In The Spotlight

Last week I met an artist through the blog world whose work I just fell in love with. Above is Melissa Langer and her adorable Pug Emmitt. Melissa is the owner/artist of Pug Notes. Her work is just wonderful, she creates original Pug art as well as other breeds, with acrylic paint. Is it any shock that sweet little Emmitt is the inspiration behind her work??

We all have a very distinct reaction when we see art work. My first reaction to Melissa's work was a very broad smile. How can anyone look at this wonderful and whimsical artwork, with such expressive little faces and not smile. Below Melissa tells us about her work and how she creates all her pieces.

The Process, How I create a Painting: I love painting my Pugs and Pug Pals! Each one brings me new joy and excitement. I am often asked how I create my paintings and capture the expressions in my characters. The answer is, I am not exactly sure how I do it, or where the creative energy comes from. I do know that I cannot create one everyday. It is an energy that builds, and I can actually feel a painting coming on. It is a fun and creative process.

I am a self taught artist. My passion is working with acrylics on wood. I love how the paint glides across the wood, often revealing a subtle, natural grain of the surface below. I documented stages of the painting process to show you how I do it.

I start with a 8 x 10 x 3/4 piece of hemlock wood and sketch my subject in pencil. Then I decide upon the colors I will use, mix my paints, and start painting the head and body. I work on the shading of the fur as I go. I often add a bit more detail at the end of the process but most of it is put down in this stage. I then move on to the ears, eyes, muzzle, nose and mouth. I usually paint in the background before I put on the final touches and wrinkles.
Voila! A new Pug or Pal is born in the Pug Notes family.

Check out all of Melissa's work and all the beautiful products made from her work at: http://www.pugnotes.com/ she also has a blog: http://www.pugnotes.blogspot.com/ I hope you will enjoy her work as much as I have.

All photos and artwork were used with permission by and are copyright to - Melissa Langer at Pug Notes.