I was recently commissioned by a company to paint one of it’s customers dog.  An employee had to take pictures of the pup at work (a black ?? Lapso maybe) - not really sure - I went by the picture.  The employee taking the picture said pinning down a dog (or getting it to stay still) - is harder than taking pictures of a two year old - in which I would assume he must have a two year old at home.  The project was great - the build up on the fur came out with lots of texture as well as using four different blacks to get the coat right.  The eyes, a deep amber according to the picture were little round pools of life. A black slick ear and nose made this painting complete.  We choose a mustard background in varying tons of lightness and shadow.  The painting was done using Interactive Acrylics on a double thick sixteen inch square canvas.  I used minimal gloss coat on the dogs shiney parts.

The painting will be shipped in the next few days to the unsuspecting client.  I do have a picture but I’ll hold off until the gift has been given.

 Thanks for reading my blog

"Coon Cat - Chinny"

Wet Paint Studios (est. 2001) is the passion of Maine Artist Lori Rae who has been painting Pet portraits for art customers over the last year plus.

I am a Ebay Weekly Painter, at least one new painting will appear each week.

I just posted, so I don't know if the picture is up yet - but for anyone who ever had a cat that had a chin that seemed to stick off their little furry faces just a wee bit too much - well, this painting is for you. I would be lying if I said it didn't have a bit of Jasmine (my kitty who now eats sushi in heaven) - as that chin made her look like she had pure attitude, even when she didn't.  OK - yeah, she always did.

Still missing her so much (only 8 days without - it has to get better) - and I have been getting more commissions (a few dogs actually) - and I have some cat paintings to do as well.

As far as the 8x8's - I have this one and one more - and then I'm taking a break.  I'm going to reformat my blog a bit and make the subject matter a bit more versitile.  As far as blogging - I will do my best to blog daily - but you will forgive me for missing a few lately in light of losing kitty.  As far as I can tell (I am still having the inner-dialogue with myself) -I will continue to paint and post something weekly - dog, cat, torso, catalina scene, swathed baby, a candle -whatever.  I love cats, but I need a break.  I sold more than 1/2 my inventory from this past year - not bad.

Keep in touch, I'll tell you what I'm up to.  Right now I am just trying to get caught up with commissions in the next few weeks - like I said, one more cat.

Thanks for reading my blog

I just posted, so I don't know if the picture is up yet - but for anyone who ever had a cat that had a chin that seemed to stick off their little furry faces just a wee bit too much - well, this painting is for you. I would be lying if I said it didn't have a bit of Jasmine (my kitty who now eats sushi in heaven) - as that chin made her look like she had pure attitude, even when she didn't.  OK - yeah, she always did.

Still missing her so much (only 8 days without - it has to get better) - and I have been getting more commissions (a few dogs actually) - and I have some cat paintings to do as well.

As far as the 8x8's - I have this one and one more - and then I'm taking a break.  I'm going to reformat my blog a bit and make the subject matter a bit more versitile.  As far as blogging - I will do my best to blog daily - but you will forgive me for missing a few lately in light of losing kitty.  As far as I can tell (I am still having the inner-dialogue with myself) -I will continue to paint and post something weekly - dog, cat, torso, catalina scene, swathed baby, a candle -whatever.  I love cats, but I need a break.  I sold more than 1/2 my inventory from this past year - not bad.

Keep in touch, I'll tell you what I'm up to.  Right now I am just trying to get caught up with commissions in the next few weeks - like I said, one more cat.

Thanks for reading my blog

In the past few days I've been trying to figure out what to do with all of these emotions from the loss of my studio muse (kitty Jasmine.)  Of course the answer is simple, I will paint. My husband and I now say that Jasmine is eating unlimited sushi in heaven - then I got an idea for a painting.....I won't give it away - but I thought maybe if I could make prints of this painting once I paint it - I would find a way to donate 50% of the proceeds to help families pay for VET bills that can't afford it.  I still need to figure out how to find recipients.....but I know in the past month it would have been impossible to diagnos and treat Jasmine without means.  We were lucky that we had the money, but I started thinking about what someone does when they don't have money for meds, testing kits, etc. 

