Title: “Let’s Play Ball”

Artist: Pam Shay

Medium: Watercolor and Ink

Size: 12″ x 9″ x 0″

Price: $275.00  Contact National Purebred Dog Day to inquire about purchasing this piece

Artist’s Thoughts: I spend my creative time sketching, refining ideas, resolving the artistic challenges that best utilize my art skills. In the end, I hope to bring it all together in paintings that show my amazement and bring me great joy. This painting of the Labrador Retrievers at play does just that! The Labrador Retriever is a sweet-natured, gentle breed. They’re outgoing, fun-loving and friendly. Aside from a playful personality, Labs learn tricks quickly and exhibit an eagerness to please. This pair of Labs belong to friends of mine. They are an utter and crazy delight! One of the things they most enjoy is playing catch on the stairs. This requires someone to throw a ball up the stairs. The dogs then catch it, let it bounce down, hoping that it is retrieved and thrown back up again. And on the game goes.

The process became one of capturing the look of eagerness and anticipation in the dogs’ faces. Using a photo of them at the top of the stairs, I worked to capture their “please-throw-the-ball” plea in watercolor and ink. This expressionistic portrayal of their game, in bright colors and fanciful ink lines, is meant to capture the feeling of fun as well as the Labs’ request for us to join in the game.

NPDDArt2023