process.

I sometimes "tweet" some of these thoughts on Twitter as I am working. Here are some of my random thoughts that were captured in tweets as I painted this painting:

@BZTAT I'm looking at this painting and thinking...Even a whimsical painting requires some degree of plausibility, and I am not there yet.

@BZTAT When ya gotta sing, ya gotta sing, or in my case, when ya gotta paint, ya gotta paint! (in reply to a message from a musician)

@BZTAT thinks she is really not made out for detail painting. Just sayin'.

@BZTAT I am working on a piece with more detail than I am used to at the moment, and it's making me cross eyed!

@BZTAT is painting on the wild side--wearing clothes that, thus far, do not have paint on them. (That changed real quickly...)

@BZTAT Sometimes I think I really don't know how to paint. I just slap the paint on, and on, and on...until it finally works.

Despite the insecurities, I eventually worked through various dilemmas and finished the piece to my satisfaction. My patron has not yet seen the piece; I hope that she and her pooches enjoy it!

BZTAT with a young fan painting on location
at Lehman's in Kidron, OH

Now, on to the next portrait--a dog named Boomer, who recently went to the Rainbow Bridge. I feel very honored to paint this very special portrait.

Life is an Adventure!
BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Custom Portrait: painting of a Boy and His Cat

"Boy and His Cat"
Original painting by BZTAT

Recently, a woman I met on Twitter (@Zissy4PetTalez) asked me if I could paint a portrait of her grandson and his cat as a gift for him. With some trepidation, I said yes.

I have been an animal painter for as long as I can remember. Painting people has never really been an interest of mine, so I never really explored that genre artistically. When I began using Photoshop, however, I realized that I could design some portraiture images that I kind of liked.

"Jack" Digital Photo by BZTAT

I created this picture when a woman asked me to create an image of her dog. Her nephew came along for the photo-shoot, and his mother asked me to do an image of him as well. I was quite surprised when it turned out so well!

I liked it so much, I used it for the basis for a painting that I did for the Domestic Violence Project in Canton, OH. The painting was selected for the Best in Show Award.

"Rediscovery" by BZTAT

So when my friend from Twitter asked me to do her grandson, I was a little nervous, but I had been successful with one child portrait, so I had a little bit of confidence to do it.

The cat was quite easy to paint. The boy did present some challenges for me. He kept looking sort of cartoonish to me, which I did not want. There is a fine line between whimsical, abstract, and cartoonish. I wanted to stay on the side of whimsical and abstract, but still capture a likeness of him.

I struggled with this painting more than most, because of these challenges, but then, I do tend to fuss about all of them...Anyway, once I finally finished it, I was pretty happy with the result. So was the boy when he received his gift!

Now, I feel much more confident about doing child portraits. It's a good thing. Another Twitter friend has asked me to paint a picture of her daughter and her pug! Here is a sneak peak of the Cookie Monster (still in progress), commissioned by @BayChildCare on Twitter! (For the child's security, I am only posting the image of the dog, per her mother's request.)

Would you like a custom pet portrait of your pet? BZTAT will paint your animal for a very reasonable price. For information, email her at bztat@artadventuresstudios.com.

Info about pet portrait prices can be found here.

Life is an Adventure!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH near Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Lou, Mama's boy: A gift from Brew…

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...

Awhile back, I posted about Lou, the first of my Twitter Critters series of artworks. Lou, a dog friend on Twitter, had graciously allowed BZTAT to use his photo to create a digital artwork. Last week we sent Lou and his family a print of the artwork to thank him. He was so excited, he wrote about it on his blog! You can read his post here!

Lou, Mama's boy: A gift from Brew…

Lou is one of my very best friends on Twitter. He is such a smiling guy and always friendly and helpful. He always "retweets", or forwards on information about BZTAT's artwork and is such a good friend to Art Adventures Studios. We luv ya Lou!!!!!

Have a BREW-tiful day!

The Brew

Life is an Adventure!

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios

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Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

News Flash! BZTAT at Canine Action Sports

Art Sign Painted by BZTAT

Starting June 18, 2009, I will be painting pet portraits on location at Canine Action Dog Training Center (located at Canine Action Sports in Canton, OH) on Thursday evenings! I am very excited about this new adventure, where I will be painting amongst the dogs and their people! Brewskie and my other felines are somewhat chagrined about my painting dogs, but they are accepting it, as long as it leads to more treats and TUNA for them! I look forward to meeting new folks and new critters as I gain inspiration from this very "pawsitive" environment!

Canine Action Sports includes a state of the art dog training facility and a 3-acre private off-leash dog park. Their training philosophy is based upon positive dog training methods rather than the forceful approaches. This increases the fun and joy that dogs and their owners experience not only with basic training classes, but in every aspect of their lives with dogs.

