Pugs are quickly become one of North America's most popular breeds, and it is no wonder. They look super cute and cuddly, and have a friendly personality.

Originally from China, Pugs were brought into Europe in the 16th century  and became quite a favorite among royalty. Today Pugs can be seen just about anywhere you go.

Pugs were bred for companionship and live up to that role very well, they are playful and enjoy being around humans. This makes them a good dog breed choice for kids. Because Pugs overheat easily, kids need to learn to keep play sessions short with plenty of snuggle sessions in between.

Pugs aren't just fun to play with, they are also fun to draw and paint, My Pug art feature in this blog post can be bought at Redbubble and Pictorem

This is a companion to the acrylic painting of a female Northern cardinal I posted previously. It was purchased by the same person.  

Cardinals love black oil sunflower seeds, in fact black oil sunflower seeds will attract a variety of birds to your backyard,

In the bird world the males are more colorful and prettier than the females in many bird species, and the Northern cardinal is no exception. The females are a beige color with tinges of red, most notably in the tail and red beak.

But both male and female cardinals are stunning to look at. I have a lot of them passing through my yard all year round. A distinctive feature in both is the black mask around the beak making them unmistakable.

Another name for the Northern cardinal is the "common cardinal" and "red cardinal". It's obvious why it would be called "red cardinal" but "common cardinal"? It's striking looks make it look anything but "common", I never get tired of seeing them perched on a tree branch in my backyard.

This pen and ink sketch was for a challenge in an art forum. Can't tell whether the dog is a Poodle or a Bichon Frise but in any case I enjoyed drawing it.

The drawing was sketched directly with a Sharpie gel pen, nib size 0.5, no pencil or eraser used, I'm practicing drawing with only a pen.

A watercolour version of the rocky shore seascape I painted recently in acrylic. Sometimes I like painting the same picture in different mediums to see how it will look.