schopenhauer.

ah, arthur schopenhauer. 

wrinkles, flesh, feathery hair... all my favorite things. 

there are many portraits of schopenhauer out there, but this pose was the only one i wanted to paint. he was a request from another german philosopher, so the pressure was on--i had to get him right. hopefully, i succeeded. 

i could paint old wrinkly men and women all day, honestly. babies? gimme a break. innocence and purity in that sense are not things i'm drawn to. weathered wisdom, however, is something i can get behind.

brandy.

brandy has the most amazing coloring. chocolate cherry spots and a pinky nose.

brandy

acrylic on canvas

2009

mister darcy.

would you believe me if i told you this cat's person is an english professor? shocking, i know.

mister darcy

&

naughty mister darcy

acrylic on canvas

2009

drake.

this guy was photographed by the pool. he's about 13 years old.

drake

acrylic on canvas

2009

though he's old and tired, there's a semblance of contentment. 

khaki.

the first cat of the bunch. this was the funniest looking cat i've ever seen... she has these gigantic eyes that make her look like she's a walking photoshop project.

khaki

acrylic on canvas

2009

i do like the somewhat monochromatic thing going on here.

lilienne & mande

oh, jeez... people and their pets. at least the one on the right looks content. 

liliene & mande

acrylic on canvas

2009

roxie.

ah, another short-haired breed. 

roxie

(pet portraits, 9)

acrylic on canvas

2009 

the glossy coats really do require a completely different method. they also lend themselves more to a modern or abstracted portrait, but i resisted. if the owners don't directly request it, i default to a more traditional and straight forward image.