ART

Below are a few examples - I hope you like them...

Oraiste - Irish Wolfhound

One of my favourite portraits. Using only light coloured pencils on smooth black artboard give an almost photo-realistic depth to the wiry fur and a moody look to that mad-eyed stare.

Rocky - Greyhound

At first I wasn't sure about the wisdom of drawing a grey dog on a grey background, but Rocky is almost monotonal and the combination seems to work in this case.

Jemima - Border Collie

Pastel on Pastelmat

The smartest dog I've ever met. The challenge was to try to capture all that intelligence - I am sure she spends most of her time plotting to take over the world

Crow

Scraperboard

Like some of my forays into linocut, I love the challenge of thinking in reverse when working with scraperboard

Hare

Pen and Ink and Watercolour

I like to make my own ink, using oak galls collected locally (not easy to find!) and iron filings. The same recipe has been used since medieval times as it binds very tightly to the paper and darkens over time to make it indelible

Oraiste Linocut

Every year I like to do a different Linocut of Oraiste, our Wolfhound, for our Xmas cards.

Like the scraperboard I love the challenge of thinking in reverse and (literally) cutting down an image to its most basic components

Kurt

One of my best friends and one of the smartest people I think I've ever met.

Pen and Ink and watercolour.

Elsa

A lovely girl - Elsa the Great Dane always seems to be smiling. Sadly, due to spinal disease she now has to settle for a sort of doggy-wheelchair to get around, but she quickly got used to it and is as happy and smiley to see you as always.

Coloured pencil on Bristol Board

'Old Boy' McGill

Another lovely Wolfhound.

Charcoal and Pastel on pastelboard

Oraiste ("Rashty")

A simple pencil sketch of Rashty.

Someone once said to me: "Wolfhounds don't have owners - they have staff!"

When I get out of my comfortable chair to open the door for the umpteenth time just so she can sniff the evening air I am inclined to agree, but you'll never meet a more gentle dictator...

Wolfhounds never quite seem to know what to do with their legs when they lie down - crossing their legs is apparently a common trait.

Minty

I can't honestly say I am a huge fan of cats, but Minty, Kurt's cat has masses of character.

Took me a week to try and sort out all those tabby cat patterns in her fur though...dogs are definitely easier.

The Blues Hounds

Rashty is just naturally cool - she so suits a pair of Blues Brothers shades borrowed from my son-in-law.