![](https://objects.artspan.com/member/stnolan/1200/3915467.jpg)
Gracie's Woods
This pet portrait was commissioned for a resident of the Indiana Lakeshore. Rather than a typical "Dunes" background of sand, lakefront and beachgrass, I focused on the wooded lot that is this Border Collie's own personal stomping grounds. When I create a composition with animals, the "habitat" of the animal is usually as important as the animal itself; it is not just a backdrop. Just as in nature, creatures are products of their environment, immersed in it. I like my entire painting to contain spaces of exploration.
20"x20"x1" Oil on wood panel
20"x20"x1" Oil on wood panel