woohoo! this is a great idea. I’ll have to dig around in my photos and see what I come up with!

great contest. I have the perfect photo, and SHE will inspire you! I’d love one!

carole

What a fun idea. It will be interesting to see what people send you. When I read this I thought of one photo I had instantly, that I always liked in black and white. It is of my precocious little terrier, Bean, aka Wilbur. He is the funniest little guy I have ever had. Personality off the chart. He is very sweet and loving with a very stubborn attitude when he is told no, especially when it comes to desperate begging. He just stares at it and then if you don’t look at him, he growls… but if he ever sees you crying or sad or something, he will put his head on your shoulder or try to comfort you. He is one of my 4 dogs.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/3148338271_cffd58a713_o.jpg

I hope you like him.

Sue

Ooops, I forgot about the ball in Bean’s pic… he takes that ball everywhere. If I go to let him out, he has to run around and find his ball before he can go outside and if he has put it down somewhere outside, you call him and he has to run and get his ball before he will come inside…

Sue

This is great! Can I email u a picture of my sons that was taken years ago??

MJ-

Hi MJ – this is a single subject theme, so you’d have to indicate which of your sons you would like drawn.

If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Thanks!

Because my friend and her family just lost their beloved Hoss, I’d have to say this photo is one I’d want to have done in their honor. I know Patty’s mom would appreciate it.

[…] at Intricate Art is starting a new weekly giveaway. She does the most beautiful graphite portraits. Now, she’ll be sharing the theme for the […]

This is a great idea! Sully would be proud…

aweee i just had to say that the 2 photos posted are so beautiful!!

Your drawings are beautiful! I wish I had a clever story to go with this, but I just caught a pout on an otherwise ordinary day.

What a wonderful thing to do! :yes: I’ll try to get my act together for this round…but if not, certainly by next.

What a great idea. I will definitely enter. And I’ll make sure to mention it. (Of course, all of, like, five people read my blog…)

Great idea! Here’s a link to a photo of my Dickon:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2322/2460699598_daa26c53b1.jpg?v=0

Dickon is named after the young boy who all the animals loved in “The Secret Garden”. Though he’s really more of a “dickens” than that young man! He’s a handful but I love the big ol’ goofball! Hope he inspires you. 🙂

Wow. Looking through my blog, I see there are a number of options. This is one of my favorite photos of Miss Winkie.

http://murmuringtrees.blogspot.com/2008/03/winkie.html

This sounds like fun! Now I’m digging through the photo files – be back later. 🙂

Leanne,
I got your note about the contest…so here I am ..I know you are doing an oil for me of one of our dogs Josie…but as you know…i am an avid pitbull lover..

My baby girl…Bailey……..was recently diagnosed with butt cancer…of all things…a little funny…but…. no pun intended..even though I know she is going to be just fine… my spooning buddy at night…cant help but think, someday she will not be here with me….the thought breaks my heart even though it is inevitable…..a portrait of her would be most beautiful…

and i know this really great artist…who does great work…hahahah.. anyway this is my little story…

My mini story about a little pitbull that has the spirit of a true champion…the loyalty of a real best friend and the heart of a puppy…
i will send a pic of her…

I will find a picture

What a great idea. This week is already busy, but hoping I can join in next time. Very generous of you to do.

Meet Bailey:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c48/shel704/Thanksgiving/IMG_0709.jpg

We’re what they call a “foster-failure”. My sister is director for a no-kill shelter and asked us to foster a puppy for a week. Bailey was on death-row at another shelter before my sister’s agency rescued her. After one week with us, she stole our hearts, as well as just about everything that’s not nailed down. Bailey’s first week with us she discovered toys, stuffed animals, boots, and bathroom rugs. Everything was “hers” and she’d drag her haul underneath the dining room table. My 12 year old daughter would say “Mom, she’s jacking my Build-A-Bear again!!”, which just happens to be her all-time favorite thing to steal (pictured in the above photo). Every time I’d see her dragging my husband’s work boot under the table to add to her ever-growing stash, I’d say “and this is MINE…and this is MINE”. We’re all conditioned now to looking under the dining room table for whatever it is we’re missing.

I’m owned by a Golden named Mackenzie who loves, loves tennis balls. In fact, it’s rare to catch her w/o one in her mouth! Anyway, here’s one that I enjoy:

http://www.mackenziespeaks.com/2008/10/post.html

She always looks so content w/a tennis ball in her mouth!

BTW – Love your work!

Wags – Chris & Mackenzie

Very nice idea. 🙂

http://akalranch.com/070430Sisters/images/070430-4809-39_R_90.jpg

My wonderful mare and friend, Choctaw Lily…

:pilot: :pilot:
what a terrific idea!!! too bad I am on hols :cold: and I don’t have my pics with me, otherwise I would enter the contest right away!

Actually dropping by to wish you a fantastic 2009!!

You know I can’t pass up this chance. 🙂

So here is a picture of my lovely cat, Pooh Bear. He is a fur-ball for sure, rotten to the core and has a heart of gold. He has accepted Jim into our life with lots of head butts and purrs, and Pooh loves to plop himself down on Jim’s feet for some toe-inspired head rubs.

