"Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul." Vincent Van Gogh

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

John and Tilly


Gwen and her husband John have been my friends for a very long time - actually since Gwen and I were 10 years old. They are Scottish but are now living in England. Recently Gwen and John rescued Tilly from their local pound and she immediately wedged her way into their home and their hearts. This photo was taken one day just after John and Tilly had exhausted each other with the big red ball in the backyard. I just love the story this photo tells, the color and the composition so I immediately reached for a canvas and painted the scene. The painting is 18x24 oil on canvas. Today I shipped it oveseas to Gwen for her August birthday. It will be a complete surprise and I can hardly wait to hear her reaction. I sure hope she (and John and Tilly) like it!

2 comments:

  1. What a wonderful gift, Susan! I love this one.... I love how you changed up the photo to make a better painting. I remember my grandfather throwing one leg over the arm of his recliner while smoking a cigarette... I wish I had a photo of that so I could paint him the way I remember him. Fantastic painting, as usual!

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  2. Thanks, Gina - I really had a great time painting this. I haven't seen John and Gwen for many many years - this photo brought back a lot of memories.

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