Copyright K. Straw 2014

I've gotten to know Diesel through a friend whose nephew owns him. From what I know he is a true nanny dog; watches over the young people in the house just as his kind was bred to do so many years ago. I love the way his portrait turned out, the reference photo was bland, but the joy of being an artist is bringing a scene back to life and to keep it that way as long as the painting can be viewed. I hope my friend's nephew likes this portrait of his best friend and I hope in years to come it brings him fond memories of his once in a lifetime dog. Till then, carry on, Diesel.

50 Paintings

Copyright Kellie Straw 2014

I've been enjoying painting small dog portraits for people on Facebook. I have an offer right now to paint their dog's portrait without an obligation to buy. This project has allowed me to paint almost every day of the week and many weekends as well. 50 paintings so far...now looking forward to a lifetime's worth!

Orso's Leap

  © Kellie Straw, all rights reserved.
 

Orso lives one of those really happy dog lives. He spends a lot of time outside hiking with his human and brother, Onxy; they both are very well behaved so they get to go everywhere. Painting Orso having the time of his life was a lot of fun for me on many levels. Plus his expression of joy was so contagious, I swore I felt myself as him, soaring over fallen tree limbs and chasing rabbits down a path, how could I not? I just adore this breed and know I will be one of those people that will always have a Rottweiler in my life. They are wonderful best friends since they take that role very seriously and pay close attention to your moods.

Thanks for the ride, Orso, happy trails to you!

Roisin's Red Blanket

  © Kellie Straw, all rights reserved.

This past summer I lived in an upstairs apartment above two little dogs that lived in the house below. I got to know them pretty quickly as they visited often. Roisin was known to have a bit of an attitude, probably a terrier thing, and bite people as a way of introductions, but for some reason, she didn't act out with me. She was a little shy at first so I gave her plenty of space but always a warm expression which seemed to soften her over time. After a few weeks we became fast friends and always looked forward to seeing one another in the mornings. I love her little tufts of long hair all over her face because they added to her overall charm and silliness. Here's Roisin all snuggled in her blanket on the sofa getting pets from her mama.

Casa Ballena ~ The Whale House of Punta Banda

  © Kellie Straw, all rights reserved.

One of my favorite houses in Punta Banda was the Casa Ballena; the House of Whale. This house sits on the beach with perfect viewing areas of the whales that sometimes make their way into the harbor. Each tower on the house offers lookout stations that can get the viewer high enough to see out into the Pacific to hopefully spot the yearly migration of many species of whales.

If you would like to purchase this original oil painting, please click this link:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/177988863/small-oil-painitng-by-kellie-straw-casa

Worldwide Sketch Crawl

Photo credit to Stephen Henderson

Yesterday was Worldwide Sketch Crawl Day where people all over the world met to sketch a small scene of where they lived. I met with fellow sketchers here in Austin and had a blast drawing and hanging out for the afternoon. So many wonderful drawings and captivating people.
http://www.urbansketchers.org/

Weenie Dog Swim Meet in Austin

  © Kellie Straw, all rights reserved.

Austin is known for many things, one of which is the expression, "Keep Austin Weird". It's in reference to preserving the uniqueness of this town and not allowing it to turn into "Every Town, USA". When Walk Your Dog Austin hosted the 1st Annual Weenie Dog Swim Meet this past summer, I just knew it would be a fun event to attend and get some reference photos to create a painting with later on. So a couple of days ago, inspired by the newness of oils on my brushes again, I found the photo I wanted to use to create a painting of the race. What a riot it was to see so many Dachshunds attempt to swim in perfect form across the springs to their cheering devoted, (albeit, perhaps a bit deluded) owner.  I'm definitely looking forward to next years event as well.

If you are interested in purchasing the original painting, please follow this link: 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/176702713/oil-painting-by-kellie-straw-1st-annual?
If you would like a print, please follow this link:
 http://kellie-straw.artistwebsites.com/featured/1st-aunnual-weenie-dog-swim-meet-kellie-straw.html