Two Shelties get VIP Brush Treatment
- Double portraits of two Sheltie dogs
- Framed Commentary and Poem
- Chronicled and documented the creative process from the 1st ebony inked brush stroke to the last
Background
A Silicon Valley Family contacted Drue for a very special canine commission. Serious connoisseurs of Sumi-e and longtime clients of Drue's, they owned several of her paintings - including a portrait and a landscape. They asked her to create two original Sumi-e portraits of their two magnificent Sheltie dogs, Mistybrook Jaymar Kohl and Mistybrook It Had to Be You.
Drue immersed herself in the storied history of their pedigree. She discovered a trove of stories about the littermates' impressive ancestry and fine upbringing. The father of the Shelties, a blue merle named Degas had been an American and Canadian champion. The mother was a bi-black named Silversong.
Client Goals
- To capture the distinctive personality of each dog in its portrait -- the way in which the two littermates, the exceptional Kohl and the sophisticated Misty complemented each other.
- To distill the beauty, richness and personal history of the two beautiful soul mates: Kohl, the indefatigable protector and Misty, the irrepressible Diva.
Solution
- Drue spent time with the family at their home listening and learning the fascinating stories about Misty and Kohl. Observing the playful pair in the soft morning sun and in the bright California afternoon sun, Drue internalized their regal posture and the play of light against their luxurious coats.
- Drue created two paintings with complementary compositions. The Shelties can be installed either as a dynamic duo or by themselves, each as its own regal statement. Hung side by side, Misty and Kohl will gambol and romp in a lifelong celebration of symbiotic enchantment. Hung apart, Misty and Kohl will command their space and intrigue their captive audience.
- Misty's portrait, It Had to Be Misty, captures her artistic debut as a graceful Sheltie beauty.
- Kohl's portrait, Anything Kohl's, distills the Sheltie rearing back with infinite ease on his agile haunches
- Drue composed a poem with musical allusions and references to the paintings and the dogs' names
Spotlight Fact
Drue visited the residence ahead of time to understand where the paintings would hang and be experienced.
