Art Links:Constance Bachmann
©Constance Bachmann
Winston
"It's My Party (French Bulldog)"
French Bulldog
English Bulldog
Boxer
Pug
Bostonterrier
Basset Hound
Greyhound with Yellow Panel
Sitting Greyhound
Dachshund
Chinese Crested Dog
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Portfolio-Dogs
"About my dog series:
For me, the biggest challenge with this series is not to overwork the painting. I've been gradually steering away from still life as a subject matter, incorporating more open spaces into my work and offering less of an ornamental feel overall. This includes my gradual attempt to give up some control, allowing the under painting to show through in more areas and not being as exact with knife strokes. While still not entirely comfortable with abstraction, I prefer to carefully treat my ‘living’ subjects like a still life… placing them deliberately surrounded by an abstracted field that allows the dog itself to be the sole attraction, almost suspended on the background. The newest 'Bark' series is a good example of balancing content and abstraction. Sometimes I find myself wanting to go back and rework areas on my dogs, taking the painting to a highly detailed painterly style which I'm more comfortable with. Giving up control and working through the transition to a looser, less refined approach has allowed me to discover new strengths in my work. It’s also allowed the base colors to pull through in unexpected ways and encourages the use of larger open spaces in the paintings, which create more tension and focus on the character of my subjects. Oddly enough, choosing dogs was a natural evolution from my still life depictions. In this world, our humanity is closely linked with our interaction and respect for other living creatures; and much like the earliest cave paintings that depict horses and cows, they also recorded dogs. I want to keep exploring the connection between my subject and the viewer; and to subtly remind us to celebrate the role that man’s best friend plays in our lives. In this way, I’ve attempted to convey compassion and emotion in the dog series, hinting at unique characteristics, and in some, adding a quirky accessory that clearly reveals more of the subject’s personality. These bits of character inform us that these subjects aren't wild, untamed animals but lovable, dependable friends."(c)