Our cover artist, Emmie Brown uses a very unique technique to create her pet portraits. She calls the custom collage portraits, Pet Pieces. We call these three dimensional works of art amazing.
The Pieces Fall Into Place.
A stack of magazines and a photo of my subject shape the beginnings of each portrait. After sketching my subject onto canvas (or matte board, if it is to be framed), I begin the tedious process of clipping magazines. I not only search for the perfect tones and colors, but I also love to find random little images and words that make each portrait unique. These tiny hidden elements — from images of little dinosaurs to photos of pieces of cake — give the portrait added interest, as something new can be discovered each time the viewer studies it. After collecting the hun- dreds of small pieces and sorting them by color, I arrange and glue them onto my sketch from eyelashes to ears until I am satisfied that I have captured the subject’s likeness and personality.
When I was about ten years old, I started making collages. I was always a weird and cre- ative kid. I really don’t know what gave me the idea for my first piece, a portrait of Santa Claus, but it has been my mother’s most prized posses- sion ever since. I went on to do more collages, including the one of my first dog, Pepper.
60 THE NEW BARKER
I loved bringing together two of my passions — dogs and art. Since that first portrait of Pepper, I have fine-tuned my craft and my portraits are much more elaborate and realistic. I'm still figur- ing out how to make them better.
My kindergarten teacher Mrs. DeLancey noticed that there was a dog in every picture I drew, and she told my mom that I needed a dog. So we got Pepper, a black and tan long- haired dachshund when I was five. She was my best friend for 16 years.
Emmie Brown and Sully live in Ponte Vedra.
“My happiest days are the ones spent creating art.
To watch a blank canvas transform into something unique is such a cool thing. It is even more rewarding to know that I am creating some- thing that will be cherished by someone else.”
During my sophomore year in college, I missed not having a dog and began searching for one online. In no time, I was driving across town to meet my puppy. Of course, it was another longhaired Dachshund who stole my heart. I named him Sully. He is a handful at times, but I wouldn't trade him for anything.
My favorite colors are… Oh, that’s just way too hard to decide!
www.TheNewBarker.com
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