Growth doesn’t usually happen in leaps and bounds. It’s something that sneaks up on you; it’s masked by time and embedded in the act of showing up every day. One day, you look up and realize you’ve traveled a great distance, closing the gap between where you want to be and where you were. It was done in increments so small they were barely noticed. You hope for it, catch glimpses of it, and feel like you’re making some progress, but you don’t really know how far you’ve come until you take the time to measure.
I had the chance to do that last week, and even though I know I’ve grown a lot as an artist, I was still pretty excited at the tangible evidence. This was the second commissioned dog portrait I painted. I had painted Sebastian and the cats and was toying with the idea of offering commissioned pet portraits. If I were to do that, I would need clients willing to let me practice. A handful of blog followers commissioned portraits at a steeply discounted rate, and I got to work.
One of the first things I learned was that painting shaggy white or beige dogs would be a struggle! It was one I would have to fight my way through, though, because sooooo many breeds are white or beige and shaggy.
This is Boykie, a service dog belonging to one of my long-time blog followers. He’s a poodle/lab mix with black skin and white fur, so this commission was really going to push me. I tried to find the colors in the neutrals and the form under all that fur. I cringe when I look at this painting now, but I was very proud of it at the time.
As it happens, Boykie’s family wanted to commission a larger portrait of him, set in a historically inspired landscape. I’ve thought about revisiting some of my first pet portraits, and this was a great opportunity to do just that. While I had lots of photos of Boykie and I was working on another commission for them, I would paint a new 8 x 10 portrait. It was as much for myself as it was for the client.
Here is that portrait…
It’s the same dog, same artist, same medium, and a very similar palette (just slightly amended). But I have completed about 1,000 paintings from the first to the last. I haven’t kept track, but I’ve probably painted and sketched over 300 dogs alone. I am the same person, but I’m not the same artist.
As I’ve shared many times over the years on this blog, it’s almost impossible to do something daily or regularly without getting better at it. If you write every day, you’re going to compose better sentences and tell more compelling stories. If you bake a couple of times each week, you’re going to start turning out sourdough bread with a perfect crust and crumb. If you work in your garden every spring and summer, you’re going to become more proficient with what your plants and bushes require to thrive. If you upholster enough French chairs to fill a bus, you will sort out the puckers and problem areas of your early efforts.
If you want to get good at something, stop dreaming about it. Stop buying the books, signing up for the classes, and hoarding supplies. There will likely never be the ideal time or perfect circumstances. Start small and often. Allow yourself to be a beginner and to be terrible. Push through the awkward and ugly stages. Celebrate the small steps and slow progress.
I know I’ll look back at the paintings I’m producing now and wish I could redo them after the growth that will come from 1,000 more paintings. But the gap between where I want to be and where I am shouldn’t keep me from enjoying the current view or deter me from continuing on the long journey.
I had the rare pleasure of getting to show the 30 x 40″ portrait/landscape of Boykie to the clients in my studio. They were in the area and asked if they could stop by. I was also able to meet Boykie, which was such a fun surprise! In addition, I showed them my bonus painting and presented it as a thank-you for their faith in me when I was first considering working with clients.
Here is the finished portrait of Boykie…
Just as Boykie’s painting challenged me in 2022, this one pushed me as well, and I learned a lot in the process. I’ve always loved classic hunting-dog paintings, so I’ve been practicing landscape backgrounds for them, and this gave me a chance to put that practice to use.
I think one of the most hopeful things we can do is practice. It’s a physical way to show we are not finished yet.
What are you practicing?
26 Responses
We couldn’t be more pleased, you are as gracious as you are talented, and we are so excited to have the 2 new paintings in our home! (And we still love how you captured Boykie in the first one!)
It was so lovely to meet you both! Well, all three of you!
I love all your dog portraits. I feel you really capture the soul of the animal. I read your blog all the time…I never saw your request to practice on pets. My beautiful Bill would make a lovely study….he is black and white!!! All the stages of the Boykie portraits are beautiful and in their time.
Yes, you have grown as an artist but your starting point was very high in the talent area. I love the encouraging paragraph above…a “JUST DO IT!!!!” encouragement……. I will be taking that advice. Thank you.
Thank you! And I’m glad to hear this was an encouragement to you. 💙
Thank you so much for this post. I needed to hear these words. I’ve been dabbling in a different style then I’m used to painting. I’ll call myself an artist. Then I tell myself, who do you think you are, how can you call yourself an artist. You’re not that great. There’s so many others that are way better than you. But hearing your words encourages me to do it anyways. I AM an artist. Just not everyone’s artist. Thank you. Cindy
Yes, you are! In my book Move Slow and Make Things, I reiterate that if you do the thing, you are the thing. If you make art, you are an artist. That doesn’t mean you make famous art or master-level art, but you do make art. You are an artist.
