Sea Dean Large paintings

The other day I was contacted by a patron asking about large paintings. It got me thinking.

When I was a daily painter, the heart of the movement was to complete a painting every day, plus the tasks involved in running an art business, which leaves little time to paint large. Therefore, in the past I've only painted large on commission or for a specific exhibition, which Results in a very varied collection.

A Commissioned 24" square pet portrait

I consider "large" as over $500, 850 sq ins, or 24" x 36". Chances are that as I work on my bucket list projects and move away from daily painting, I will be producing larger works, but I thought it would be a good idea to show what I currently have on hand. Each link takes you to the listing in my Daily Paintworks Gallery.

La Vie en Rose 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/sea-dean/5030-la-vie-en-rose-ii-exhibition-size/337129

Trans Canada Air Pageant

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/sea-dean/5036-trans-canada-air-pageant-1931-exhibition-size/364762

Beyond the Stars

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/sea-dean/5013-beyond-the-stars-exhibition-size/330385

Misty Walk on Long Beach

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/sea-dean/1018-misty-walk-on-long-beach-premium/86288

Light and Shadow

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/sea-dean/2069-light-and-shadow-view-from-my-window-series/85244d

Wild Companions

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/sea-dean/4151-the-river-flows-raw-edge-painting/259917

Link to my XL Gallery Annex
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/sea-dean-2797/artwork/#/category=XL&mode=search

CAT ON A ROCK and SYLVESTER

CAT ON A ROCK
6" x 4" Strathmore Windpower
Matted to 8" x 10"



These two kitties joined my pet portrait wall during my solo exhibition. Tomorrow the exhibition comes down, and Sunday is Mother's Day, so you can still drop in and pick up one of my small paintings for Mom. If you're out of town I can send you a copy to pop in the card and tell her the original is on the way.

SYLVESTER ACEO
2.5" x 3.5" Canvas Card
Mounted on 3" x 4" Cradle




You can just see Sylvester on the bottom right on this wall in the Coffee House.

2016 LIBERATE YOUR ART (LYA 16) POSTCARD ARRIVAL - ANGELA and SHEILA

Now my work is in Arkansas. That's a first. Angela of Fort Smith, AR USA posted this image of her inspiration wall.

And Sheila of Wildomar, CA USA showed off her latest side swaps by laying them on her watercolour painting board. Sheila is my greatest fan. You will often see her comments beneath my blogs. We often swap things back and forth. I can't wait to receive her swap card. You can see her blog post here.

2016 LIBERATE YOUR ART (LYA 16) POSTCARD ARRIVAL - LOUISE, SHARON, EMILY and DIANA

When you receive a swap postcard, it is customary to post an image on the Facebook event page here. This is the image and tribute that Louise Mamet in France wrote when she received mine. 

"Train wheels are running through the back of my memory
When I ran on a hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece..."

Bob Dylan and Band

I was inspired by these words upon receiving Sea Dean's side swap of Liberate your Art 2016... Sea is an amazing artist capturing so well the expressions while portraying these pets. Her website is paintamasterpiece.blogspot.com, now you understand better why I thought of the above lyrics... 

On a more personal note, the ceramic dog standing next to Sea's postcard was my mother's pet when she was a little girl... So precious ️

Bloggers Note:  I look forward to receiving Louise's side swap in a few weeks time when I can share her art and hopefully her website.

Emily received a swap postcard in Ashburn, VA, USA and her cat Mister was not impressed

I have received word that three of my LYA 2016 postcards have arrived, one in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, one in Ashburn, Virginia, USA and the other in Fullerton, California, USA. I will have to check my list, but I think that's a first for my work in Iowa and Virginia.

Sharon with one of her "Shedders" (I had to smile) and my postcard in Iowa City, IA, USA. Apparently her doggie was a bit camera shy

2016 LIBERATE YOUR ART (LYA 16)

The "Liberate your Art" postcard swap took place on Saturday in Corvalis, Oregon, USA. Artists from all over the world send 5 postcards of their work to the swap and eventually receive 6 back. They are collages, paintings, digital art, etc. and all quite different. This year I have arranged 10 side swaps and I've already seen some of the postcards I will receive, but most will be a lovely surprise.

The postcards are mailed from Oregon in six batches. As postcards start to arrive the artists will share images and destinations on their blogs and on the FB event page here. The organizer will also be producing a video of the postcards and there is a blog hop event starting soon to display some of the received cards.

