The Niece


*note: This image was taken with a digital camera, meaning a lot of the painting's quality was lost. A grainy appearance is also given off from reflections of the canvases texture.

"The Niece"
20"x16" Canvas
Acrylic Paint


Here's the fourth painting of Charm that I've done now.



Charm belongs to close friends of mine, Radjin Wolf and Kashra and Vason. The title is a result of a little conversation I had with my painting teacher, about how I've painted this dog multiple times, and she was surprised to find out that Charm wasn't even my dog.

Then Kashra replied, and summed things up with: "So while we might call her our daughter, you might call her your niece."

So I thought about it. I first met Charm when she was only a few months old, and she was TINY with sharp little claws, I remember piercing my shirt and scratching my skin. I didn't see her again until she was much bigger, but still a pup. And that's when I started to hang around a lot more constantly.

Charm is the FIRST and only dog so far, that I've EVER gotten to know, in my entire life of 21 years. I've spent a lot of time with her, to the point to where I can't think of Dave, Arnab, and Vince without thinking of Charm.

So the whole "niece" thing was not only amusing, but honestly, it was even comforting. I feel proud to have a few painted her.

The entire process really, is wonderful. When I look at a painting I've done, it really IS more than just paint blended and mashed together. Paintings I've done tell a story, as cheesy as that may sound. When I look at any painting I've done, I remember the entire process... from all the things that inspired any part of it; from the music, the thoughts and ideas, the activities that were going on, the physical painting process, the weather, etc.

So when I look at this painting, The Niece, it's about Charm, and being lucky enough to watch her grow and getting to know her. Everything from her tiny little claws when she was only months old, to her fear of escalators and robotic santa clauses, her rolling around in grass, her window jumping, and more, up to the finished painting.It's just full of memories, and a picture really DOES contain a thousand words if not more.

The painting contains the entire story up to the part of my life that the painting was finished. My paintings are like chapters in my life, similar to tattoos.

Yes, most who see the painting might not see that, but most my paintings, I do for myself.

I've always said that I thought of my paintings like my babies, and stupid as that might sound, it's true. I start with nothing. I get a blank canvas, and I work hard, physically, with my hands, and I paint something from the heart. It's more than paint that makes a painting, it's oneself.

All my paintings mean a lot to me, and so does this latest piece.

It fits perfectly with the rest.

*note: This image was taken with a digital camera, meaning a lot of the painting's quality was lost. A grainy appearance is also given off from reflections of the canvases texture.











Unfortunately, I didn't take many WIP's pics. I really should have. It was a lot of fun, and I'm pretty proud of this piece. It's easily my best and favorite painting so far of Charm, and one of my best paintings at all.

The goal for the painting, was to capture dramatic lighting at night, while paying attention to reflected colors.

The shadows were real fun to play with.

If portraits are suppose to really say something about the focused being...this painting is misleading. Charm looks calm and patient in this painting....but it really did not last. ;3 Though, she held still long enough for me to take a picture, and was real good about it. She just seemed SO confused at what I wanted her to do.