Day 3 with kitty gone, I haven't been home any night this week (this was holiday stuff, thankfully very distracting) - and I am dreading this weekend and the holidays when I will cook and look down expecting to find her waiting for a handout (she was such a fish kitty, I couldn't resist) - I am stuck between denial & relief - denial because I haven't been home enough for it to truly sink in (I work full time and this is a busy time of year, my natural defense tells me to hide) - but of course that will change over the next few days - no more denial - and well, relief because after a lengthy conversation with our primary care vet.....we realized that our cat was much sicker than we ever knew, and even a pricey diagnostic test would have only told us that she would die at some point soon. We hadn't gotten that far yet....these symptons were two weeks new at the time of her death.

I told my husband it's like a piece of me is missing, and wondered if our house still felt like a home (he assured me that it did) - and I'm certain he's right - it's just different now.

Two more small cat paintings before I move onto new projects - I'll shout out to the world if I do "Kitty Heaven" the painting I've described above.

Thanks again for your support.

Has anyone else in the North East noticed that we have had record snowfall and it’s still technically Fall?  As I sit and see the fluffy white stuff fall from the sky, I am hearing “Let it snow” for the umteenth time - and the words “it doesn’t show signs of stopping” ring true.  I just had to add that. 

Obviously with the loss of my forever companion (my cat Jasmine) I am walking through life in a fog this week - but guess what, the world doesn’t stop because your pet dies. I am still super busy and am on week 2 of a new job (actually 10 days) - it is a temp job with a (to hire) added and it’s going well according to the powers that be.  I think so too.  As for my art, I just received another pet portrait, a doggie mug shot (as my art co-horts are now calling my full faced paintings of animals.)  Also, I have been teaming up with a busy photographer who I have been representing, and we have a been producing a few shows for him and are talking about a group show which involves my work too.  Who said working full time will slow down my art - it’s just seriously been almost busier.  I just have to check emails before and after work and do some work from home in the evenings.  I paint at least one weekend day, and once all this holiday stuff is done - I will get in the studio a few nights a week again.  Right now it’s a bit of a raw subject to be in my studio since my kitty was a great little studio muse - and she really loved hanging out down there - I’ll move past this - but the first few days are the toughest.  I will figure out what life lesson my cat taught me soon, and I will be at peace.

 So - job going well - art going very well (new co-workers like the art) - all is well at home….hubby very sad about cat - we are both trying to deal.  Once we get through the holidays I think although I will always miss Jasmine and probably still look into the sky and say a few words to her now and again….I might just survive. maybe.

Thanks for reading my blog

A heartfelt and sorrow-filled post

I don’t know about you, but I like to celebrate Christmas by giving small gifts of thanks to neighbors, the guy who plows our driveway, the lady who helps clean our house (we haven’t seen her for a while….but I’m working again….sooooooo), hairdresser’s, the parents of little tikes we know who share them with us, and a few friends who always seem to be there for you.  I had to get a bit creative this year due to the whole not working thing - and I won’t disclose the gifts, but I think I was able to “give” nicely on a budget.  One thing my hubby and I did do was to buy for all the kids in our lives.  We know about six under three kids who amuse us, so we had fun at the local toy store finding safe and educational toys for their christmas.  My husband went down memory lane and purchased a few of them a book he read as a child - something about a giant steam shovel???  I was pushing hard for the pokey little puppy, but I lost that one.  We also have pet nieces (cats and one dog) - and a nephew a frisky little or really big I should say - Orange Cat….so we visited Petco.com and got them some things too.  All in all, I am always able to get some mileage with snowmen notecards, homemade gifts and most of all online shopping (or local shopping.)  NO MALLS - other than a shipment which is more than 1/2 way here, I am done with holiday shopping and am looking forward to packing and shipping up the last box on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

 Look out for my new Cat painting later today.

 Thanks for reading my blog!

It's like the twelves days of Christmas only - My time has been swallowed by attempting to heal my cat. Don't get me wrong, we love her - this is why we are doing everything we can to keep her alive.

