We are headed to the beach this afternoon and hoping for sunshine, so I wanted to post this doggie before we go.
This is Lola the Pomeranian.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
I promise these are going to start coming out faster!! I am settling into a better schedule now.
I am really excited to see word of my project starting to spread. Many people are checking the blog and I am getting submissions of dogs from people who heard about the project from a friend. Some heard it from a friend who...heard it from a friend who submitted a dog. I feel like we are creating a network of people who share an interest in art and love dogs. Thats great and I hope it grows, I find people who love dogs and people who appreciate art share many other fine qualities!
So lets all keep it up, ok? Keep talking to people about the project and direct them to me in whatever way possible! I am getting phone calls and texts and emails and facebook messages about peoples animals. If you know anyone with a dog just mention the project to them, if they ask more tell them my name or give them my email. They can find it through my website, by googling my name, searching me on facebook etc. I am busily trying to get the word to some venues that will reach larger audiences and increase interest in the project. I hoping for dog magazines and dog related websites and organizations to give me a small shout out and let more people know. Please remind everyone that when an original painting is sold a % of the profits go to the Big Island Humane Society.
I really think we can get 150 people to submit dogs and have a real animal and family behind each portrait. For me this will make each painting that much more special, and will make the collection of work represent an actual community of dog owners, linked by this small project.
Anyway thanks again everyone for your continued support!!
Heres a French Bulldog named Tuco...
I am really excited to see word of my project starting to spread. Many people are checking the blog and I am getting submissions of dogs from people who heard about the project from a friend. Some heard it from a friend who...heard it from a friend who submitted a dog. I feel like we are creating a network of people who share an interest in art and love dogs. Thats great and I hope it grows, I find people who love dogs and people who appreciate art share many other fine qualities!
So lets all keep it up, ok? Keep talking to people about the project and direct them to me in whatever way possible! I am getting phone calls and texts and emails and facebook messages about peoples animals. If you know anyone with a dog just mention the project to them, if they ask more tell them my name or give them my email. They can find it through my website, by googling my name, searching me on facebook etc. I am busily trying to get the word to some venues that will reach larger audiences and increase interest in the project. I hoping for dog magazines and dog related websites and organizations to give me a small shout out and let more people know. Please remind everyone that when an original painting is sold a % of the profits go to the Big Island Humane Society.
I really think we can get 150 people to submit dogs and have a real animal and family behind each portrait. For me this will make each painting that much more special, and will make the collection of work represent an actual community of dog owners, linked by this small project.
Anyway thanks again everyone for your continued support!!
Heres a French Bulldog named Tuco...
Monday, January 24, 2011
First Images
Hi everyone
Its been a busy past week and I havent had much time to blog, but I have started painting! I will post the first two canine portraits with this entry. Life is moving along, its pretty chilly in Ahualoa these days, at least by Hawaii standards, so its good painting weather. Enjoy these portraits and please feel free to leave feedback!
Mahalo!!!!
Its been a busy past week and I havent had much time to blog, but I have started painting! I will post the first two canine portraits with this entry. Life is moving along, its pretty chilly in Ahualoa these days, at least by Hawaii standards, so its good painting weather. Enjoy these portraits and please feel free to leave feedback!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Meeting dogs
Today is Sunday and Im organizing all of the photo submissions I have received. Something I hadnt really anticipated was how much fun it would be to get to know people and their pets. Already I have fallen in love with several peoples animals! And its nice to know people who are as crazy over their dog as I am over our two. I wanted to share a couple of the pets who will be featured in the book.
This is Bodhi. He is a 3 year old Bernese Mountain dog and he is super handsome.
This is River, he is a Shepard/Lab mix and this picture makes me smile every time I see it.
This is Ziggy, a Shih Tzu. Ziggy belongs to an old friend of mine from high school.
And this is our boy dog Marley. He is the toughest and cutest dog I know!
Okay back to work, more tomorrow!!
Aloha!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Welcome!
Aloha!
I am excited to announce the official launch of the Canine Portrait Project. If you made your way to this blog you probably know most or all of the details by now, but I would still like to start by introducing myself and the project.
My name is William Gilliam, but you can call me Wil. I have loved making art for all of my life and I primarily love to paint. I am passionate about animals of all kinds and endlessly interested in them. I find dogs to be particularly fascinating. I am amazed at the diversity that mankind has urged this animal group to express. I am also, like many people, captivated by the emotional connections a person can have with a dog.
