FIRST LOOK! - Those Golden Days

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THOSE GOLDEN DAYS
12x12
oil on canvas
CAROL CHRETIEN
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This is the update of one of the latest paintings for rescue.
I have finally been able to work on the ones I started last week. I have been painting beach scenes in hopes of the sunshine returning to our New England area. We have some today and it is glorious. The same feeling as the expression and smile of this dog at the beach.
the model was Mattie Mae a friend of Art Helping Animals artist Stella Violano.
She was my inspiration for the work. I love her happy face.
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It is listed to help
HSUS NRRO
that is to say:
The Humane Society of the United States
the
NORTHERN ROCKIES REGIONAL OFFICE
one of our official Art Helping Animals supported rescues.
20% to the rescue

150.00

***
thanks for helping homeless animals with art!

She's A Jersey Girl ...and she is adopted!

SOLD

She's A Jersey Girl

I was planning on listing this painting as finally completed and now available... In the meantime it sold.
The BEST NEWS is she was adopted after I had decided to paint her, coincidence?

I had a run on beagle adoptions from BONES a while back where they got adopted as I was painting away! LOL I was a lucky charm they said! :o)

I did something different for this painting...I did a study of the painting first.
In actuality...I started it, got into it and then noticed a big defect in the weave of the canvas that was not something I would sell to anyone. But I went ahead and finished the first draft (not for sale!) I almost never to preliminary drawings...sometimes a few "thumbnail sketches to work out the composition...but never a pre-painting a painting, it is just not my way.

What I learned from that unexpected exercise was painting Tori Jem the second time was really much easier. I knew her by then. I also enlarged the canvas size and pushed her back so you could see more of her and widened the view of the ocean. So it was a great lesson.

I know many artists practice this regularly but painting small pieces for charity usually is pretty straight forward and I dive right into the piece always starting with the eyes.

Today this piece sold for charity but I did want to show it finished. Now if the other in-progress paintings in my studio could just dry a bit....I could finish a few more!

Donation to GREYHOUND FRIENDS OF NEW JERSEY honoring Tori Jem is on the way as promised!

Can you stand one more....WIP?

Are you wondering why I am posting so many Works In Progress???
Are you asking yourselves "Will she finish any of these paintings?" "Will the rain and damp ever stop?" "Will her paintings ever dry?"

This is the first of a NEW SERIES ... The Year of the Cat...(Love that song by Al Stewart) ...there will be 12 paintings in the 12x12 format of Oil on Canvas. Gallery wrapped and the sides are painted for the choice of no frame needed. The painting will continue around the sides.

This first piece is JANUARY. No title yet. The cat is based on an image of one of the reference pets from our ART HELPING ANIMALS private reference albums. It was my starting point every painting will have a scene built around the Cat I choose for the painting. My imagination has free reign in this series. If you would like to reserve the purchase of any of the paintings on the easel before I list them to the public for sale ...ALL WITH A 20% DONATION TO RESCUE...just email me at carolchretien@aol.com anytime.

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW THE OTHERS....

STAY TUNED FOR THE COMPLETIONS ON ALL OF THE WIPS!

FIRST LOOK!!! more new In Progress work....

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In My New Life There Will Be Gardens....



Oreo was in rescue, then the plan was foster care until that special "forever home" could be found...but the foster family fell in love with Oreo and now that SPECIAL home is found.

At the end of the long first day Oreo's new "mom" took a picture of him in the back seat of the car ...just wiped out, dozing.
That image inspired the painting above with permission to use it for my painting that will benefit WILLING HEARTS DALMATIAN RESCUE.

While it is not a dead on portrait of Oreo the idea was in the pose. He will have beautiful dreams now that he is loved forever!

STAY TUNED...when it is finished I will post it for sale with all the details. For now I will dream of gardens with him.
UPDATE: this painting was reserved and SOLD. Donation has been made to Willing Hearts Dalmatian Rescue.

Work In Progress - Retrievers

Two new seascapes with two different Retrievers...started today you are seeing the first pass in these oils. It is the foundation of the painting and it helps get it started. With all the rain and cold we have had in New England this spring I have been drawn to create sunny scapes. Drying times for my oils have been extremely slow with the near 100% humidity. I need to keep starting new work while waiting for drying time between layers. What I like about that is that it gives me something to work on while I wait. Shipping times are lengthened when sold, however.

STAY TUNED for the finish and eventual listing of these for our Art Helping Animals rescues.

LABRADOR ZEN

HAPPINESS IS A DAY AT THE BEACH
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Thanks for looking!

Work in Progress - Jersey Girl

10x10

oil

CAROL CHRETIEN

Greyhound at the shore will be available soon for

Greyhound Friends of New Jersey

stay tuned.

FIRST LOOK! homeless dog art...

SOLD

I challenged myself today to paint one of the homeless dogs at

OLD DOG HAVEN...meet ZEKE

he is 12 yrs old and his family traded him in for a new puppy ...can you imagine giving up your best friend, a family member just like that?

He is perfectly healthy just a little experienced.

He is in foster home care waiting for his own new family to love him for the rest of his life.

"I'M AVAILABLE, CALL ME "

10x10

oil on canvas

CAROL CHRETIEN

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painting is for SOLD

20% went to the rescue!

thanks for helping homeless animals.