In this new year, he will turn 14 years old, though I can remember holding him in the palm of my hands when he was a mere 3 weeks old.

Though he’s getting older, with all the challenges of age like arthritis, he still has his kitten energy. He’ll run tearing through the house for no reason – I call it chasing his imaginary mouse.

In this picture, he’s literally playing cat and mouse – computer mouse, that is. 🙂

Thanks for the great idea and the chance to enter.
C

http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h176/cs94wahoo/?action=view&current=poohwithmouse.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1024484&l=f9f46&id=533969071

Here is my Sophie, after a run at the dog park…stopping briefly in the sun to catch her breath…or let me catch mine.

OH MY GOODNESS. Leanne! I had to re-read your entry 3 times to make sure I understood it correctly. You are going to make alot of people VERY, VERY happy. It will be Xmas all year long….really quite a giving, generous offer to all of us. 🙂

How fun!

This is a picture of our little friend, Alysia. We met her when both she and my daughter Anya were in the NICU together back in ’95-’96.

Alysia is a miracle through and through! Her mother was told she could never have children, but Alysia came along anyway. Then, Alysia was born with very grave birth defects, and the doctors started right away preparing her mom that Alysia probably wouldn’t make it through the night. Then they said she wouldn’t make it through the month, then she wouldn’t get to her first birthday, her 3rd, and definitely not to 8 years old.

She’s 13 now, and still having problems. But, she’s still going strong. She’s sassy and headstrong and if sheer will and determination count for anything she’ll outlast us all!

This photo was taken on Halloween, and she was proud because her hair was all done up. One thing about her, no matter what else is going on with her life and health, she has the shiniest, most beautiful hair!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3271/3154310736_5ec3056503.jpg

Let me know if that’s enough information, and thanks for running such a cool contest! 🙂

Hello,

This picture is very precious and dear to my daughter. This butterfly was followed and tracked as a caterpillar. Once it made a cocoon, it was driven more than 200 miles to a remote location. My daughter waited and waited, it seemed like months went by, and finally a butterfly popped out. She named it “Beautiful.” After the butterfly was born, we released it into the wild, and never saw it again. This is one of the last photos taken of Beautiful. My daughter hopes and prays that this photo will become work of art by the greatest artist known to mankind (besides my wife). :dance:

http://ardentgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/bfly2.jpg

I love that you are going to run a contest giving away your art work. you know how much I admire what you do. Now, what do I link to?

Hmmmm….

How about this photo of my daughter:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepingmommy/2883796366/

You should be able to view it as you are listed as a friend on flickr, I think.

Josie is my middle child. My only daughter and this photo captures her spirit and personality and beauty like nothing i have ever taken of her. She adores attention and as a middle child craves it as if she were starving for it. I would love to have a piece of art that I can frame that captures this stage of her life. There is not other Josephine–at least none like our Jo.

Cool idea! We have four dogs, but here is a link to one, our Boston Terrier Reiko Suave.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbringolf/3155567406/

OK Leanne, I misread this contest when I initially responded. I would gladly submit a photo for the contest…

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=70042&id=1426307131

The story? Well, you know me. I love things that make me laugh. I am in constant admiration of your talent so I hope you know that I don’t take your work or your talent as a joke. But the story is that this is a photo of a great friend of mine, Deborah. The photo was taken at our 20 year reunion (I’m sure you’ve heard from Paige…!!!) and she is making a classic drunk model pose for the camera. This night might go down as one of the most riotous evenings of my life. I haven’t laughed so hard ever, honestly. I’d love it if you did this portrait in graphite. It would totally capture the fun of the evening, and (here’s where you have to know me and understand my love for your work and not get offended) it would also be so super funny to give Deborah a custom piece of artwork of her in the most over the top model pose I have ever seen. You see drink straw is in the shot so there’s no question she’s drinking and posing. I’ve seen your work, it would be so great that she would (of course) display it and then have to answer to questions about it forever… the thought of THAT makes me laugh out loud even now. That is assuming that I could part with it… because looking at it myself daily actually sounds like more fun!!

So I guess I want this photo to be selected because your rendition would just make someone laugh daily, and that to me is inspiring in and of itself.

Thanks for the opp.!!

Becky

I’m so happy you are doing something. I just need to get my act together and inspire you. Hmmmmm.

To all readers: I’ve had Leanne to a portrait for me and it was amazing. She brought the person to life more than the photo did. A gift she has.

I hope I made the deadline!!!

what a fun idea!!!

Thank you all for your entries! I am closing comments now and will review everyone’s submissions this evening. I’ll update with a new post once I’ve selected the winner!

[…] a few hours of going through all of the photos and submissions for my first custom portrait giveaway for 2009, I’ve selected Michelle’s submission of Bailey as the winner. Here’s her story: […]

[…] to Week 2! Week 1 was a great success, I was touched by your submissions last week and look forward to buying another box of Kleenex to get through your entries this […]