Portrait of a Westminster Winner

Drew Thurston was keen to tackle his contemporary commission-- painting the authorized portrait of an internationally famous star.

?I ardor the painting...This is stunning,? says the portrait?s distinct owner.

Good Morning America, The Nowadays Show, Martha Stewart and Charlie Rose were all enthusiastic about featuring the painting?s subject. You might even say he won an Oscar? -- or the Oscar?s ? equivalent in the dog world-- the Westminster Kennel Club?s Best Of Show award of 2007.

His agname is James, aka Felicity?s Diamond Jim-- an English Springer Spaniel. The aforementioned owner of the portrait and the dog is Teresa Patton, who resides in Northern Virginia. There, James has retired from array business, devoting his future to being a certified therapy dog helping Alzheimer?s patients.

Thurston, whose work has been exhibited at the Denver Craft Museum paints a broad cross-section of subjects, on the other hand has of late taken to picture dogs and other creatures in imaginary landscapes that harken back to the mid nineteenth century and earlier. Aside from the pleasing colour harmonies he finds, the temper of these works is both lighthearted and sophisticated, fun but classic.

?Art, particularly in the occasion of idealized landscapes close these, domesticates nature-- and it?s ethical lovely to district a domesticated, noble person in such a setting to commune with that kind of nature,? he says.

The arts retain captivated Thurston since his childhood-- not onliest drawing and portray nevertheless playing piano and violin. He plays both instruments in the Littleton Symphony, the orchestra of his home town. Writing is another love, although he has no specific plans for the short novels he?s written.

?I caught the bug from Leonardo Da Vinci when I was twelve,? he says, ?-- the coercion to let my creativity and passion for life assume many forms.?

He?s acted in community theatre and equal this month performed a ventriloquist act for students at a local private elementary school. In the same programme he showed the children his process for creating illustrations for his regular clients in the magazine and album industries.

?The opportunity to paint James was a tremendous privilege. He is a magnificent dog.? This depiciton can be seen at drewthurston.com

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Thurston lives with his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Annora, in Littleton, CO.drewthurston.com

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