I am enthusiastic about people and their dogs. I want my Clients to know that it is most important to me that they are completely satisfied with the portrait that is produced for them. For this reason I feel obliged to clearly define my image of a WaterColor portrait. It is my belief that a WaterColor portrait should express the personality of its subject. It should project a feeling about what is being depicted, and this should convey this feeling in a manner in which the viewer's own emotions and imagination are brought into play. I have seen many full color portraits in oils or acrylics, which leave the viewer empty; they are flat and convey no emotion. Emotions, such as happiness, glee, sadness, resignation, mischievous or determination are completely devoid in many works. It is my opinion that this should not be the case. WaterColors convey an emotion; they make a statement that is felt by the viewer rather than seen in the details. An analogy might be that while almost everyone will be pleased with a black & white photograph of themselves, the same individuals might be quite critical of their image in a color photograph. The reason for this is that we use our imagination and emotions in viewing a black and white image, while a color photograph leaves nothing to the imagination. Such is the case with the WaterColor medium. WaterColors are not a good medium to produce photographic images. If a photographic representation is what is desired, go to a professional photographer. It is my goal to convey to a viewer an emotional statement about my subjects, and it is also my goal to produce an image that my Clients will find pleasing. If this is what you desire in your portraits, then call on me.

      Dogs are a real thrill to me. Teresa and I are both what one could call, dog people. Our two German Shepherd Dogs are a big part of our lives. We derive such pleasure in not only working our dogs, but also including them as a part of our daily lives. This fondness for our dogs is sometimes to the dismay of our family and friends, but then we would be talking of folks who are not necessarily dog people. You'd have to be a dog person to know what I mean. For the most part, I feel our canine companions reflect only the best parts of our human personalities. To their adopted families, dogs offer only unconditional love. Dogs never lie; they are completely honest. Dogs do not hold a grudge, but they remember everything. Dogs are faithful, almost to a fault. Each dog has its own personality. They can be loving or ornery; display a keen intellect or, to us appear down right dumb; they can be serious in their work or, display the most amazing silliness imaginable. Persons familiar with dogs can attest that our canine friends have a highly developed social order, and that their cognitive ability is far and beyond what most of humanity gives them credit. For me, it is a thrill to be around a dog whose affection one has earned.

      For those of us who have suffer the loss of a dog, this loss is comparable to the death of a family member. In many ways the loss of a dog is harder to deal with because so many of our friends who might offer consolation are themselves at a complete loss as to how to help. Sadly, our support networks rarely extend to the loss of a canine member of the family. Yet the emotional toll of such a loss is just as great. In this, you would definitely have to be a dog person to understand the bonds that exist between dog and man.

      Throughout history, man's affection for the dog can be seen. Prehistoric man captured images of his faithful hunting companions in cave drawings. The American Indians have memorialized their working dogs in folklore and in drawings found in ancient ruins. The Egyptians memorialized their canine on murals in the pyramids. Likewise have countless others in every civilization in works of art caught the images of man's beloved canine friend. Dogs have provided us with companionship; they have served their masters and have attained a closeness to their adopted kin unlike any other species. This love, affection and kinship is a two-way street. The relationship between dog and man is unique in history. No other two species have formed a bond between two such different and diverse groups for their mutual benefit. It should be no wonder that today's admirers of the canine species should wish to memorialize their trusted companions.

      For these reasons and more, I very much look forward to working with people and their dogs.