The Little Dipper by Carol Chretien

SOLD

12x12
oil on canvas




Meet Cole Edward he inspired the painting of a Dal puppy out exploring the environment and putting his paws into a little pond. Actually his beautiful blue eyes are the real treasure.

Blue eyes in some animals, and often in Dalmatians, may signify deafness.
Cole Edward was recently adopted and his foster/ rescuer shared the story with me. He was originally named "Spike" by his first family and has been renamed for his new life:

"Spike's background is that he was given up to our local shelter due the family not having enough time for him, saying he was hyper and not trainable. After a few days in the shelter, he came to us for socialization and training so he could be an adoptable loving pet.
After about an hour at our home, we found out he was deaf.
He also came with demodex mange that took one month of treatments to get rid of.
Smartie pants that he is, he learned signs very quickly and loved being around people, kids and other dogs.
Before being adopted, we also found out he has a genetic problem with the formation of his teeth which will eventually cause them to fall out.
Luckily, the adoptive family regardless of his flaws still wanted him as a pet of their own. He is very happy and healthy and should live out a great life in his new forever home."

Cole Edward will be living in a family with other Dalmatians so his new family is experienced with Dals.
However this is their first deaf puppy, I do believe, and they are eager to make it a successful adoption so he is in training.

I would venture a guess that he was a "pet shop pup" or in other words a "puppy mill puppy. That is just an educated guess.
Responsible Dalmatian breeders have hearing tests performed on their puppy litters.
BAER testing is done on dalmatian puppies at 4 weeks of age. Many times a breeder will have a unilaterally deaf puppy ( deaf in one ear) and those pups do quite well in life. They will be spayed or neutered so as not to continue the deaf trait and will make wonderful pets. People would not even be aware of their hearing deficit.
Deaf pups have special needs for training with hand signals, vibration, flashing lights. Dals are very smart, they learn quickly with a patient and consistant teacher, they do very well with time and attention. Living with hearing dogs and being one of the pack helps too.
A secure fenced yard is mandatory (and in my opinion should be for all dogs) and supervision is essential.
In the case of dogs we have had in our lives (dals of course) they do not like being left out alone and would rather be with you for company anyway.
They are loving dogs who are natural born entertainers.

The reference image was provided by his foster mom and a donation was given to the Montgomery County Humane Shelter as my thanks.
http://www.mchumane.org/

The painting will provide a donation to our ART HELPING ANIMALS supported rescue
WILLING HEARTS DALMATIAN RESCUE. 20% donation goes to the org.
The sale is pending.

The Gardeners - for BONES!

SOLD

12x12

oil on canvas

CAROL CHRETIEN

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20% goes directly to the rescue ....sold!

150.00

contact me: carolchretien@aol.com

to visit the rescue...

http://www.bonesbeagles.org/

Work in Progress - The Gardeners

This new beagle painting will be the second recent oil that I am working on to benefit

BEAGLES OF NEW ENGLAND STATES

(BONES)

rescue.

This is the very beginning of the piece.

With our very damp weather lately I have to have a few different things to work on as drying times are so slow.

What better way to work than to visit our rescues and get inspired by their dogs!

The 3 models here are all rescued BEAGLES the youngest being "Percy" who I had the pleasure of painting some months ago before his adoption!

Inspired by the idea of 3 beagles running around together in their yard I thought it funny that of all the places to play they have to be right IN the middle of the plants.

it is a fun piece with a dramatic background and bright sun on our subjects in the foreground.

STAY TUNED!

Anchor's Aweigh ...First Look

NEWEST work for BONES RESCUE... painting animals awaiting adoption for

ART HELPING ANIMALS

ANCHOR'S AWEIGH!

8x10

oil on canvas

CAROL CHRETIEN

20% goes right to BONES to help with his fostering.

"ANCHOR" was my model...he is a 4 yr old beagle boy waiting for that home of his own. The painting is painted in a fresh style of wet-in-wet oils

there is a thickness and movement to the paint.

It is not just a copy of a photo. The painting is inspired by the animal in need and the setting is my own fabrication (and years of first hand beach study from many happy summers!) a place where a dog loves to be...beagles are no exception and you just can't take the New Englander out of me!

About Anchor:

He is AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!

He is Good with dogs

Good with kids over 6, not sure with cats
His Favorite Things: Squeaky toys and playing ball.

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visit http://www.bonesbeagles.org/ to learn about adoption or sponsor a beagle in rescue.

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99.99

free shipping
To purchase this painting in support of BONES 20% goes to rescue!

email me: carolchretien@aol.com

Written in the stars...

"LITTLE DIPPER"

FIRST LOOK...A Work In Progress

Newest Oil for Rescue In Progress

12x12

on canvas

This blue eyed boy is an amazingly gorgeous Dalmatian

and the inspiration for this new painting that will help

Willing Hearts Dalmatian Rescue

is previewed for you here.

As fast as June is flying by us I am so aware of how much the rescues need help.

they are being bombarded with turn-ins.

The challenges of this economy are impacting pets who are being given up to rescues when familes that have loved them can no longer keep them.

We are more committed than ever to help as much as we can.

STAY TUNED!

questions: email me.

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Our Differences....now at auction

"OUR DIFFERENCES MAKE US WHO WE ARE"

for BRISTOL ANIMAL SHELTER a Rhode Island rescue. SOLD!