Dangling Paws | 18” x 12” | Oil on Canvas Board
This piece is inspired by playtime with Wolfy, who loves fetch despite the challenge of galloping around with his huge paws!
There were a few new challenges with this piece, namely capturing the various golden browns of Wolfy’s shepherd-hound coat, as well as the texture of his paws. The key to the coloring was working in various reds and warm yellows, but it took a lot of experimentation to get the right likeness. The paws were more about the texture from using a painting knife instead of a brush, which made the surface of the paws look rough and realistic.
However, the hardest part was the dog bed. I got it in my head that the pattern of the bed would help give the sense of plush comfort that Wolfy’s 85 pounds was enjoying as he slept with his head and paws dangling off the edges. It turned out to be effective, but the next time the bed will have no artistic flair.
Thanks for reading!
Art Bern 
Really terrific work, Bern! And I was so taken with the paws that i don’t think at first glance i paid that much attention to the bed. Wasn’t till I read your comments that i saw what you’d been dealing with.
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