The postcard I chose this year is my new pet portrait postcard that I'm going to be distributing at local vets and grooming parlors. It is a collage of completed commissions and one exhibition piece. Any pet can be commissioned, but I've never done a pet bird, hamster, or more exotic pet. There's always a first time though.

MONCHO MEXICAN BANDIT

MONCHO
by Sea Dean
16" x 12" Wrap Canvas
Acrylic
NFS

My nephew was one of those kids that always brought home strays. Actually he still does, but he's a busy 24 year old now. One day when he was still a small boy he brought home a stray he found in a garbage bin. After a bit of persuading, Moncho became part of the family. He was one of those great dogs that loved everyone and was always willing to join in.

Moncho, therefore, was my nephew's childhood dog. The kids played with him like a living doll and he never complained. When they dressed up, Moncho had to be dressed too and he was a good sport. This painting is from a photo of Moncho on one of those occasions.
 
Eventually Moncho aged and succumbed to illness. He left the family at a ripe old age and his presence on the patio is still missed.

I love painting large portraits of pets, from the owner's photos, so contact me to reserve a spot for your favorite pal.

COOL CAT

COOL CAT
4"  x 6" Strathmore 140lb 300 g/m2
Original watercolor



I can't stay away from painting animals too long. I was inspired to paint this photo when I couldn't sleep a few nights ago. Those eyes grabbed me and pulled me in and said "Paint me, paint me!". I usually paint cats that have slitty pupils, but these wide open blue pools were so beautiful that I reached for my handy little watercolour set and got started.

At first I thought I would do a quick sketch, but it was about 4am when I finally put my brush down. It's amazing how long a small painting can take sometimes. They always say don't attempt to paint every piece of hair or fur, but in this case I think it works beautifully. Unfortunately every hair was carefully considered and that took time.

I've received word that I have at least one sale at our new airport location and perhaps more. I'm contemplating what to submit for the next call, closing in April. It is requested that we focus on locally inspired art. Visitors are attracted to our area for so many reasons, the lakes, the fishing, the skiing, the wineries, the fruit, hiking, water sports etc. that there are so many options to choose from. Last time I submitted mainly local scenes on canvas, but I haven't painted many lately.

We can only submit 10 works and they are exhibited for half a year, so it's a bit nerve racking. Small, inexpensive and stunning sells well, but 10 x $50 is only $500 less commission and fees so not a good payback for all the work. 10 x $100 sounds better, but they would have to be totally awe inspiring to sell at that price in a departure lounge.

I'm considering wildlife for a change and I don't mean what spills out of the local clubs at closing time.

PEPSI TOO - COMMISSION SOLD

PEPSI TOO
COMMISSION SOLD

My last commission of the year. The third portrait of my client's cat Pepsi. For this portrait I was asked to "have fun" and create something different. I made a start and sent a draft to my patron to see if she liked the composition. I intended something much more elaborate in the background, however the word came back that she loved it just the way it was. So Pepsi the elongated blue Pepsi is now settling in to his new home.

I love this kind of large pet portrait. It seems to me that pets should be painted in their natural environment and doing something they love. I am making a record of a happy moment when the pet was young, healthy and healthy. They are gone too soon from our lives but a portrait helps them live on.

If you would like a portrait of your pet or one as a gift, please contact me. They start around $100 depending on surface, paint and framing. Gift Certificates available.

PEPSI PORTRAIT SOLD COMMISSION

PEPSI PORTRAIT
16" x 12" Deep Gallery Wrap
Commission
SOLD

No, you're not seeing double. I finished a portrait of Pepsi a couple of weeks ago which was for a 21st birthday gift. I'm told that the portrait was an "Enormous Hit!" with the entire family. I promptly received a commission for another closeup portrait and possibly another more impressionistic one in a tall format.

I started the elongated version a week ago and took it to work on at a show. A couple of people were really interested in buying it unfinished and the owner loves it, but I still need to do some tweaking. Today I was going to work on PEPSI TWO, but armed with a brand new canvas I couldn't resist starting on the closeup. This also needs a couple of small tweaks, but it's almost done, so PEPSI PORTRAIT is my painting for today.

This collection of portraits is using the same photo but I needed to make them look different to each other which is quite challenging. Below is the first version with the beautiful rock and impressionist flowers. In the closeup I have changed the colouring slightly, although it still looks very blue in this image. The other one I will show in a day or so, but it is very different.

