Our dear friends Carey and Lisa commissioned me to paint a portrait of their boxer, Lucky. The photo session was a lot of fun. Lucky is an extraordinary dog — handsome, out-sized personality and a lot of energy! Cindy took over two hundred photos of Lucky during the course of the photo shoot as Lucky was in nearly constant motion.

In the photo we selected as the primary reference, Lucky was primed to lunge for a tennis ball that Carey was holding off to the side. I wanted to convey that particular intensity in his portrait. Beyond a good likeness, it was my hope to show Lucky’s strength and vitality. Here’s what I came up with…