Flowers for Camille

She was somewhat of a diva and she certainly had issues, but I adored her.
I think the feeling was eventually mutual. I was, ultimately, the only human she trusted.
I’ve read somewhere that you will always remember the day you brought your dog home, and the day they left you.
She wasn’t a product of a puppy mill, but she certainly didn’t receive anything close to proper socialization prior to coming to live with us. I should have known better. It took me the better part of an hour to get her to come to me, sitting in the dirt in a corner of the outdoor enclosure where she and her siblings were kept. She was the only one of the litter who, eventually, would dare come close.
She made a charming little “roo-roo” sound when she was uncertain about something, and I heard it then for the first time from the cutest little white ball of fluff I’d ever seen. Sort of a plaintive half-growl, half question, meaning she wanted to, but she was a little reticent, a little afraid. Usually, she would make up her mind to push ahead, enter the unknown, take a chance. And there, in the dirt, she came to me and put her nose in my hand. She was willing to take a chance on me.
We enjoyed almost twelve years together. She was beautiful, elegant, intelligent and devoted, but she approached life at full throttle and therefore encountered more than her share of accidents and mishaps. So much so that, as she grew older, my intuition told me that she would not cross over that rainbow bridge quietly. And so it was. I was able to hold her in my arms and tell her what a wonderful friend she had been, and to ask her to meet me there, one day.
I’m certain that when my time comes, my little Camille will be there to greet me with her funny “roo-roo, come on over, mom, we’ve all been waiting for you!”

16 x 20 Oil on canvas
www.katywidger.com
Dog Portraits in Oil

Hunter at Seven Months

Finally! Got a painting done of this wonderful dog.
He's only seven and a half months old, but just look at his expression! He is focused, calm, gentle, kind, intelligent, devoted and oh! so beautiful! Can you just imagine how magnificent he will be in his maturity! Can't wait to paint him then, again, and again and again!

I need a name for this one! Any suggestions?

11" x 14" oil on canvas
Dog Portraits in Oil
www.katywidger.com

Peace Lily

"May the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Wishing you a Blessed Easter, filled with the Peace of God.

St. Patrick's Day Color Study

I recently took a Color Class. I'm pretty well versed in Itten color theory and have a lot of experience creating color with a limited palette, but this Michael Wilcox School of Color class taught by locally well-known landscape painter, David Schwindt, was a course in practical color mixing. It cemented what I already knew and opened up more possibilities for creative color mixing using the Color Bias Wheel, using six primaries, instead of the usual three-primary color wheel we all learned about in school. I've probably told you more than you wanted to know....but artists are always interested in color, especially how to create the exact color in a short period of time without wasting a lot of expensive paint.

This is a color study of a beautiful cabbage that came with my corned beef. It was delicious!

I re-created the subtle hues and tints using only a violet red (quinacridone red), green-yellow (lemon yellow) and blue-green (cerulean blue), plus white. The color range available was amazing. The vibrant yellows aren't showing up so well in the photo - I'll try and get a better shot.

Wooly

Wooly is a Malti-Poo, soft, silky and curly. The Maltese in him loves to cuddle next to his dad at night in their favorite chair, and watch the world go by in his special place on the back window shelf of his people's Buick. The Poodle half takes his job as Official Greeter of the mailman, UPS or FedEx guy very seriously. When he hears their trucks, he flys up to the back of the couch and announces their presence from the big picture window, then races furiously out the kitchen Wooly-door to make sure they don't go sneakin' around the back.

His other favorite activities are going for walks, and sneaking articles of clothing from his mom, just to luxuriate in her scent, he loves her that much! He's also quite fond of the other ladies in his life, daughters and granddaughters of his parents, and never forgets a friend. Sweet little Imp!

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Wooly 10" x 8" oil on linen board

$160.00 unframed SOLD

www.katywidger.com

Mati

Don't let the grey muzzle fool you, this girl is still very much young at heart. You can see her playful spirit in her eyes, in her countenance and posture.
Mati, short for Matilda, is named for the character in the Roald Dahl short story. She was the one left out, from whom not much was expected. That sort of explains Mati's start in life, as well. She was the little shy one, last of her litter, the unchosen. But someone wanted her, very much. And saw the potential in those beautiful eyes. She's now ten years into her life with her special people, who very much love and adore this young lady.
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I finished this painting just in time for Christmas.
It's an 8 x 10 oil on linen-covered board. $170.00.
If you're interested in a painting of your beloved four legged friend, contact me at www.katywidger.com and together we'll immortalize your special pal, too.

Hunter

His coming was a surprise, but not unexpected. I woke up one morning with plans for the weekend that did not include a trip to the mountains of Magdelena to look at a very special German Shepherd Dog. But there has been this giant hole in my restless heart for three years now that just will not be filled. In fact, it feels as if it has grown even larger. Three incredible Lhasa Apsos, whom I love and adore, could not fill it. I didn't ask them to try. They are their own sweet selves and occupy another niche in my canine heart entirely.

I have wanted this dog my whole life. Ever since I read Lad, a Dog by Alfred Terhune, The Call of the Wild by Jack London as a child and more recently, Adam's Task by Vicki Hearne, A Good Dog by Jon Katz. And certainly The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski, probably one of the greatest dog stories ever written. I can only pray that I am worthy of this dog, this Hunter, this noble beast.

He has integrated into the pack effortlessly. Sadie accepts him as her charge, and he accepts her as Alpha and his superior. Zeke, not having ever seen a 32 lb puppy before, protected me from him for a couple of hours, until he was convinced that he posed no threat. Wyatt was unsure and a little fearful, but his timidity is giving way to acceptance and curiosity. He and Zeke are already friends, and Zeke does a great job not only of playing and rough-housing with him, but acting the part of "Uncle". He's been with us for 72 hours now. Just give us a week, and this pack will be one cohesive machine. The Apsos have their Mastiff. I have almond eyes attached to a Strongheart of devotion.