Catch

Artist Statement: The inspiration for this painting was a photograph of my friend’s dog, an energetic animal named Catch. My friend was showing me her pictures and this picture caught my eye because of the contrast between the bright, sunlit dog and the calm, mellow beach. The beach consists of cool gray rocks striped with dark purple and green tidelines, bordered by a silty green ocean. In the middle of all this, there is a dog, a happy golden retriever shaking off the water dripping from his fur. The movement of the dog also contrasts with the stillness of the beach, but is reflected in the motion of the waves in the background. I chose to paint this subject matter of the composition, the contrast in colors, and the mood it gave off; which I feel is simple happiness, even on a gray windy day.