This post came just at the right moment! I’m struggling with watercolor right now, and this is the reminder I needed to keep going.. I’ve likely done 100 painting to your 1,000!
I’m curious… When you met Boykie, was he as soft and fluffy as you portrayed him? I felt as if I could feel his soft fur from the very first portrait you did!
Thank you as always, Martha
Yes, he is a poodle/lab mix, so he has that soft curly poodle hair. 🙂
Oh my goodness I love the painting of Boykie in the landscape. Absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you!
I love the encouragement and the message you convey with this post. As a middle school teacher, I used to tell my students that if they want to become a better writer, they need to read more and write more. Interestingly enough, by the end of a year in my class, almost every one of my students would tell me that they were better writers because of the experiences within my class. Plus, my last year in the classroom found my students all scoring proficient or advanced on that dreaded test that they take every spring. So, not only did their work improve and satisfy them (and me) more, but it also showed in their test scores and that is truly a win, win! These days I’m practicing what I used to preach and writing more frequently and reading as much as I possibly can. I’ve also launched into a new sewing endeavor and I’m a bit skittish about the projects I tackle. I need to just follow the encouragement you put in this post and keep practicing! Thanks for sharing the story, your work, and the encouragement.
Oh, I love that so much. It sounds like you’re the kind of teacher they will look back on and remember as having a significant impact on their lives. Thanks for building into the future of our world.
I have really enjoyed watching your growth as an artist. It’s inspirational.
Thank you!
We love our painting of Lucky in a rocker that you did for us. Awesome! Thank you.
Jo Ann, I love that one, too! I don’t think I ever shared it online because you asked me not to, but I do love how it turned out.
I’m practicing writing, although I’ve been a writer for many years. Because of other commitments, I don’t write every day (a big no-no in the world of writing) but I do write a blog post every week, and I continue to get better. Recently, I’ve enjoyed playing more often with the language, whether it’s alliteration, metaphor, or even very understated humor.
When we practice, we don’t always have fun because we can feel pressured to produce something good. But if we allow ourselves to have a bit of fun, I believe that shows through in our work, even if the work is not necessarily playful in nature. It definitely makes the sometimes mundane process of practice more interesting.
Thanks, Marian!
LeAnne
Oh, I totally view play as practice! I try to have a good balance of practice for productivity and practice that can end up in the trash. Both are valuable!
You have grown so much and as you said it’s because you show up every day.
I spent the day painting lemons (in watercolor) and trying not to care that they never got out of the ugly stage. So I’m going to take your advice and turn the lessons off, put the books aside and just paint!
You know I love books and lessons, but there comes a time when you just need to do the thing and figure it out. I’ve learned so much more by doing and figuring out what I like and what feels most like me.
What a truly well-written post, Marian. GREAT advice given, thank you. Your work is certainly improving one stroke at a time. Well done.
It’s beautiful! I have one of your pet portraits of my big Himalayan kitty. I’ve brought two more home since her, so I think it’s time for more portraits!
The one with the pretty blue eyes? That was an earlier portrait, but I do still love it!
You did grow so much, really. You are not the same person nor the same artist. The past is fixed, unchangeable; you have to change. To move, to grow. The law of this Earth. I love following along. That dog is a reflection of your growth. The landscape portrait is not the end; it is the beginning. Thanks for taking us along.
Thank you for the beautiful comment. 🙂
I absolutely love this post. It inspires us all to just keep at it, whatever “it” is. I sew and garden and I have seen improvement over 60 years, although not as much as I’d like to. I have taken many heirloom sewing classes from different teachers and learned SO MUCH, both from the teachers and from other students. One class was an experience I will never forget.
It was a class devoted to bullion rose embroidery. A bullion rose is a flower made from 1-2 strands of floss. It has multiple steps and tricks and travails; embroiderers are often noted for their bullion roses. The teacher for the class was a notable seamstress and her work is flawless and well known. She has probably completed at least a million bullion roses in her lifetime, if not a billion. A particular student was very frustrated with her own progress and kept ripping out her stitches because “they don’t look as good as “teacher’s”, despite many assurances that she was making good progress. It was exhausting to watch this; she expected to accomplish in a day what had taken someone else years to perfect. It taught the majority of the class to progress, not perfection. You have demonstrated this beautifully.