I thank the owners of Canine Action Sports for the opportunity to share in this wonderful canine adventure!

Canine Action Sports
2715 Easton, St., N.E.
Canton, OH 44721
330.493.9707

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios

Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Custom Pet Portraits--Original Paintings of Your Pet

Back in April, I wrote about pricing for my custom pet portraits. I acknowledged back then that my prices were deeply discounted, as I was trying to generate interest in my artwork. That strategy seems to have worked! I have been blessed with several commissions since that time.

I have researched pricing for pet portraits by other artists in order to get an idea of what my prices should be. Yes, I am sorry to say, it is time for me to adjust my prices. Even so, I plan to keep my prices lower than many other artists, as I want my work to be affordable. I also plan to offer special discounts to my social media followers on Twitter, Facebook and this blog. Please note that the new prices are a leap from my original prices, but that is because they were set extremely low to begin with.

Beginning July 1, 2009, the prices below will take effect. Orders made before July 1 with payment received by July 15, 2009, will be priced according to the current prices listed here. Get your orders in now if you want the currently reduced prices!

NEW PRICES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2009

16" X 20" - $175
18" X 24" - $250
24" X 30" - $300
30" X 40" - $350

(Prices are subject to change at any time. Non-standard sizes are available as well, however, may include extra costs. I also paint pieces on wood, which would involve different pricing schedules.)

Prices listed are based on a single pet with average difficulty painted on gallery wrapped stretched canvas with acrylic paint. Prices may be adjusted based upon the size of the piece, the surface and media, and difficulty of the image (multiple pets in one painting add difficulty). Shipping costs are extra based on size and zip code. Payment in advance is required. Portraits generally take 2-4 weeks to complete depending on difficulty and waiting list.

I also do custom drawings and digital images. Please email me for pricing on these.

I work from photos of your pet. If you are local to Canton, OH, I would love for you to bring the pet to the studio for a photo shoot! If not, you can email me photos or give me links to Flickr or other online photo streams.

Please email me at BZTAT@artadventuresstudios.com to make an order or to get further information about getting a custom portrait of your pet. I look forward to hearing from you!!!!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.

Art Adventures Studios

Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT

Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OHnear Second April Galerie and the historic Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography.

Oscar The Cat: The Ultimate Twitter Critter

From Brewskie Butt, official spokescat of Art Adventures Studios...


Hi Everybody. It's the Brew. I am feelin' very sad today. My dear Twitter friend, @OscartheCat, passed over to the Rainbow Bridge today. It is strange, since he and I never actually met in real life, but we became best pals on Twitter, and it just feels awful now that he is gone.

You may remember that I wrote about Oscar back in February here. Here is some of what I wrote back then:

I met Oscar (known on Twitter as @OscarTheCat) early in my days on Twitter, but it wasn't until one fateful night that we became best pals. Someone nominated us both for one of those crazy Twitter popularity contests that they have, and he and I both got kinda silly with it. By the end of the night, we were in first and second place! Our friendship was cemented.

Oscar is one cool cat! He is always encouraging other cats and other critters by passing out *nosetaps*, and he has developed a special website just for Cats Who Twitter! Oscar wrote about me on his first "Blogger Tuesday" feature! He also has a blog called The Furry Tripod, so named because of his being a three-pawd cat. He lives with a slightly irreverent younger cat named Henry (known on Twitter as @Quadpawd), to whom he is trying to teach manners and the finer ways of being a cat. It's a big job, but he takes it in stride.

Oscar has been struggling with kidney disease since February, and he has defied all the odds. Just when the vet would say that it was time for him to go, Oscar would rally back and show his human mom that he was not ready yet. Today, though, his 18 year old body finally wore out, and he left this world. he will be greatly missed by his family and his friends on Twitter.

Oscar was not just your ordinary cat on Twitter. He was a friend to all, and he was the first "anipal" for most of the Twittering Critters. He was very special, always giving support, but also quick with a joke. We can only hope that his little "mancat in training" brother will pick up his legacy and keep his spirit alive.

BZTAT painted the picture above as a tribute to Oscar back in February, and she made it into a Get Well card that was signed by many of his anipals. You can see it here. The posting page only displays the last 25 comments made, but there were many, many more. BZTAT sent the painting to Oscar's mom a few weeks ago, because she just felt that was where it was supposed to be.

To all of Oscar's friends, please feel free to leave a comment or final *nosetap* here for our dear friend. To Oscar's family, I thank you so much for sharing your dear fellow with us.

And to Oscar--We are gonna miss ya, pal. But, we know what you are saying as you look down upon us from the Rainbow Bridge: "It's all good!" *nosetaps* t0 ya pal. We luv ya.

The Brew

Life is an Adventure!

Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.