“First Day At The Beach,” was awarded a Merit Award at the HAPPY exhibit. The designation is accompanied by a prize, made possible by the Barbara and Victor Klein Art Fund.
In this painting you found a way to communicate your dog’s radiant happiness. It is unmistakable, and palpable. For all intents and purposes, it’s a minimal scene, but that characteristic does nothing to tamp down the joy it expresses. The other aspect of this painting of note is the strategic choice to work the grain of the wood panel into the composition. It not only works so well shining through the transparent watercolor, but it brings depth and dimension, and is a wonderful example of process and decision making that viewers don’t always get a chance to experience.
Thanks for being part of the show.
Sarah Bearup-Neal
@glenarborart Gallery Manager

Watercolor and watercolor pencil on transparent watercolor ground over a 16x20" wood panel. Finished with Dorlands waxed and framed without glass.

This is a portrait of our dog, Dash. Dash joined our family as a puppy when we moved to Alaska in 2012, and he was not a fan of the dark or the cold. At two years old, he embarked on a road trip with me when we moved out of Alaska. When we reached Oregon, Dash had his first day at the beach, and we were amazed at his joy running up and down the beach barking at the crashing waves. When he finally took a break, I took a photo of him in all his happy puppy glory, and that photo is the source image for this portrait. Every trip to the beach since has seen the same joy as Dash's First Day at the Beach.