A few months ago, one of my Facebook page followers posted a link to a North Carolina company that was seeking works of art for their silent auction.  The auction proceeds will help provide a service dog for a 10-year-old boy named Clarke.

   Call me a softie but I clicked on the link, saw this adorable young boy with a heart-stealing grin and, well, here I am painting for the Dublin Dog Foundation’s “Operation Clarke”.  So…my first order of business was to come up with a painting idea.  Seeing as this all started on FB, I put out a call to my Gloria Paints Dogs FB fans and asked for ideas.  Auction organizers had requested that submitted artwork center around the theme “luck”, so I asked my FB fans, “What does luck mean to you?” My FB fans are the best!  I received dozens of stimulating responses and, in no time, the perfect image for the painting appeared. 

   So here we are, the painting has begun.  In the coming days I’ll be sharing my progress with you as the painting comes to life.  I’ll also tell you more about the painting’s backstory, introduce you to Clarke, and provide auction details.

   Today’s image comes from my first sitting where I blocked in the painting’s larger shapes.  Tomorrow I’ll share with you a more completed painting.