“Sydney” 2013 acrylic on canvas board
“Sydney” is my Aunt and Uncle’s Goldendoodle pup. I painted this portrait for them and it now resides in their house! A Goldendoodle, for those who don’t know, is a “designer dog” – a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. They are very spunky, fun, and intelligent dogs, and Sydney is no exception to that! My cousins often find Sydney doing interesting things with their spy cameras when no one is home. It’s quite hysterical.
“Anubis” 2013 acrylic on canvas
“Anubis” was painted for a friend of mine who adores Egyptian art. This piece was challenging because I was taking on a new style of art – exaggerated features, different use of color, etc, made me step outside my comfort zone. I wanted so badly to make the figure the proper proportions, but that wouldn’t make it true to the original Egyptian style. Despite its challenges, I liked doing this piece and I’m proud of the end product.
Inspired of course by Katsushika Hokusai’s art, I dabble in a new style. Love it! Acrylic on canvas, 2013
“Frenchie” 2013 Acrylic on canvas board
Who doesn’t love puppies? I mean, they’re pretty much the most irresistible thing in the world. I’ve painted a few of my favorite breeds today, and here they are for you!
“Cavalier” 2013 acrylic on canvas board
“Bullie” 2013 acrylic on canvas board
One of the most irresistible puppies to a lot of people is the French Bulldog. With their wrinkles and wide set eyes, they’re so ugly they’re adorable. And, they have great personalities.
Another one of my favorites, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. A smaller spaniel, they’ve got all the cuteness of spaniels bred into the cutest, softest little package you could get. They’re spunky and adorable!
Lastly, I’ve painted the English Bull Terrier. Made famous by Target, this breed has a uniquely bowed “roman” nose, and they’re very sweet little cuddle bugs. Very strong and sweet cuddle bugs!
I’ve always loved dogs, and I imagine they’ll be the subject of a lot more art to come. I hope you enjoyed!
All three of these pieces are available for purchase at my Etsy Shop.
“Bird of Paradise” 2006 acrylic on canvas board 9×12
My favorite flower – the bird of paradise, or Strelitzia. There are 5 varieties of the plant, which is native to South Africa. I saw these often, growing up in southern California, and I’m surprised I don’t see them here in Florida. They grow in a large bush, and occasionally I’ve found the cut flowers for sale at Whole Foods. A little unusual, perhaps, in the cut flower world, but I love them.
“Bird of Paradise” is available for purchase! It is 9×12″ on canvas board and ready for framing. You can purchase it at my etsy shop by clicking HERE. The price is $75 plus shipping. 🙂
“Out of the Ashes” 2013 acrylic on canvas
One of the more inspiring things about life is its ability to bounce back. When we get knocked down, we get back up. When a fire burns through the land, new life sprouts from the ashes. We regrow. We rebuild. We reinvent ourselves when failure inevitably comes knocking.
This particular painting is of course, of a phoenix, emerging again from the ashes in an explosion of fire. It symbolizes, for me, reinvention, adaptation, and new beginnings. It was painted for a friend, whose son’s name is an alternate spelling of the same word:phoenix. He’s probably the closest thing I’ve known to a kid of my own, and I miss him and his family dearly!
“Paige’s Owl” 2011 acrylic on canvas board
It seems that owls have become a popular thing lately. They’re pretty cool birds and come in lots of sizes. My personal favorite has to be the Burrowing Owl:
The Burrowing Owl, as its name suggests, lives in holes in the ground in mostly desert/prairie ecosystems, though it’s also found here in Florida (I’ve yet to see one…but I haven’t been looking). If there is one thing I have to say about Florida, it’s that it is chock full of birds of every feather.
Do a google image search of the Burrowing Owl, and I promise you’ll laugh. These guys are full of character and funny expressions. They eat mostly bugs, and that includes scorpions, too! They also are known to take down rabbits, bats, and other birds, and even eat fruits like the prickly pear – and they are the only species of owl that eat fruit. They’re pretty cool little guys.
Paige’s Owl was painted for a friend’s daughter to match her very colorful bedroom.
“Blues” 2011 acrylic on canvas board
“Blues” is one of my favorites because I just love some of the shades of blue that I used in it. This particular piece was donated to a local auction for charity. I was told the winner was quite happy to receive it.
Another color piece and dabbling in the abstract. I hope you enjoy it.
“Moose in Fall” 2010 acrylic on canvas board
The moose is one of my favorite animals, and I’ve been lucky enough to see them in the wild myself on several occasions. The moose is a massive animal – the sheer size of them is something to behold, with 7 feet their average height at the shoulder. The older bulls can grow antler spreads up to 6 feet wide that weigh 90 pounds! Can you imagine carrying around 90 pounds on your head? The antlers grow in at the rate of up to 1 inch per day, and are shed yearly. Another interesting fact – moose have 4 more DNA chromosomes than humans.
Of the more exotic animals I’d like to throw a saddle on and ride, the moose is up there with the giraffe. Here and here are some examples of other people with crazy ideas about saddling moose or hitching them up to wagons. The latter seems to be more popular.
Either way, moose are spectacular animals, and I enjoy capturing them in my artwork.
“Moose in Fall” was painted for and hangs at my parents’ home.
“Purple Sunset” 2007 acrylic on canvas board
One of the places that I have always wanted to visit is Hawaii. I’ve visited beaches from California to Florida and Mexico, and each of them I have found uniquely different from the other. I’d love to walk on the black volcanic sand and see the green cloaked mountains rising sharply from the sea, eat some local food, and enjoy the island life…if only for a short while.
Someday I will make it to Hawaii. But in the meantime, images of its beaches and sunsets have been the subject of a lot of my art. I’d love to climb into this scene and drift in the breeze in that hammock!
This piece was painted for a friend and brings the scenery of Hawaii to a Colorado home.
Jumping Jack Studios 
