Animal painter... dumb as a post!

[djstar]

Hi all!

I recognize a few of you from UKC and Coondawg which I just started posting in.

I am a pet painter, with a somewhat spiritual experience of having just found that all the work I was doing to learn the AKC breeds it just giving me ulcers. I had a fear and not to mention the lack of wardrobe, for the elite shiny perfect dogs I see on the Animal Planet. I want to stop working in the beauty shop I have been earning a decent living in for 25 years and do what I love! I LOVE to paint! For about 4 years I have tried to do portraits of humans but all my life people have asked for their pets. I live in Scottsdale Arizona and it is sort of like Disneyland. I grew up in Colorado with a brother who was a mechanic. We always had a car being worked on and fixed BY OUR SELVES!! and he had our German Shepherd/Collie mix because he had the yard. I ended up with cats, because I live in other peoples houses... I rent.

I have been in culture shock for over 20 years. It is a face-lifted appearance necessary place and I am just a real person. Even being in the beauty business, I am one that needs a make over!

I JUST found out about UKC. I did a painting for a gift for a man who has everything, of his German Wirehair Pointer. The man who ordered it was doing back flips. When I found out about the UKC and the fact that these are dogs that DO WORK, just like me. Dogs that do not wear designer clothes and people who are beautiful inside not just outside I just fell in love.

I WANT to do big expensive, national gallery paintings, but I love doing animals that make the owners cry when they see the paintings. I started posting in the classifieds in some forums and realized I was a total retard on the whole hunting society! The names and contests and all that are not only a lot to learn, I am going to have to do it all on my laptop because I am having a hard time finding face to face people in Arizona. Most of the clubs are not even interested in living here... that makes them smart..... but all that aside.

I am happy to find all these forums and hope I will not be a pain as I ask a lot of dumb questions.

I got started on the hunting animals ... well not even yet! I got the idea in my head from a friend who saw my zebras:

on an art site and said I should get in touch with safari hunters. That kill paintings would be a good place for me.

I admit now that I love all animals, but I eat hamburger and step on spiders. I think hunting is showing a lot of respect for nature all the way around and I have seen that good reputable hunting groups often have better and wider ranging solutions to conservation that just throwing paint on fur coats! There is a down right horse sense to it all. I have friends that will shoot at me (in spite of their non violent protests) if they see a kill painting on my easel, but we all have to eat and they find the money for their botox... I just want to pay for my gas in the car!!!

Okay. So I am excited to be part of the board, and hope you will be patient if I ask dumb questions.

I am going to want to beg and borrow pictures of your animals, maybe your kills to make sample pictures for my artist's portfolio and to kill time between commissions.... and Summer has a LOT of free time.

I like the fact that you won't let me put in a classified until you all know me on the boards, because I need to feel my way around.

So, if you found me somewhere else, you know how to get in touch... otherwise, I am starting out by doing a LOT of reading and just want to show my last Coonhound picture....


Nice to meet you all and hope to be talking a lot!
dj*
aka Debra Jones

[Bunnyseeker]

Real nice paintings!

[djstar]

Thanks bunnyseeker! I am trying to get the few people who want these things to find ME. It is everyone's goal to work in their underwear... well from the people I met recently on the forums, they would rather sit in the dark with a gun in their hand!
dj*

[shpines]

Nice work. Welcome.

[djstar]

Thanks folks.

Here is my first dumb question. Can you tell me if this is an English? I have a photo for my Plott sample and if this is the real thing, I will have a good deck of coonhounds to start with.
If not, I am going to have to go beg!

dj*

[huntnhammer]

Very nice work.

[Troublesomesix]

Those are some nice paintings. I have a redbone that would look real good in a painting. Maybe on my wall someday after we are in our new home.

[cro]

nice work

[Gunslinger]

Welcome aboard DJ! As for dumb questions there is no such thing.You can't learn if you don't ask questions so ask away..
As for the picture I couldn't say where it is a full blooded english or not for sure.But in my opinion and you can take it for what its worth.The head looks a little thin and the ears look a little short to be a full blooded english.I'm not saying its not a english I'm just saying it doesn't look full blooded to me.I have a pitcher I'll post if I can find it of a english I use to have.

dd444

[Gunslinger]

Not all english are this color a lot of people call them red ticks but there english.But your welcome to this picture if you want it..

[djstar]

You guys are all so helpful!

I have been a little derailed this week. The seclusion is over and I have a number of prizes to mail out to some shows that think a portrait is a good prize for Best In Show!

I am being a little distracted by beagles and bulldogs and even Daschunds!

I am in the middle of this B&T and Bluetick portrait. I should finish it up by the weekend and have a bit more time to get back to my education!


Have no fear, I will return!
dj*

[shpines]

I agree with dd. I wouldn't say that is a full english, but the pic that he posted is. And no, there are not any dumb questions.

[djstar]

With all the dogs in the world, I seem to have made friends with coonhound and Brittany owners.

This is a project I am in the middle of for a hunter. It is on a hide stretching board.

I am going to put her name under it, which will take much longer than the painting of the dog!!!


YOU are much more creative when it comes to ideas for my art than I seem to be!!
dj*

[Houndmomma]

That's great!!!

[djstar]

got it done. Waitiing for approval and send off:

Thanks for commenting!

I am pretty excited by this one. Just because it was a collaboration and because the picture I worked from was so INTENSE!!!
Here is the whole thing:

dj*