Becky - my sister's dog

My sister Diane's favorite colors are blue and orange. So I used those colors as much as possible to paint her dog, a Yorkshire named Becky. I wanted the painting to be loose and show some energy with the brushstrokes. I think I did it to some degree but I neglected the likeness of the dog. You can see "Becky - first attempt" compared to the reference picture at the bottom.

So I tried it again, with a different palette this time. I used only chromatic black, burnt sienna, yellow ocher and white. I paid more attention to the likeness ("Becky - second attempt"). ...and I added extra hair on the back of the head... Oh well! :-)

So we (Ken and I) were very "anxious" of Diane and her boyfriend Michel's reaction when we gave it to them. We thought they may not want it. They haven't shown  interest in my paintings and Michel has been collecting paintings in a completely different style than mine.

They LOVED it! Phew! And we think we saw a tear in Diane's eye...

Becky - second attempt, Oil, 6 x 8"

Becky - first attempt, Oil, 8 x 10

Becky - reference picture