Lily

Lily

Lily, originally uploaded by debifitz.

This is the photograph for my next pastel. It is the second time I have done this mare... the first was for this client's mother. She is rather special... especially to them! The plan is to do a more detailed progression. But I do have some time constraints... I need to get this done so that I can personally deliver it on my trip the end of this week... We shall see about that. I think this one is going to take a while.  It was requested that I do more progression photos of the back ground process... I have 4! The bg that I am using for this piece is not the one behind the horse. I chose to do another one from the same farm. A little more picturesque and with more depth.

Lily #1
pastel on PastelMat
private collection
19"X26"
I have started by placing where I want the trees and the darker areas. I try to work from left to right and from back ground  to foreground.  I use this hatching technique that helps to set the bg apart from the subject.  Although I do a hatching on the subject also, in the bg I will be a little loser, more impressionistic.  The idea is to have the back ground    enhance the subjects.

Danny & Ron's Rescue 2013

Danny & Ron's Rescue 2013, originally uploaded by debifitz.

That time of year again! Here is my latest piece for two of my favorite friends Ron Danta and Danny Robertshaw. They have set up this amazing dog rescue project... Since hurricane Katrina, they have placed 5,000 (!!!) dogs and a few cats! They have even rescued a donkey and a llama! The cow in this piece is Lorena... one of their many pets! I could not find a good photo of a llama... was afraid it would come out looking like a big shaggy dog!! This is the 4th calendar cover I have done for them...it is such an honor! The calendar is a great fund raiser. Each month is a dog that has been rescued... photo with a brief story. The calendar has just gone to press and will be available the first of October.

Their website is... www.dannyandronsrescue.com

Next year we are going to be doing them on their pontoon down in Wellington, Florida... their winter home! Should be fun! I always have a great time taking the photos for these projects! This last photo session we did in Camden, S.C.... their home base.  I spent two days with them... always an adventure!  They have at least 20 to 30 dogs that live with them in their home!!!  About 10 are permanent residents. The others are just there until they are adopted.  Lots of barking... but amazingly no fights!  They are trying to see just how each dog reacts to other dogs, people, children, cats and horses.  That way they find the best match for their forever homes. They micro chip each dog and have a contract signed so that they get the dogs back for whatever reason the match does not work out.  They are truly AMAZING people!  And I am so blessed to have them as such good friends!

Abe,Sara,&Clayton

Abe,Sara,&Clayton, originally uploaded by debifitz.

oil on canvas
private collection
28"X36"

www.djfitzgerald.com

This one was really a challenge and the reason I have not been blogging this summer! I have been working on this one forever it seems! The initial photos were taken 6 years ago! They finally decided what they wanted to do 2 years ago ... but they wanted a more recent photo of Sara. So I took a few head shots of her... at the correct angle with the right lighting etc... I have done this before, but for some reason this one was harder to make it work. Another thing... the initial photos were 35 mm and of the whole bodies.... so cropping down to the upper half left me little details in the photos.... I am so spoiled to digital! I still feel like I could work on it some more. But I have other clients that are getting impatient, not to mention some bills that would like to get paid! So I have to let it go.... I delivered it to its home yesterday and the client and subject were happy... She wants me to do a portrait of her son and another one of her two dogs! So all is good!

Will and Claire

pastel on Clairefontaine PastelMat

private collection

19"X26"

This is another pastel that I finished a couple of weeks ago.  I really enjoyed working on this background... sometimes I find that I spend more time on the backgrounds than the subjects!  But I loved playing with the colors in this one!  The only problem I had was that there was a small stump in the foreground that I had to take out... don't know why I did not notice it while taking the photos... actually I do... I am working so hard to get Claire to put her ears up that I did not notice the very small stump!  And it covered up her feet.  So I had to "fudge" a little!  That is a high tech art term btw!   But other than that, I am pleased!

