Does a Painting Say 'Ding' When it's Done?

I've been painting this straight (kind of realistic) and have let this artwork sit for a couple of days.

My Mom and Dad's dog is in the background, with our Penelope dog in the foreground. The treat has not yet been visually revealed to them yet the scent has their complete attention.

These two are mature lady dachshunds who excel in the doggie-art of sleeping, cuddling and eating.  Now the promise of food is all there is.

Now I'm back at it, painting away on The Treat. Here is the work in progress:

The Treat (Work in Progress) by Laura Hoffman

This will evolve, this is just how the painting looks right now.

My ever present question remains: When do you know this is done? When to stop "dipping the brush?"

Here is the sketch:

Clean Pencil Sketch for The Treat by Laura Hoffman

OK, back to it....

SILA Illustration 51 opening night at Gallery Nucleus!

My painting of Penelope in was accepted along with other amazing artists into The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles’ Illustration West 51, which will be showing at Gallery Nucleus starting this evening at 7:00.

Come join me for refreshments and check out of some of the artwork from the show and the Awards Ceremony which will take place at 8:00 pm.
External Link: SILA Illustration 51 opening night at Gallery Nucleus
Location: Gallery Nucleus
210 East Main Street, CA, 91801

Daschund Race

I just found out - to my delight - that California State University Fullerton (CSUF) has decided to acquire my painting "Dachshund Race" for the university's permanent art collection.

Dachshund Race by Laura Hoffman, Mixed Media

Dachshund Race was inspired by an assignment to create a painting that is full of action. So I decided to challenge myself by painting a point of view one seldom sees. Dachshunds (also known as wiener dogs) are hilarious dogs - so low to the ground. So why not show a point of view that is even lower than a doxie's?

For the main character, I picked the dog I grew up with - my first exposure to the lure of the dachshund. Since then my sister Karen and I have fallen in love with the breed. The dog on the left is my current muse, Penny. Next dog is Ari, who was my 2nd doxie and the focal point is Jupi, my first dachshund ever. I loved that guy. He was also my first loss; when I was 13, he was hit by a car and we grieved as if we lost a sibling. The Dackels (German word for dachshunds) on the right are future dachshunds that will most likely come into my life - that is why they're painted with less detail - I just don't know them yet.

They all have the same goal, to hit the finish line and land in the arms of the one person they are loyal to. That is the thing with dachshunds; they pick one person to love and that one person becomes their absolute focus.

This painting has made the rounds; has been exhibited at two juried exhibits this year: The Brea MFA show and the OC Fair. Now it has found a permanent home after making its debut at CSUF in a three woman MFA art exhibit in December 2011 alongside Barbara Malley and Wendy Grieb, my colleagues at CSUF. So now the painting has gone full circle.

I am especially excited because CSUF is my alma mater - I earned my Bachelors of Art in Art there (go, Titans!) and now I'm back - earning my MFA - with a concentration in illustration, graduating in 2014.  Currently, I have the honor of teaching 2D design at the university.

To know this painting will hang there long after I'm gone makes me very happy.

My Muse: Penny the Dachshund

Three summers ago, we rescued a 7 year old dachshund named Penny. Though I have grown up with dachshunds, as an adult I've always had cats - and love cats.

When Penny came into our lives, everything changed. We bonded immediately. She has us wrapped around her powerful little paws. Now she is our spoiled and indulged little friend, who charms everyone in her wake.

Being a hilarious little dog, she has inspired a new book project, starring herself!

Here, she is doing what she does best - going to bed after a long day of playing, sleeping, walking, romping, eating, sleeping more and getting petted. This might be the dust cover jacket.

 Originally, her co-star was going to be another dachshund - a puppy, but that has since changed.

Here are some sketches of Penny, the main character for the book project:

I'm working on capturing Penny from different views. She just turned 11 and moves a little slower now, so she keeps a pose long enough to draw her from life.

The paintings are drawn traditionally with graphite. I like the energy of the original drawn line  to show up under transparent washes of paint.  Over the next year, I hope to complete sketches (called a "dummy") for a 32 page picture book that features Penny as its star character.

Inspired to create a blog

It's already the last day in July - what a busy summer I'm having!

Right now, I'm all excited; I'm feverishly getting ready for the upcoming SCBWI conference, held every summer in Los Angeles. This is where "my people" - my fellow illustrators who work their magic making artwork for kids - get together and learn from publishers, top talented published illustrators and amazing writers from all over the world.
       Here is my bio on the SCBWI site:

http://www.scbwi.org/MemberProfile.aspx?u=2948365631556098

SCBWI stands for: Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators.

My portfolio for the conference is all ready. This year I actually did spring for a decent portfolio case that hopefully won't come apart when 100s of people plow through the pages at the portfolio showcase. This is also where publishers, art directors, creative directors, agents and editors peruse our artwork. No pressure here :)

So I am inspired to join the many illustrators and photographers (I live a double life - I do both things professionally) who blog. I'll share my process; sketches, artwork, thoughts and other content as the days and weeks go by. I have a lot of catching up to do!!

Now to add blog entries and update my website...which is the next big project I'll work on. Happily, I have been very busy with lots of freelance illustration work for clients, and getting ready for a fresh new semester at my two schools - CSUF - where I'm earning my Masters in Fine Art, and Saddleback - where I teach part time. So look for more blog posts to come....!

Oh, here is a sneak peek at my latest postcard....