Title: “Grouse”

Artist: Louise Nally

Medium: Gouache

Price: Contact National Purebred Dog Day to inquire about purchasing this piece.

Artist’s Thoughts: “My name is Louisa Nally. I am an artist living in Co. Mayo, Ireland close to the borders of Connemara.
Since I was a tiny tot, I had a huge interest in animals and of course dogs. At 3 yrs old I won my first Art Competition. As my prize I received a very large paintbox of water colours which I have to this day. It had 50 different colours which interestingly contained a colour called Purple/Brown which I still refer to (there is a tiny bit left) for my water colour paintings of Irish Water Spaniels.
My first paid commissions were from the Director of Dublin Zoo Terry Murphy when I was 14 yrs old at 5 shillings each. I painted all the different ducks and geese etc. for signs on the large lake.

However as time when on, I developed a particular interest in Irish Culture and History. From there my interest in Pure Bred Dogs increased and I continuously painted the Irish Native Breeds. Of course my first drawing of an Irish Dog was of a Famous Irish Wolf Hound in Irish Mythology called ‘Bran’ one of the hounds of Fionn McCool, I was 5yrs old. It was at that time too when I saw my first Irish Water Spaniels, at the St. Patrick’s Day Dog Show in Dublin, when dogs were benched. So began my fascination with this Native Irish breed. I have had Irish Water Spaniels for over 30yrs, I have also had an Irish terrier and an Irish Red & White Setter. I could tell you my life story but I will refrain ……….for now…..
So on to Red & White Setters……….

Painting Details: 15″ x 22″ 

The painting I have entered is of an Irish Red & White Setter, ‘Grouse.’ He was a beautiful example of the Breed. Solid and a really strong boned fella. As the original Irish Setter the occiput on his head did not show like the red setters of today.* The original Irish Setter was Red and White with the occasional Boston marked and sometimes the odd all white or full red colour. He was just 2 generations from the beginning of the ‘Revival of the Irish Red & White Setter’. His prefix was ‘Lougherne’ and was bred in Co. Fermanagh, North of Ireland.

He reminded me of the several years I spent working with an Art restorer of Victorian paintings, which were most often in animal gender. A lot these paintings contained this particular breed. It was my work to restore any part of a dog, horse or bird which may have been damaged as I was known to be good in this area. I learned so much about oil painting and the work of famous artists in the mid to late1800’s. The different oil paints they worked with, how they made and mixed them and many more secrets which they used that I am not going to expose!

I chose gouache paint for the portrait of this dog as it is so similar to working with oils, but much faster to dry and easily changed.
*The occipital bone has a crest or protuberance which is commonly referred to as the occiput. Myths in dog folklore believed that the size of the occiputal protuberance was a measure of the dog’s sense of smell. This developed in the red setter and other hunting dogs around the 1900’s but of course the Irish Red and White Setter was existing in Ireland long before this date.  – Louisa   #NPDDArt2017