New Dog Portrait: a dog named after a river

The owner of Stono (who is named after the Stono River, Johns Island, SC) will be surprised on his birthday with this portrait of his good buddy, a chocolate Labrador retriever.  Dark-colored dogs can be difficult to paint, as the details of the face are often hard to see.  A great photo makes all the difference!  (You don't think dogs SIT for their portraits, do you?)  The gift-giver and I photographed Stono on a sunny day, making sure that his head was in the light.  We got down on his level to get the best shot.  Some little treats were Stono's reward for posing.  :-)

Why commission a portrait?

Five good reasons to commission a portrait: 

•    Capture your child's sweetness before he or she gets any older.
•    Create a portrait of "the way they were"-- Dig up that old photo... (See the example above.)
•    Commemorate a special occasion or milestone.
•    Freeze in time a beautiful image that will last for generations.
•    Give a portrait as a gift.

The painting of Roger and Rodney, done in acrylic on an 12" x 12" canvas, was commissioned for a special occasion-- A milestone anniversary (60th!) soon to be celebrated by their parents.  The old photo that was provided by the client is somewhat damaged, but the cuteness of their faces shines through well enough to inspire a successful portrait. 

So-- Why have a portrait painted just for you?  All of the above!
Contact me for prices and more information:  nromness@comcast.net     

Courtyard Camellias

This painting was inspired by a photo I took, in February, of a camellia bush in the courtyard of St. Matthew's Church in Charleston, SC.  The composition of the photo was not very interesting, but cropping the image into a square made it more appealing to me.  I like all the diagonals that resulted.

Roxy: A Puppy Portrait

This elegant lady was painted for a Christmas gift. Roxy is also a "grand-dog" of the client who commissioned "Cooper," below. The canvas is just 8" x 10", so it's a nice compact piece of art.

October Bride

This pretty bride was a delight to paint. If she had actually posed live, she would have had to stand still for more than 45 hours! However, she carefully selected an inspiration photo from the many taken before her wedding. I work very slowly when doing a portrait-- It must be precise. I especially enjoyed working on the lace.

A Celebration Portrait

This portrait was commissioned for the celebration of a beautiful woman's birthday-- A "big" one, though she looks much younger, both in real life and in paint. The inspiration photo was taken at a festive event on a cruise. The background of the photo has a lot of red in it, and some unidentifiable ship equipment. For the painting, the background colors were chosen to fit with the room where it is displayed. The mossy greens are a flattering-to-the-face choice, as well.

Wild and Gentle...

These paintings are not mine, but were created by participants at a respite care program for people with memory loss. I coordinated the projects, but the painting work is done by others. I plan, suggest, guide, and help mix the colors, but I leave the brushwork to the participants. As tempting as it is to "fix" a stroke of the brush, I refrain from doing that. The charm and "primative" look of the completed painting come from the quirks of each painter's individual mind and hand. The paintings will probably be auctioned at a fundraiser to benefit Quality Time Respite Care in Charleston, SC.

Child's portrait-- Hadley

This portrait is done in acrylic on canvas and measures 16" x 20." The background is a mix of blues, greys and beiges.

I have recorded all the measurements-- centimetres from top of head to chin, and so forth-- so that in a couple of years, and a few years after that, I can do matching paintings of Hadley's younger brother and sister when they reach age 5. Their mom is already thinking ahead-- What if her daughter has long hair and a bow on the top? I have planned space for that. The three are beautiful children and I look forward to painting the siblings.

We'll Always Have Paris

The young couple offered a black & white photo that they had taken of themselves near the Eiffel Tower. This is the resulting painting, which is done in acrylic on canvas and measures 16" x 20". Painting in black and white is probably more difficult than painting in color, because there are infinite shades of grey. I could mix a shade that looked just right on the brush and on the palette, but it might be way off when I applied it to the canvas. I am happy with the finished work, though... I hope that the young lovers will be pleased with it, too.

Relaxed and Happy

This portrait was done in acrylic on a canvas that measures 20" x 24". My client presented a favorite photo of her husband, but she requested a tropical setting with palms, beach and ocean. This worked because the inspiration photo had been taken outdoors on a sunny day.
I think she will be getting exactly what she wanted.

Under the Sea

I did this painting for the bedroom of two sweet baby twin boys, Colton and Cooper.  They were born March 10.  Their parents decorated the bedroom with a fish/ocean theme and wanted a painting for the wall above the babie's cribs.  

Palmettos on the Beach

Aren't these palmettos cute against the little clouds, the ocean waves, and the golden sand? This is not my work but that of Arthur, Chuck, Betty C., Betty F., Bill, Alta Mae, Diane, Mildred, Naomi, and Shirley.  They are participants at Quality Time Respite Care in Charleston, where I volunteer about twice a month.  I provided the inspiration photo, suggested colors to use, and did a lot of hovering.  Two or three people painted at a time, during many sessions.  We used acrylics on canvas.  The work is large, about 4 feet wide by 3 feet tall.  The painting was finished on June 30.  I am looking forward to doing another painting with this group.  A smaller canvas would be a good idea, as some painters had a hard time reaching the center of the canvas while sitting.  Quality Time Respite Care offers a social activity time to people with memory loss while their care givers have a chance to do the things that they need to get done.