Some good news today!  One of my portraits has been selected to be on the cover of the  American Veterinary Medical Association monthly journal!  Actually I forgot that I had submitted my work to them.  A good friend, who's husband is a vet, suggested that I submit my work... that was 2 years ago!  They try to use a wide variety of art work for their covers... both in subject matter and mediums.  AVMA has published some beautiful cover art.  I am happy to be in their gallery.  Such a nice surprise!  I will post the cover when it comes out in October.

Still working on the large oil painting....  hopefully I will be finished next week!

Brian & Rascal

Brian & Rascal, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on Clairefontaine PastelMat
private collection
19"X26"

http://www.djfitzgerald.com
http://www.facebook.com/D.J.Fitzgerald.Art

This is one I finished a while ago. I am sorry I have not blogged in a while... after my last trip, I just got out of the habit and I had a bunch of work to catch up on. I will try to post some of these in the next few days. I have also been working on a large painting in between a few pastels... trying to get it done and I have been really bad about taking progression photos of it... I was on a roll and did not want to take the time. I will post the few I have taken later.

Hope everyone is having a good summer... for once, it is cooler here in Florida, than most of the rest of the country! Although we have already had a tropical storm go through... my name sake.. Debby! She was not too bad, but did hang around a little longer than she was welcome! We needed the rain... but not all at one time! Our property was alright, but our driveway was flooded. I could not drive my car through it for about a week! Most of the water has gone down. Now we have a major mosquito problem and have just been taken over by baby toads! My chickens have been thoroughly enjoying the toads... should have some really healthy eggs for the next few weeks! And my new cologne is "ode de off"... the "Deep Forest" scent! Sort of tired of that... but trying not to complain "too" much. Because I love having lots of grass for the horses! Although I do feel so sorry for them being out with the mosquitoes 24/7. I have been spraying them as much as possible and have been lighting tiki torches with citronella oil around their pastures. They do hang out around the torches... so I guess they are helping! Summer in Florida!

Margaret&Scout

Margaret&Scout, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on suede bd.
private collection
20"X26"

http:www.djfitzgerald.com
http://www.facebook.com/D.J.Fitzgerald.Art

This is a portrait I did back in 2001 for a client that became a good friend. In this business you meet a lot of people... most good, a few... not so good, and some that end up becoming a part of your life. Margaret become a part of my life. Over the years I have done a lot of work for her and other members of her family. Some of my favorite pieces are in her collection! Whenever I was in North Carolina I would try to catch up with her. Always saw her at the horse shows... she is one of the few sane (as sane as horse people can be!) people I know at the horse shows! Sadly, Margaret lost a long battle with breast cancer yesterday. This is the very first piece I did for her. And to this day it is one of my very favorites... mostly because it perfectly conveys her love for her horse, Scout. She has had many horses in her life, but Scout stayed with her even when he had to be retired because of EPM. Where most people donate their horses to make room for the new ones, she kept him. I had the privilege of photographing Scout a couple of months ago with the friend who has adopted him from Margaret. Margaret wanted me to do a portrait of them because they had helped each other through some rough times. I got to see Margaret for the last time on that photo shoot. I knew it would be the last time I would see her... Margaret, your courage, strength and grace has truly inspired me to try to be a better person. You will be missed!

Pebbles

Pebbles, originally uploaded by debifitz.

pastel on Clairefontaine PastelMat
private collection
8"X11"

http://www.djfitzgerald.com

This is a quick one I have done for a friend to give a friend for all her help with a wedding. So it is a surprise... but I think I am safe to post it here. I don't usually do pastels this small.... head shots of dogs and cats are about the only subjects I would consider. It is just too hard to get the details in that small on anything else. When you put in as much detail as I do, the smaller sizes are harder to do. And I really can't charge more for them... but I should! So I don't advertise this size. But I really like the way this one came out... very sweet. I have actually done this dog in a group when she was much younger. It is nice to see a portrait of her at this age. I think my friend will be touched.