Avery Speas "Dog on Grass"

8x12, Acrylic Paint, 2025 

My idea was to do an animal painting. I instantly knew that I didn’t want to do one showing an animal face because I didn’t want to worry about doing a face since I had just recently done a painting with two faces. I was sitting on the couch and saw my dog at my feet and thought, “Let’s do a painting of Sully (my dog)”. I found an image of my dog staring at the trees in our backyard from when we lived in Ohio. I really liked the difficulty in the trees and grass and I thought that the painting would evolve into a very close resemblance of the original photo. I knew I had my work cut out for me and I wanted to push myself with the landscape part of the painting. I wanted to get better at brush strokes and textures with this painting. 

I started this painting by finding a canvas to recycle. I came across one in the size that I wanted and decided that that was the canvas I was going to use. I made a shade of green that I was going to use for the foreground and painted the entire canvas that color. I had to apply several layers of paint to get an even coat and had to redo the background a couple times. I then sketched the original photo onto the canvas so that I had a clear outline on what I was going to paint. I then added some lighting details in the background and near the horizontal divide of the canvas. Next, I added some grass details to the foreground and lightened the area up so that I could add more color and details later. I also added some texture in the trees. Eventually, I was able to add several different greens to the trees to give the illusion that the trees were three dimensional. I painted the trunks of the trees before finalizing the light spots of the trees. After that, I moved onto layering the grass using thin, upward stroking brush strokes. I used many different greens so that the foreground and midground were realistic. I had left some room in the center of the canvas to paint my dog so after the grass was finished, I began painting my dog's fur black. I then went in with a blue gray color to give a lighting illusion on his fur and then added the white parts of his fur. Finally, I added some finishing touches to the background and then signed my name at the bottom.

This artwork means reflection. The dog is staring off into the wooded area which is often a sign of deep thought or reflection. Dogs unfortunately are unable to speak but they are capable of thinking. I believe that he was reflecting on what he was seeing in front of him and trying to figure out the beauty of nature in front of him. They can’t see green in the ways that we do so I wanted to capture how we see green because many other creatures are unable to see it. I included a little bit of iconography because I named the artwork “Dog on Grass” and some people use the term “Dog On It” to express their frustration. There was so much grass and greenery that I had to paint which became frustrating at times. I don’t believe that I included much symbolism in this artwork but I think that the iconography and the feeling of reflection are the two main things that I was trying to get across. 

It was difficult to get some of the textures on the painting to work out the way that I wanted them too. At first, I struggled with getting the trees to look full and three dimensional. I overcame this struggle by dabbing the brush in paint and dabbing the paint brush on the canvas, making sure to spread out different colors as I went. When moving onto the grass, I thought that the grass also looked two dimensional and it didn’t have the volume that I wanted. I got some help from Ms. Garrity and she showed me that I should use upward strokes. I applied several colors until I got the right balance of colors. If I had to start over, I would make larger batches of paint so that I didn’t have to keep on remaking it every class. 

The artwork style is realistic. I think that it makes it unique to my own style because I like using different brush strokes to style landscapes. I used both dabbing and upward moving strokes. I love that I look at the painting and it looks super cohesive and yet if you look closer, you see so many different textures and styles. I love seeing my dog and I think that since my execution was done well, it is a painting that I love to look at. I love that I pushed myself and got better as the painting went on. I learned how to manage my time well and I am super proud of myself for making that animal painting.

Avery Speas "Grinch and Max"

3x2x6, Clay and Paint, 2025 

When brainstorming ideas for the altered moments artpiece, I saw the figure I had in front of me. It was a boy and his dog. This led me to question who would have a real bond with their puppy. With Christmas time approaching, I came to the conclusion that I should replicate the Grinch with his dog Max. I was particularly inspired by the old 1966 version of the Grinch. I wanted the grinch to be that lime green color so that he stood out. I planned on putting him in his Santa suit and placing the iconic one antler on Max’s head. 

To begin, I primed the whole sculpture white. I did multiple layers so that none of the previous colors could be visible. Once it was covered in white, I looked up the color palettes of the Grinch and Max from the 1966 cartoon so that I could get their fur colors relatively the same as in the cartoon. I then used the green to paint the face and hair. I used a smaller brush to get the details on the hand and I made sure to not get the green in the eyes. After that, I painted the Grinch’s coat and pants red. I then used black to get the shoes the right color and I used black to get Max’s nose black. I then took my white and added fluff to the trim of the coat and pants. I then moved onto Max’s fur, painting it a caramel brown color. I did a darker shade of that by adding black to the original color for the ears. Then, I sculpted the hat for the Grinch and the single antler for Max. After this, they were fired and placed onto the artpiece. I’m not sure if the fire made the color of the Grinch’s skin darker or if it was changed. Ms. Garrity then painted final details like fallen ice cream so that it could be displayed for the band concert. 

This artwork symbolizes Christmas and the bond between two characters. It means having a companion who is there for you; just like how Max is always there for the Grinch. I would say it is about Christmas bringing people together because when the Grinch was isolated and alone during Christmas, he bonded with his dog Max. I want my audience to think about who they bond with in times that they need the most support. I don’t think that there is any symbolic imagery in this artpiece. I think that the most important thing that I want my viewers to take away from this is the bond between two people who are best friends. 

I believe that the most difficult part of this project was getting small details to be painted fully. Some places were hard to reach and I often had to redo the section I was on so that the right color wasn’t accidentally in the wrong spot. I also struggled with getting the shape of both the antler and the hat to be accurate. I had to start over a lot and I had to be very patient so that it would look right. However, I think that I did a good job of fixing my struggles as they were popping up. I’m not positive on what I would change if I had to start the entire project over. It was a pretty simple project with not that much difficulty. If I was to use a different idea than the Grinch and Max, I think that I would have done Charlie Brown and Snoopy because I think that they are funny and are also a really iconic duo. 

This style of art is called Fan Art. This is because I made a nod to the Grinch and Max, who are already Dr. Seuss’s artistic cartoons. I think that it makes it my style because I love recreating people and things that have impacted my life. I love dogs so it is no surprise that I chose a precious moment to redo that includes a dog. I also love Christmas time so I’m also not surprised I made a Grinch and Max altered moment. I love that I can look at it and be reminded of Christmas time. I’ve seen that cartoon a dozen times and it never fails to entertain me. I love that I can display this during Christmas time in my room. The characters are my absolute favorite and it makes me want to watch that cartoon every time I glance at it.