Dottie was my dog. She didn’t start out as my dog. In fact, at two years of age, she was adopted from a shelter by my future boyfriend. By the time I moved in with her, she was already four, and she still hadn’t gotten past whatever abuse she had suffered before the shelter. I introduced stability and security into her life, and she eventually got over her fears. When I moved out, she came with me, because she responded better to me. She lived to be about 12 1/2 years old and was a healthy happy dog.
Dottie was one of my earlier pastel drawings. Because she was blue merle and had that funky eye, I felt that she would be a huge challenge for me to draw, and if I could draw her, then I could start to offer pet portraits on commission. So in a way, her drawing was very important to my art career. I had already drawn her in pencil and in pen, but as my skills increased, I felt comfortable enough to try her in color. It was an interesting exercise in color, because none of my pencils was quite right, so I had to do a certain amount of color mixing for the first time.
Once I was satisfied with Dottie’s portrait, I felt confident in my ability to draw whatever dog someone might want me to draw. By this time I had drawn a number of pets belonging to friends and family members, honing my skills. My earliest pieces were definitely a learning experience, and necessary for me to build my skill and portfolio. Now I can draw whatever pet people need me to draw. I even drew a llama once!
The drawing of Dottie is not for sale. No prints exist.
Art by Tina Hickman 