I heard somewhere once that an artists favourite painting is always the one they are working on at the time or the one they have just finished. This is certainly the case with PEPSI PORTRAIT.

I intend creating more portraits in the New Year, both pet and human, so if you have a favourite image of either, send it and I'll put it on the list.

PEPSI COLA - A COOL CAT

PEPSI COLA
20" x 16" Deep Gallery Wrap Canvas
Commissioned Pal Portrait

I was just going to block in this portrait on the canvas and then get back to moving my studio. As you see, that didn't happen and I just couldn't put the portrait aside. I thorougly enjoyed creating an impressionist, almost pointillist background and those rocks were mesmerizing.

Pet portraits make a perfect gift. This is for a 21st birthday gift and depicts the childhood pal of the lucky recipient. Such a different portrait to my last one. Being a black cat, Pepsi is very appropriate for the season.

MEMORIAL PET PORTRAIT PROGRESS SHOTS - SESHA

SESHA
by Sea Dean
8" x 6" Strathmore Windpower
SOLD

This is a commission memorial pet portrait. Sesha passed recently and her owner misses her furry presence. She used to love to sit near the heater in the bathroom on her peachy coloured blanket, so I incorporated the colour in the background. When her owner walked into the bathroom to find her she always had a guilty look as if she had been stealing a nap on duty.

Once the owner has approved the portrait I will add some of Seshas ashes to the fur to make a special memorial to a much loved puss.

If you've lost a much loved companion I would be happy to do the same thing for you. My Memorial Portraits start at $105 for an 8" x 6" U Frame it painting. I can also mat and frame if you prefer.

CUSTOM WORK, COMMISSIONS AND BESPOKE PAINTINGS

SPRING REFLECTIONS by Sea Dean - Commission for G Parker

COMMISSIONS

Custom Commissions or Bespoke Paintings are always exciting and highly challenging. Many artists don't accept commissions because they take many times longer than a regular painting and can be very stressful, especially if they involve a human or pet portraits.

On the other hand, I enjoy commissions. I usually paint from a client's photo, so I can communicate over the internet and then ship anywhere in the world. If local and the client doesn't have a suitable photo, I conduct a photo session. I've never painted a portrait from life, but I would love to now I have a comfortable studio. My commissions are available in any size from postcard 6" x 4" to giant. I can ship anywhere prepaid.

Below are some of my recent requests. I'm currently painting a commissioned larger version of a one of my nest paintings, which I will blog when finished.

It seems like a long way off, but if you are considering a commission for "off to college" or the holidays, I would suggest contacting me now so I can schedule you in. Commissions take focused and dedicated time; they can't be rushed. I hate to disappoint clients because they leave it to the last minute.

SUNSET AT MEPAL by Sea Dean - Commission for B Jones

MILES by Sea Dean - Commission for M Manderioli

PAWS by Sea Dean - Commission for Mr and Mrs J Vanden Bos

STANLEY by Sea Dean - Commission for P Carlson and Family

MISTY WALK ON LONG BEACH by Sea Dean - Commission for C H Dean

FAT CAT by Sea Dean - Commission for M Thwaites

NAPTIME by Sea Dean - Commission for S and T O'Rielly

DAILY PAINTWORKS CONTEST and PAINTING YOUR PET

MILES by Sea Dean - 10" x 8" Arches Board

Every month, the platform where I market my art online has a contest. The judge is usually a fellow artist and this month it's Johnathan Aller. You can submit any 2D work whether it is available or not and whether you are a member of DPW or not. The cost is $10 for members and $14 for non members. The prizes are 1st - $500, 2nd - $300, and 3rd - $150 and the top 15 artists become DPW featured artists for a month for free! I enter because the prize is attractive, but more importantly I would like the exposure of being a featured artist.

This month I submitted my painting of Miles, a little doggie I've never met, but I'm told he has quite a personality. It is painted on one of my favourite surfaces, Canson Arches board, which I discovered at a demo by famous local watercolour artist Alex Fong.

The surface you paint on has quite an effect on the finished work, and I love the velvety and very forgiving texture of this board. It give a more realistic and smooth look to a painting with soft edges, perfect for fur.

I'm currently available to paint PAL PORTRAITS, so if you know someone with a special pet, or if you want to immortalize your own special companion, please contact me in comments. Years ago, before I became a professional artist, I had a portrait painted of my darling cat Kitza and it still brings me joy every day, even though she passed a long time ago. So I know first hand what a wonderful gift they make.

