Deer hounds

In 1969 my dad found and rescued a puppy of undetermined breed.

He grew and grew,

and grew some more. We found out we had

a Scottish Deer Hound. My brother named

him Thunderbolt. He was huge but very

gentle, letting our cat ride on his back.

It was fun to paint these deer hounds.

 

It's so cold and bare here. No snow yet. We're in hibernation mode.

Wearing lots of layers and doing inside stuff. 

Underground spring bulbs are dreaming.

Hope you are warm!

More dogs and two new tools I love

 I've continued practicing watercolor washes over ink drawings.

 Less concerned with realism-trying to get personality.

 Backing up a bit on ink-working more layers of watercolor.

And trying out new creatures as subjects.

 Leaving more white unpainted for highlights.

 Adding Chinese white gouache when paint slides and darkens what I want to stay white.

I know this is my skill level showing. But the eyes above were flat before a bit of white.

This ink seems to slide off the pen nib, a joy to use. No skritchy feel.

 I highly recommend Jetpens for hard to find stationary items. This

 Platinum Carbon Ink is truly waterproof. Pricey but worth it. They offer

free shipping if your order is $25 or more.

Another great tool, 2mm lead sharpener. It holds the graphite shavings until you empty it.
I researched these tools and the good reviews helped with my decision to buy. I like how

 spare my supplies are after the great clear out/donation this fall.

 Cool design.

Opie 'riding' the big yellow table. Yes, he sits there while I work. He barks at

critics and loves all that I make. The best kind of a studio buddy!

Snow light

I think this dog should be named Gen. Beauregard Lee.

In honor of Groundhog Day.

The snow light here is wonderful, soft and spirit lifting.