Man's Best Friend

Good morning! I hope this post finds you enjoying the beautiful day. This month's blog post is about our furry friends so many of us have. One of my favorite subjects to paint has been dogs. Did I realize that when I set out to market my work? No, not at all. When looking through my work, I have found that I navigate to painting a dog quite often. What draws me to those faces? Could it be the loyalty and love they show? Could it be the quirky and happy expressions? Could it be the textures that invite me to paint? Yes, it is all of the above and more.

Currently I am working on a piece that I knew I would paint the minute I snapped the photo of him. I took countless photos of him. He is a friend's dog and what a character he is. he might be the funniest looking, beautiful guy I have ever met. What a personality! Stay tuned for the progression of the piece and the finished piece.

The thing that is universal about our fun loving friends is that they touch so many people no matter the age or the environment in which they live. They are forever loyal and will be your reliable sidekick their whole lives. They are always happy.

Studies have shown that if you look into the eyes of a dog Oxycontin levels are raised in both the human and dog. This is a hormone produced in the brain responsible for bonding, nurturing and attachment between mother and child. Social interactions with loved ones elicit this response as well, creating happiness. Dogs are truly the prescription for feeling good. With my pharmacy background I would say that is the best medicine! Have you seen the jokes about when you come up to a person walking their dog and you greet the dog and not the human? It is so true. They draw people to them.

So go out on a walk today with your best friends. Or go visit a shelter and volunteer to walk a sweet one there if you don't have a furry friend. My best friends are keeping me on my daily run schedule. When I don't feel like it, there they are butting me with their noses, saying, lets go, its time to go run! They are amazing friends and hopefully this post will remind you of how great those sidekicks really are.

Pictured Below:

Sparky Lou, Zorro, Sparks, Sparkalicous...our German Shepard, Husky, Malimute, Wolf mix. He is a lovey!