I'm not really into little dogs. Actually, I wasn't into dogs at all until this fellow pawed his way into my heart:
Sorry, got side tracked. As I was saying, little dogs... don't get me wrong, I think there are a lot of cute little dogs, I'm just not crazy about them. That was until I met Onyx.
Onyx was rescued by my wonderful Aunt Peggy. Prior to retirement, she was a property manager for an apartment group in Augusta. From what I recall, this fellow was just left behind when some tenants moved. After multiple attempts to find him a home, she just couldn't hand him over to animal control. That's when he gained a new last name. I fell for his spunky little attitude immediately.
My Uncle Don requested a portrait of Onyx... he gave no request other than that, so I took some artistic liberties. When I began brainstorming about this portrait, one of the first things that came to mind was my aunt's love for chinoiserie. Then I thought about a painting that I did in high school (which was recently recovered). Yes... I liked the colors. Onyx in a kimono? Yes.. that's it. I began painting, but something just wasn't right. Then it hit me...
A Chinese Emperor.
I'm not gonna lie.... a black dog ain't easy to paint.
