Two Custom Paintings Completed

This first painting was a request from my niece to paint her Labradoodle dog. I met the dog once, and she sent me a few photos. This is what I came up with. I used modeling paste to make the nose and eyes 3-dimensional.

Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph this piece before it left the house, so all I have is this cell phone shot from her after she hung it.

I wrote her name "Mazzy" in bright colors on the painting for an overall playful feel.

The next painting, on a custom made 36x42 inch canvas, was SO MUCH FUN. My neighbor commissioned this piece to hang on a prominent wall in her open floor plan modern house. The painting is next to the kitchen and dining table.

This is fashioned after Matisse's "Basket of Oranges" which was the only painting that Picasso purchased from Matisse. Picasso hung it in his studio for many years. I loved the design, the colors, and my favorite detail is the moldy orange on the right.

My painting is 27 percent larger than the original by Matisse. I am so grateful to my neighbor and friend for giving me this golden opportunity.

I completed these two works in the summer of 2017.