layering with a knife

Strawberry & Gilbert a colorfuland textured knife painting of sibling tuxedo cats

Here is a brief stop motion showing the accumulation of knifed on paint layers. The painting is a commissioned pet portrait: Strawberry & Gilbert, 2022, acrylic on board, 11” x 14”, Elizabeth Lisa Petrulis (Collection of Smith-Brown Family, MA). For the double portrait the clients shared photos on the internet. After reviewing several photos of … Read more

MEET THE MODEL: Sadie

Sadie dog belly up twisting and rolling in the grass

Sadie came our way from a friend who rescued her but could not keep her. She was medium, terrier-ish, energetic, and strong willed. At the time we had one dog, Doug, a large, barrel-chested mix of undetermined parentage (possibly Great Pyrenees and Labrador), sweet and playful. We did our best to introduce the two as … Read more

MEET THE MODEL: Doug

Black dog (Doug) with white muzzle, tongue hanging low, one ear up one down, peering out of a soybean field.

The name of our first dog was inspired by a Gary Larson “far side” cartoon featuring a man peeking around a tree in a fenced yard, and a sales man at the gate looking at a sign that reads “Beware of Doug”* (My husband’s idea.) * I am not posting the cartoon here in respect … Read more

Watch a commission develop!

A commissioned portrait, in black and white, of a woman, her horse and dog. The E3, (family portrait series,) 2018, acrylic on canvas, 16” x 12”, Elizabeth Lisa Petrulis

THE E3 VIDEO In this 2 minute video you will find some of the steps I take to complete a commission. There is a lot of work that goes into it even before brush can touch canvas. Omitted, are the communications with the client, intermediate steps, and the time in between actions. Time for contemplation, … Read more