Naturally, because of my interest in both art and dogs, I have ended up doing many portraits of peoples canines. I enjoy making portraits of pets, I feel that I am pretty good at it, and I have been wanting to have a larger catalogue of dog art for some time. When a new friend told me about a fundraising website called kickstarter.com I knew I had to try it out and the Canine Portrait Project was born.
Basically I am going to paint 150 portraits of dogs. Currently the AKC recognizes just over 150 breeds, but many are slight variations that closely resemble other breeds. I decided that 150 was a nice, round, somewhat manageable number. In addition approximately 15 of these portraits will be mutts.
In one months time using the kickstarter.com system of raising funds I secured $5000 in funding to pay for the materials to make all of these paintings, the cost of creating limited edition giclee prints of the art, and the cost to self publish a book containing all 150 portraits.
I could not and would not be doing this if it werent for the incredible generosity of 28 wonderful people who pledged their money to back my dream. I know that a lot of people are struggling right now and that money is never easy to come by, so the fact that these people used theirs for the sake of my art project gives me a deep sense of responsibility to create something awesome.
I wanted to start this blog as a way of collaborating with these backers, other friends and family, and the public. I will post lots of pictures and updates showing the artwork in progress, passing along stories of peoples pets, showing page layouts for the book etc. In return I am hoping for a lively comments section and lots of feedback and suggestions. I welcome any advice, and I am really hoping to get some great ideas from this community of art and dog lovers we are building. So please dont be shy!!! I am nice and I will be kind if you comment!
Lastly I would like to ask you to spread the link to this blog around, its bound to have tons of content and the more input the better I believe. I also need many many pictures of dogs. I will keep a running list of breeds needed. I am really hoping to get submissions for all breeds and not have to source random dogs to make a portrait. I feel like it would be something really special if all 150 dogs in my book were submitted by people who knew about the project and wanted their best friend immortalized!!
Thank you so much for your interest in my project, please stay tuned and check back often. Im going to be painting like mad!!!!
Mahalo!!
Wil
This is our girl dog Shaka.
I am excited to announce the official launch of the Canine Portrait Project. If you made your way to this blog you probably know most or all of the details by now, but I would still like to start by introducing myself and the project.
My name is William Gilliam, but you can call me Wil. I have loved making art for all of my life and I primarily love to paint. I am passionate about animals of all kinds and endlessly interested in them. I find dogs to be particularly fascinating. I am amazed at the diversity that mankind has urged this animal group to express. I am also, like many people, captivated by the emotional connections a person can have with a dog.
Naturally, because of my interest in both art and dogs, I have ended up doing many portraits of peoples canines. I enjoy making portraits of pets, I feel that I am pretty good at it, and I have been wanting to have a larger catalogue of dog art for some time. When a new friend told me about a fundraising website called kickstarter.com I knew I had to try it out and the Canine Portrait Project was born.
Basically I am going to paint 150 portraits of dogs. Currently the AKC recognizes just over 150 breeds, but many are slight variations that closely resemble other breeds. I decided that 150 was a nice, round, somewhat manageable number. In addition approximately 15 of these portraits will be mutts.
In one months time using the kickstarter.com system of raising funds I secured $5000 in funding to pay for the materials to make all of these paintings, the cost of creating limited edition giclee prints of the art, and the cost to self publish a book containing all 150 portraits.
I could not and would not be doing this if it werent for the incredible generosity of 28 wonderful people who pledged their money to back my dream. I know that a lot of people are struggling right now and that money is never easy to come by, so the fact that these people used theirs for the sake of my art project gives me a deep sense of responsibility to create something awesome.
I wanted to start this blog as a way of collaborating with these backers, other friends and family, and the public. I will post lots of pictures and updates showing the artwork in progress, passing along stories of peoples pets, showing page layouts for the book etc. In return I am hoping for a lively comments section and lots of feedback and suggestions. I welcome any advice, and I am really hoping to get some great ideas from this community of art and dog lovers we are building. So please dont be shy!!! I am nice and I will be kind if you comment!
Lastly I would like to ask you to spread the link to this blog around, its bound to have tons of content and the more input the better I believe. I also need many many pictures of dogs. I will keep a running list of breeds needed. I am really hoping to get submissions for all breeds and not have to source random dogs to make a portrait. I feel like it would be something really special if all 150 dogs in my book were submitted by people who knew about the project and wanted their best friend immortalized!!
Thank you so much for your interest in my project, please stay tuned and check back often. Im going to be painting like mad!!!!
Mahalo!!
Wil
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