PAWS by Sea Dean - 8" x 10" Canvas Panel

REF 4168 Miles - REF 3060 Paws

LIBERATE YOUR ART POSTCARD SWAP - Artist Marjorie Thompson

THE OLD HOUND by Sea Dean

THE OLD HOUND
by Sea Dean
12" x 10" Wrap Canvas
$100

View my online Gallery of originals here DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here

Postcard by Marjorie Thompson

This lovely postcard portrait (center)  is from Marjorie Thompson of Seattle, Washington, USA who is currently working in Encaustic. It's amazing what she can do with wax. See more of her work here.

On the back of the postcard Marjorie has written a quote from Thoreau...

"This world is but a canvas to our imagination".

I have pictured the postcard on display in my studio gallery with a couple of my pet portraits and a landscape.

I wanted to find something in my body of work that echoed Marjorie's style and the painting above seemed to fit being slightly mysterious and poignant.

More about Kat Sloma's project here.


REF 3209 The Old Hound

PRAY FIRST - HOWL LATER - A PAL PORTRAIT OF ZEVRON

PRAY FIRST - HOWL LATER
By Sea Dean
12" x 6" Wrap Canvas
$90
Ready to hang

To view my online Gallery of originals please visit Daily Paintworks
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here


ZEVRON CHALLENGE

I painted this doggie for a challenge by Kimberly Kelly Santini. She entitled her version of this photo ZEN DOG, which I love, but I thought it was disrespectful to copy her clever title. Hence PRAY FIRST HOWL LATER was born. Kelly will post paintings of the "Zevron" photo painted by her readers before March 31st. ("I will add all artwork created by March 31, 2015, to a photo album on my Facebook page created specifically for this purpose"). Take a look at the other entries which are really fantabulous.


Ref 5032 Pray first - Howl Later

LIBERATE YOUR ART - POSTCARD EXCHANGE - DOTTY DRESS FRAMED

DOTTY DRESS
By Sea Dean
Framed and Ready to Display

6" x 4" on Canvas Panel
1 1/2" Black Frame (approx 8" x 10")
$85

To view my online Gallery of originals please visit Daily Paintworks
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO here

I love this happy painting. It always makes me smile. It gives me thoughts of sunny days and romance in the country.

LIBERATE YOUR ART

Blogged on from Sheila Delgado and Kat Sloma

This sounds like a fun thing to do and an inexpensive wasy to get your art in front of many eyes. I believe that artists today have to try everything they can and I look forward to meeting new friends from around the world. Get your skates on though because you must sign up by tonight.

I will select my five postcards from some I already sell. See my postcard and art cards here. My Art Card selection is a bit limited at the moment, so if you want them shipped immediately please contact me for current stock. If you would like one or several of the cards below, I am offering them to my readers this week for the special price of $1 each plus postage. Please contact me to purchase.

UNWRAPPED - GREETING AT THE DOCK - Pal portrait and favourite commission of the year

My favourite commission of the year, GREETING AT THE DOCK with Stella and Stanley.

This was a large commission for a pet portrait, so took longer than usual. I had to redesign Stella, the little black dog because she is very active and no one photo could capture her look. The last photo is not the finished version as in the rush to varnish and dry I forgot to take a final photo. I hope to take one in the future.

PHOTO SESSION - Stella and Stanley

PHOTO SESSION STELLA

PHOTO SESSION STANLEY

MASTER PHOTO

PHASE I - Underpainting - 24th Nov

PHASE II Working from photo on laptop - 25th Nov

PHASE III - Placing lights and darks - 25th Nov

PHASE IV - Working on Background - 25th Nov

PHASE V - Adding dock - 25th Nov

PHASE VI - Painting Stanley - 29 Nov

PHASE VII - Shadow - 1 Dec

PHASE VIII - Stella appears - 5 Dec

PHASE IX - Stella's face - 8 Dec

PHASE X - Stella Face and that tricky back leg - 12 Dec

PHASE XI - Finally a good position for that leg - 17 Dec

PHASE XII - Redesigning the dock - 18 Dec

PHASE XIII - Adding distant point and lighter foliage - 19 Dec

PHASE XIV - Nearly done - 22 Dec

I will post the final version when I can.

If you know someone that would love a PALS PET PORTRAIT, please send them this blog and ask them to contact me.