So it would go something like this -

One IV Drip

Two shots of insulin

Three times she missed the box

Four different pills

Five hours til we test for Glucose

Six hours that I'm getting of sleep on average the past week

Seven times we've called the vet in the past two weeks

Eight hours that our kitty is alone during the day while we work

Nine hours of sleep that I used to get per night

Ten more days (please) until we figure out the correct insulin levels

Eleven different types of wet food so kitty has variety

Twelve about the amount of sleep I need tonight to catch up from all the six hour nights

I promise, all my future blogs will NOT be about my diabetic cat and for a matter of fact, we are expecting a big big snow storm, and tomorrow is my studio day - so a new painting will be posted tomorrow night.  Thanks for your patience while we get through these first days of dealing with this disease. Once insulin levels are well-balanced, I will write daily again.

Ups and Downs of our Kitty’s Health

I have listed some Holiday Cards at a 5.00 price for 10 cards.  This is a GREAT deal. I only use these images one time, so I get rid of them all by the ened of the year.  So far, so good - but a few of the images I have a small surplus and would like to see these move.

Check out my auctions.

Although I have made many efforts to sell the 8x8 original cat paintings on Ebay, the truth is I have only sold one here. I am unsure of how I am going to proceed on Ebay in 2008 - if I will continue to try to market small cat paintings or move on to something else.  Lately, I have sold  several of my small cat series at area holiday shows.  I do plan to post a new cat painting   over the weekend in time for the holidays.  In the meantime I am agressively marketing notecards.  Check out my auction for a new listings for Cat Painting this sunday.  Thanks

Many people have asked about the Cat Cards again, at the moment those are also being sold at a holiday show offline.  Depending on stock in a few weeks, you may see those online again.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair.
Top of piano, window-ledge, in the middle, on the edge.
Open draw, empty shoe, anybody's lap will do.
Fitted in a cardboard box, in the cupboard with your frocks.
Anywhere! They don't care! Cats sleep anywhere.

Eleanor Farjeon (1881 - 1965)

By soon I mean either tonight or tomorrow when I can post them.  I will be selling Penguins holding a gift wrapped fish - A snowman (currently posted) - a Card with a Moose saying "Merry Moose-Mas" - A Santa Cat (Frenzied Feline) - A Reindeer wearing a scarf, a Holiday Tree & a card that shows one of each of these images in miniture.  These will all be packaged in 10 packs and I am still thinking about pricing (no more than 1.00 per card) - I also have some Cat Cards that show six cats (all cards are the same in each package.)  SO - all the cards are blank - come with envelope - I'll ship them asap and may just do some shorter auctions as well.  GREAT thank you cards or just a stocking stuffer.  Packaged in a plastic sleeve (sorry, I do try to be green, but I am attempting to protect your investment the best way I know how.)

I'll post them on my blog when they are up and running!

Thanks for reading my blog.

I would like to say "sorry" to anyone who reads my blogs and truly apoligize for not blogging since last Friday. I had some really crazy, wild and fun art shows for four of my missing blog days - but that's not really what was keeping me away. My fifteen year old Maine Coon, Jasmine, was going down hill in a spiral over the last week and over the weekend we got her into the vet.  I spent some serious time doing the searching the web for symptoms; most of that I didn't like the sound of.  After a visit to the vet, I am so glad to report that my studio muse and inspiration for much of my cat art does not have renal insufficiency....she is diabetic.  Whew! Something treatable and also something that may give her a bit more time with us here and not in kitty heaven where I invisioned her going very soon.  It's not as cut and dry as I'm making it, but I will spare you the details, let's just say that she had a few other issues that we are clearing up with meds & the insulin & pancreatic meds stay with her and us for as long as she lives.  Talk about a tough week - I had four days of art shows to attend (big ones) - and luckily a husband who was right on board with making sure we got Jasmine all she needs to move into a new healthy kitty (again.)  I'm glad to report that after only four days on meds she is showing more cat curiosity again (roaming all parts of the house) - and had been facinated with our bathtub (despite the fact that she has water in lots of rooms) - very strange.  It doesn't matter, she can do whatever she needs to, I'm just glad shes ok & will be with us for the Holidays and hopefully for a few more years after.

I will resume regular blogging again now that I got this off my chest!