Pastel pet portrait of a reclining dog.

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches    SOLD

I was pleased to be able to create a very personal pastel pet portrait of this sweet little pup. It was a special birthday gift for my client’s friend. I worked from a photo and had never met this little gal, but her large, soft eyes indicated a quiet, docile disposition. Just the kind of dog I adore and a perfect subject for a pastel painting too!

Have an animal buddy that you would like to capture in a pet portrait? I’d love to help you out…

Pastel pet portrait of a Polish Lowland Sheepdog

Pastel painting 9 inches x 9 inches    SOLD

What a cutie! This little Polish Lowland sheepdog was an absolute joy to work with. She posed for the camera as if she had been a top model for years! I swear she knew what her “best side” was. We had a ton of great photos to pick from and her owner was especially taken with this view.

Creating a pastel pet portrait is always challenging when your subject is someone’s  cherished  buddy, but I think I caught this little pup’s likeness. And her owner seemed to like the outcome of the pastel painting too!

Check out her response and other client’s comments on their paintings here.

Pastel painting commission of dowtown Saline, Michigan

Pastel painting 18 inches x 24 inches       SOLD

I was so honored when River Gallery notified me that the art consultants for the new wing of the Saint Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital wanted me to create a large pastel commission of downtown Saline. I shot a lot of photo references and we settled on this storefront scene of the area on South Ann Arbor Street. Its a quaint little row of antique stores, barber and coffee shops and always looks picture perfect. I like painting architecture and I LOVE painting local scenes so this was a dream come true! I’m in the process of framing it and when it is done it will hang in the new community room of the hospital.

Pastel pet portrait painting of a chocolate labrador

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches   SOLD

I delivered this pastel pet portrait painting to my client yesterday morning. I think she liked it. When she saw it she hugged me and got all “verklempfed.” There is nothing like creating a piece of art that really connects with the new owner. Absolutely makes my day!

I spent the rest of the day painting plein air pastel landscapes of the the countryside north of Ann Arbor and will post some of those images in the next few days.

Looking forward to the Saline Paint Out on Saturday, July 25th. We will paint all around the Saline area and then have a reception at the Two Twelve Arts Center from 4-6pm with the paintings available for sale.  If you are interested, contact Taylor Jacobsen at

salinemills@provide.net

Pastel portrait of a young father teaching his daughter to fish.

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches  SOLD

I just finished this pastel portrait for a client who wanted a special present for her husband on Father’s Day. They were very happy with the results. I am doing more and more pastel commissions and watercolor commissions and absolutely loving the process. There’s nothing like creating a piece of art that makes someone happy!

I’d like to offer a special incentive for my regular blog viewers. If you send a commission client my way, I will happily let you chose one of my small artworks for your very own!

Contact me on my website and we can talk!

Pastel painting 4 inches x 5 inches   SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Finally finished the last puppy portrait commission. Each dog was very different in looks and temperament so I worked hard to create some commonalities between them with color and stroke. This pastel painting will be combined with the other 2 portraits in one mat and frame. I think it will make a great gift for my buddy’s dog-loving friend.