My dog murphy

I love the texture and colors.

Yes, it's absolutely the right thing to do when you get results like this: the important thing is to be passionate, and to care: if you are and if you do you will seek out the best way of representing things in paint. Your painting is full of passion, energy and feeling - if you can keep on representing these powerful emotions you don't need anything else because the skills (which are evident here anyway) will follow, because you will fight for the means to express what you feel. . You will have backward steps and problems as you go on, but with the passion you display in this painting, you will overcome all of them. The really important thing is the energy .... no one can teach you that; they can teach so much else, but not this fundamental urge to put what you see on canvas with brushes and paint. Just keep doing what you're doing, and post your paintings here, and there are many people on the site who will be able to help you when you hit problems. In the meantime, Murphy's a great dog, very well represented - and many a professional artist would be envious of this characterful and powerful painting.

Really nice oil Rebecca, great palette colours. I like the thick strokes, your painting is full of life, very well painted

Thank you everyone i feel so much better already.At home i had a few 'why do you paint so many colours that aren't there' or 'when its finished it will look nice' comments that i needed someone else's opinion.I paint the thick strokes and colours because i see them.I wrote a short blog and i describe it as dancing.I'll keep going if you guys think i have something worth keeping going for. much love to everyone beccax

I like this hard ,no nonsens painting,with great colours

I can only agree with Robert... you are doing great, and it is a wonderful painting.

I like the style and I was always told that a painting is finished when the artist has said what he/she set out to say or to portray, I think you have done that admirably with Murphy.

Many people who start to paint want skills first, followed by inspiration and artistic vision. I think this is the wrong way round. Have the passion to paint how it comes out of you and add the skills you need to achieve the look you are aiming for as you go along. To concentrate on all the skills tends to stifle the soul and you end up hooked on the 'rules' and accepted ways of going. Be a maverick, paint from the heart and hang whether it is totally accurate or right. You have done exactly that with this portrait and it shows - the passion for the subject, the feeling for the paint and a great interpretation of who Murphy is what this portrait says to me. I'd say to you - keep going the way you are as you seem to be on the right track.

This is so full of life and colour so carry on doing what you're doing and you can't go wrong.

Quick addition - you see things as a painter sees them: colours in the "wrong" place, colours that "aren't there" - IGNORE people who say that to you, even if they mean well; OK, they don't see things that you see, but that's why you're a painter and they aren't.

I have just been browsing the gallery.I am alittle overwhelmed by everyones talent.Every bodies work looks so amazing and i can see alot of time an thought as well as talent have gone into those works,and here's me literally throwing a picture together without a care and posting it among such fine work.Its almost an insult to you guys what was i thinking?

Well you can stop thinking that right away. I don't visit POL very often these days but this is one of the best paintings I've seen in a long time. I also paint dogs in particular and I really wish I could make my paintings as expressive as yours- and I've been painting over 30 years. You have an ability that many people would envy; to see those "strange" colours and have the confidence to use them is quite remarkable. I would say you have the eye of a true natural artist. Don't think your work has to be like everyone else's. Art is totally subjective and making a painting look like a photograph is not what it's about. It's allowing character and expression and having the confidence to paint what YOU see, not what you think you should see. This is absolutely superb. What on earth is wrong with "throwing a picture together" if it turns out like this. Do NOT sell yourself short.

thankyou so much Diana. Do you have pictures on here? I havn't painted anything in a very long time.My mum passed away and i have been working nonstop so no time but i have been thinking of starting again. And your words encourage me.

I am not sure what I can add to what has already been said, except perhaps well done on this super painting. It is obvious to me that you have a lot of vision, talent and skill and this lovely composition proves it. Keep posting and don't dwell on the things you think you can't do! I wish I had a fraction of your passion!

Murphy is lovely Rebecca, for a 'random beginner' you are portraying what you see extremely well!