"Bree In Heaven," acrylic painting © Judy Lavoie 2018
  • MEDIUM:  Acrylic on Canvas
  • SIZE:  20" x 16"
  • STATUS:  Sold, done as a commission

"I love painting animal portraits, but most often they are just 'head shots.' When my friend Jenny sent me a photo of Bree and asked if I could make it into a painting, it included the cute pup's whole body, in a pose which truly intrigued me. I knew it would be a challenge, but that's what makes an artist grow, so I took on the commission eagerly. Sadly, at age 15 Bree had died recently, and the painting would be a surprise gift for her owner, Jenny's daughter-in-law. Just yesterday someone told me how much they loved looking at the dog portrait I did for them years ago, bringing back wonderful happy memories of their dog long gone. I am so pleased that my paintings can have this impact.

In this painting I especially enjoyed capturing the backlighting, the varying textures of fur, the out-of-focus background, and the foreground growth which balanced the composition. Both Jenny and Bree's mom were delighted with how I captured Bree too."